MENA Americans' Impressions of Ingroup Members' Racial/Ethnic Self-Identifications
Faculty Mentor Name
Rammy M. Salem
Research or Creativity Area
Social Sciences
Abstract
In 2024, revisions to federal standards on the collection of racial and ethnic data were announced. These revisions included the addition of “Middle Eastern or North African” as a distinct racial category. Previously, Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) Americans were included within the White racial category. This study explored the impressions that MENA Americans formed of ingroup members when they identified as White vs. MENA. We hypothesized that MENA participants would form a more positive impression of a MENA confederate when the confederate identified as MENA rather than White. Results showed that irrespective of the MENA confederate’s self-identified race/ethnicity, participants who were high in social dominance orientation (SDO), reflecting their endorsement of having a social hierarchy, felt that the MENA confederate did not belong as an American compared to participants low in social dominance orientation. These findings suggest that SDO influences ingroup members’ evaluations of fellow members’ belongingness in the superordinate group.
MENA Americans' Impressions of Ingroup Members' Racial/Ethnic Self-Identifications
In 2024, revisions to federal standards on the collection of racial and ethnic data were announced. These revisions included the addition of “Middle Eastern or North African” as a distinct racial category. Previously, Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) Americans were included within the White racial category. This study explored the impressions that MENA Americans formed of ingroup members when they identified as White vs. MENA. We hypothesized that MENA participants would form a more positive impression of a MENA confederate when the confederate identified as MENA rather than White. Results showed that irrespective of the MENA confederate’s self-identified race/ethnicity, participants who were high in social dominance orientation (SDO), reflecting their endorsement of having a social hierarchy, felt that the MENA confederate did not belong as an American compared to participants low in social dominance orientation. These findings suggest that SDO influences ingroup members’ evaluations of fellow members’ belongingness in the superordinate group.
