https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764219859613
American Behavioral Scientist
1–23
© 2019 SAGE Publications
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DOI: 10.1177/0002764219859613
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Article
Racial Microaggressions
and Sense of Belonging at a
Historically White University
Jioni A. Lewis
1
, Ruby Mendenhall
2
, Ashley Ojiemwen
3
,
Merin Thomas
2
, Cameron Riopelle
4
,
Stacy Anne Harwood
5
,
and Margaret Browne Huntt
2
Abstract
This study applied critical race theory to explore the racial microaggression
experiences of students of color (i.e., African American, Asian American, Latinx,
and Multiracial students) at a historically White university. Using quantitative and
qualitative data from an online survey (N = 1,710), we explored the relationship
between the frequency of racial microaggressions and sense of belonging using
multiple regression analysis. In addition, we analyzed qualitative open-ended
responses to better understand students’ perceptions about how the racial
microaggressions they experienced affected their sense of belonging. The findings
indicated that African American students reported experiencing a significantly
greater frequency of racial microaggressions than Asian American, Latinx, and
Multiracial students. In addition, students who reported a greater frequency of racial
microaggressions also reported lower sense of belonging. We highlight implications
for future research on students of color at historically White universities.
Keywords
racism, racial microaggressions, campus climate, higher education, sense of belonging
1
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
2
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
3
Promise Community School District, Houston, TX, USA
4
University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
5
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Corresponding Author:
Jioni A. Lewis, University of Tennessee, 1404 Circle Drive, Austin Peay Building, Knoxville, TN 37996,
USA.
Email: jalewis@utk.edu
859613ABS XX X 10.1177/0002764219859613American Behavioral ScientistLewis et al.
research-article 2019