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This image shows the everyday interactions that contribute to the phenomenon of internalized racism.

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Just a powerful message that we should all follow!!

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This is the original drawing I created myself, I tried to show the role that education can have in reducing the negative effects of internalized racism. I decided to draw a teacher who brings awareness to a classroom because, throughout my life, I think my teachers have had a big amount of influence on me and ultimately made me the person I am today. Additionally, the research conducted by me proved that teachers have a massive impact on their students. This is my first time doing digital art, so take it easy on my drawing!

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Just know you are not alone when you are experiencing the effects of internalized racism. It's important to express!!

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I created a short anonymous survey and gave it to a bunch of college students. I ended up surveying a total of 20 Respondents. Here are the results:

Out of the 20 respondents, 8 (40%) said that it is extremely important to understand and address internalized racism in minority communities. 6 (30%) said it was very important, 4 (20%) said it was somewhat important, and 2 (10%) said not very important.

Now regarding whether they believe internalized racism affects the mental health of young adults in minority communities, 7 (35%) said extremely strongly, 6 (30%) said very strongly, 5 (25%) said somewhat strongly, and 2 (10%) said not very strongly.

Onto the next question which asks, do you or someone you know, experienced the negative effects of internalized racism on mental health, 14 (70%) said yes, while 6 (30%) said no.

Now onto the last 1-5 scale question, how effective do you believe education can be in reducing the mental health impact of internalized racism, 9 (45%) said extremely effective, 6 (30%) said very effective, 4 (20%) said somewhat effective, and 2 (10%) said not very effective.

What stood out to me was the 14 (70%) that said it was either extremely important or very important to understand and address internalized racism in minority communities. This caught my eye because I honestly believed that this was going to be 100%, I was a little disappointed but that's reality. I was also surprised with the 2 (10%) that said not very important for question number 2. My only guess or theory for those responses is that they have never experienced internalized racism. I am happy that for the last question most of the students, 18 (90%), believed education could be effective in someway in reducing the mental health impact of internalized racism.

For the open ended question I asked, "How would you define internalized racism in your own words?", I instantly realized that someone had a perfect definition, but after a closer look they just took an exact definition from the internet. I also had some responses mentioning the words "oppression" and "discrimination", these responses were definitely on the right track, I was satisfied with those responses. Additionally, I read some responses that just said "I don't know" which is a fair response, but they could've taken the time to search it up to get an idea. I soon realized that no one really knew the definition of internalized racism. This ties back into bringing awareness and advocating to our communities about the affects of internalized racism so that people can have a better understanding.

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This image shows some books that provide insights into the systemic issues contributing to internalized racism.

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Throughout my K-12, I struggled to find a balance between my two cultures. I was born in California but both of my parents are from India. My life was a blend of both Indian culture and American culture. On the weekends it consisted of me listening to these stories from my parents about their life journey in India, or playing basketball with my school friends. This was all normal but reality hit me the days I was in school. Ever since I can remember, my name has always been mispronounced, not only mispronounced but turning my name into something unrecognizable, this was something that always bothered me.

As I went into highschool, I did something that I would regret for a long time. I went to a family wedding and on one of the specific days I had to wear a kurta, a collarless shirt that is typically worn in South Asian cultures. I decided that I wanted to take a picture of myself in the kurta and send it to one of my friends. I realized that it was a big mistake. After I came back from the wedding the picture was floating around the school. People from my grade would just come up to me, show me the picture, and just laugh in my face. This combined with them doing an “Indian Accent” trying to be “funny”. To everyone around me, it was funny, but to me it was humiliating. I proceeded to suppress my Indian culture for the next 2 years of high school. I started dressing and acting like the “ideal” expectations. I was more focused on being accepted and I completely threw away my culture. I even realized that I distanced myself from my cousins and other Indian friends because they didn’t follow the “ideal” expectations. As I went into 12th grade and further as a freshman in college, I realized all the people around me who were expressing their cultures were respected and valued, not laughed at or mocked. This was a surprise to me and I started thinking “Wow, I really let these other people control my life”. As a student who’s gone through the oppression of internalized racism, I am led to think about some crucial questions. How does internalized racism affect the mental health of young adults in minority communities? What role can education play in reducing these negative effects?

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This image shows the emotional impact that internalized racism has on an individual.