Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial/ethnic minority group in the United States. However, previous literature tends to focus on Asian Americans as a homogenous group, concentrating mainly on East Asian Americans (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Americans) and failing to understand potential differences with other marginalized Asian ethnic groups (e.g., Filipino Americans, Southeast Asians, and/or Pacific Islanders). Furthermore, previous literature has revealed that because of the Model Minority Myth, Asian Americans are prone to specific types of racial discrimination and racial microaggressions (i.e., being treated as a perpetual foreigner or being exocitized) which may be markedly different from Black/African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos.

The current investigation examines differences in the perceptions of racial microaggressions and race-related stress between one East Asian American group (Chinese Americans) and one marginalized Asian American group (Filipino Americans). Utilizing an online survey, the sample included a total of 448 Filipino and Chinese Americans of different ages, generation statuses, and geographic locations. Through MANOVA analyses, findings reveal that Filipino Americans would be more likely to experience similar types of racial microaggressions as Black/African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos (i.e., being assumed to be criminal or intellectually inferior) and that phenotype (i.e., skin color, facial features, hair texture, and perception as “Asian”) may also contribute to specific forms of racial microaggressions and race-related stress for both groups. Finally, findings reveal that specific types of microaggressions may influence race-related stress for both Filipino and Chinese Americans in unique ways.

The findings of the study yield several implications for theory, research, and counseling practice. These include the need to disaggregate research data on Asian American populations, the call to further examine the impact of racial microaggressions on mental health, and the importance of recognizing ethnic group differences in therapeutic contexts in order to be multiculturally competent counselors.