Colonial mentality, racism, and depressive symptoms: Asian Indians in the United States.

Abstract

Colonial mentality is one of the most damaging outcomes of colonization where colonizers are perceived as superior compared to the culture, society, and heritage of colonized people (David & Okazaki, 2006a; Martin-Baro, 1994). For Asian Indians (AIs), colonial mentality may manifest as cultural shame and inferiority, preference for lighter skin color, discriminating against less-Americanized Indians (e.g., speaking with an Indian accent), and feeling indebted for colonization. The goal of our study was to apply a postcolonial lens to the lived experiences of AIs in the United States to explore how commonly colonial mentality is endorsed among AIs, how group differences affect endorsement of colonial mentality, and the interaction of colonial mentality on the relation between racism-related stress and frequency of depressive symptoms. In a sample of 198 AIs, we found that 32% of the sample endorsed colonial mentality, with significant group differences. Colonial mentality also explained significant variance in racism-related stress and frequency of depressive symptoms. We discuss our findings in light of the continued impact of Indian colonial history and implications for future research.