Does Nativity Status Matter in the Relationship between Perceived Racism and Academic Performance of Asian American College Students?

The moderation effect of nativity status on the relationship between perceived racism and academic performance of Asian American college students was investigated. We hypothesized that perceived racism would negatively correlate with academic performance and that this relationship would be stronger for US-born students compared to foreign-born students. Results found that nativity status moderated the perceived racism–academic performance link, but not in the expected direction. There was a trend of perceived racism increasing the academic performance of US-born students, while decreasing the academic performance of foreign-born students. It appears immigration characteristics are important in understanding the experience of racism and academic performance of Asian American college students.