Love Isn't Colorblind: Internalized Racism, Resistance and Empowerment Against Racism, and Asian American Men's Racialized Dating Preferences

Past studies indicate that sociocultural factors may affect who Asian American adults wish to date. To expand upon this burgeoning field of research, the present study examined how internalized racism and resistance and empowerment against racism are associated with Asian American men's preferences to date four different racial groups of women: Asian women, Black women, Latina women, and White women. The study included a sample of 244 Asian American men living in the United States who completed a cross-sectional online survey. Results showed that internalized racism was negatively associated with a dating preference toward Asian and Black women, whereas greater resistance and empowerment against racism was positively associated with a dating preference toward Asian, Black, Latina, and White women. Paired-samples t tests also revealed that participants were more likely to prefer dating Asian women compared to Black, Latina, and White women; more likely to prefer dating White women compared to Black and Latina women; and more likely to prefer dating Latina women compared to Black women. The present study's results emphasize the importance of taking into account how sociocultural factors such as internalized racism and resistance and empowerment against racism are associated with Asian American men's racial dating preferences. Implications for interventionists and practitioners working with Asian American men are discussed.