During the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian racism intensified in the United States (US), impairing the mental health of Asians and Asian Americans. However, no research has investigated how Asian and Asian American early educators’ experiences of racism affect them and their students in early childhood education (ECE). Thus, this study examined how Asian and Asian American early educators’ racial discrimination experiences were associated with their students’ socioemotional and behavioral well-being both directly and indirectly through the educators’ mental health. We also investigated the moderating effect of neighborhood Asian concentration on these associations. Participants of this study were 1,196 Asian and Asian American early educators (85.18 % female) across the US. Data were obtained via educator self-report questionnaires and geocoding of their ECE program zip codes. The results of structural equation modeling showed that both Asian and Asian American early educators’ direct experience and witnessing of racism were positively associated with their own perceived helplessness and depression, as well as their students’ socioemotional and behavioral well-being issues. The educators’ direct experience of racism was also positively related to their perceived lack of self-efficacy. The educators’ perceived helplessness mediated the association between their direct experience and witnessing of racism and student well-being issues. Moreover, the educators’ perceived helplessness mediated the relationship between their direct experience of racism and their students’ well-being issues only in ECE programs located in neighborhoods with high Asian concentration. This study has significant implications for fostering a culturally inclusive milieu for students and Asian and Asian American early educators in ECE.

中文翻译：

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亚裔和亚裔美国人早期教育者在 COVID-19 期间的种族歧视经历和学生福祉：一种有调节的中介模型


在 COVID-19 大流行期间，美国 （US） 的反亚裔种族主义加剧，损害了亚裔和亚裔美国人的心理健康。然而，没有研究调查亚裔和亚裔美国早期教育工作者的种族主义经历如何影响他们和他们的学生在幼儿教育 （ECE） 中。因此，本研究考察了亚裔和亚裔美国人早期教育工作者的种族歧视经历如何通过教育工作者的心理健康直接或间接地与学生的社会情感和行为健康相关联。我们还研究了邻里亚裔集中对这些关联的调节作用。这项研究的参与者是美国各地的 1,196 名亚裔和亚裔美国早期教育工作者（85.18% 为女性）。数据是通过教育工作者自我报告问卷和对其 ECE 计划邮政编码进行地理编码获得的。结构方程建模的结果表明，亚裔和亚裔美国早期教育工作者对种族主义的直接体验和目睹都与他们自己感知到的无助和抑郁，以及学生的社会情感和行为健康问题呈正相关。教育工作者对种族主义的直接经历也与他们认为缺乏自我效能感呈正相关。教育工作者感知到的无助中介了他们直接经历和目睹种族主义与学生福祉问题之间的关联。此外，教育工作者感知到的无助仅在位于亚裔高度集中社区的 ECE 项目中调解了他们对种族主义的直接体验与学生福祉问题之间的关系。 这项研究对于为 ECE 中的学生以及亚裔和亚裔美国人早期教育工作者营造文化包容性环境具有重要意义。