- When
- Friday, Oct 3, 2025, 12:30 – 2:00 pm
- Event interval
- Single day event
- Campus location
- Kincaid Hall (KIN)
- Campus room
- 102/108
- Accessibility contact
- chairpsy@uw.edu
- Event types
- Lectures/Seminars
- Event sponsors
- Department of Psychology
- Description
Racial Contrast
Jin X. Goh, Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago
At the center of the SFFA v. Harvard Supreme Court case, the plaintiffs argued that Asian Americans were discriminated against in favor of unqualified Black applicants. This echoes a pattern of historical tensions between the Asian and Black communities. Why do Black and Asian Americans seem more at odds with each other than any other racial minority groups? This talk seeks to unravel the frayed relations between Asian and Black Americans by introducing a new theoretical framework called Racial Contrast Theory. I theorize that Asian Americans are contrasted against Black Americans through stereotypes and narratives. In essence, the creation of the Asian model minority myth serves as a direct contrast to Black stereotypes. The racial contrast between Asian and Black Americans ultimately maintains White supremacy and perpetuates anti-Blackness. Racial contrast theory offers a novel (re-)interpretation of extant social psychological and sociological theories to better understand interracial relations in the US.
Faculty hosts: Clara Wilkins & Cynthia Levine
These lectures are made possible by a generous endowment by Professor Allen L. Edwards- Map
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