中華心理衛生協會

 Purpose: Because of the social changes caused by a long history of colonial oppression, nearly half of Taiwan's indigenous people live in urban areas. Urban indigenous people living in mainstream society face racial discrimination in their interpersonal interactions. This phenomenon has not significantly improved with the increased focus on human rights in Taiwan. Racism continues in daily life, albeit less visibly than in earlier times. In this article, we focus on the experience of racial discrimination and microaggression by urban indigenous young adults in order to promote public awareness. Method: We conducted in-depth interviews with 12 urban indigenous young adults (age 22-33). Results: Using thematic analysis, we identified 3 ways that our participants experienced racial discrimination and microaggression: 1) When they were students they were ostracized by their peers because of their indigenous status, and at the same time their legitimacy as indigenous individuals and eligibility for preferential treatment were questioned because they grew up in an urban environment. 2) Participants experienced racial microaggressions from mainstream Taiwanese, in particular the unintentional demand that they conform to indigenous stereotypes. 3) Due to a lack of understanding of the urban context, members of their own indigenous community questioned them and told them they were not indigenous enough. Conclusions: Our participants recounted experiencing macroaggressions and discrimination both from mainstream Taiwanese and indigenous peers. Such experiences can cause harm leading to a vague sense of identity, self-doubt, and hypervigilance, any of which can impact psychological health and well-being. Understanding urban indigenous young adults through a historical lens might aid understanding and help reduce racial discrimination and microaggression.