The Moderating Role of Discrimination in the Association between Same-Race/Ethnicity Friends and Negative Ethnic-Racial Identity Affect over Time

The current study assessed the moderating role of perceived discrimination on the association between same-race/ethnicity friends and negative ethnic-racial identity (ERI) affect among Asian, Black, and Latinx students of color over time. Diverse college students ages 18-25 (73.7% female) provided self-reports of same-race/ethnicity friends, racial discrimination, and negative ERI affect at the beginning of a semester (T1) and end of a semester 4 months later (T2). Results indicated that T1 discrimination was a significant moderator of the relations between T1 same-race/ethnicity friends and T2 negative ERI affect (controlling for T1 negative ERI affect). Specifically, having same-race/ethnicity friends predicted an decrease in negative ERI affect over time, but only when discrimination was low. When discrimination was high, the relation between same-ethnicity friends and negative ERI affect was not significant over time. In other words, discrimination acted as a disrupter of same-race/ethnicity friends being associated with a reduction in negative ERI affect over time.