Responses to Racism Among Ethiopian Adolescent Girls in Israel An Empirical Study

The present study contributes to our knowledge of the effects of racism on its victims, its correlation with emotional and behavioral coping styles, and its psychological effects (internalized racism), among a sample of 93... [ view full abstract ]

The present study contributes to our knowledge of the effects of racism on its victims, its correlation with emotional and behavioral coping styles, and its psychological effects (internalized racism), among a sample of 93 girls aged 15-21 from the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel.
The few studies that have been conducted on this subject in Israel found that young Ethiopian people experience racism based on skin color.
Several patterns of emotional responses (anger, empowerment, internalized emotions) and behavioral responses (adapt, fight, flight) to the experience of perceived racism were found.
Consonant with the literature (Brown 2003), the different dimensions of internalized racism can be divided into three distinct dimensions: nihilistic tendencies, anti-self issues and suppressed anger expression. Significant correlation was found between the frequency of perceived racism, anti-self issues and suppressed anger expression, in addition to an almost significant correlation with nihilistic tendencies.
The different internalized implications of perceived racism are discussed, considering the different chosen styles of coping. Analysis of the findings shows that perception of racism by the girls and the way they chose to respond indicate mental consequences and a personal and social price. Finally, the different coping styles of the girls with respect to perceived racism are discussed, specifically the impact of racism on the girls’ quality of life.