Ethnic identity moderates perceptions of prejudice: Judgments of personal versus group discrimination and subtle versus blatant bias

Two studies investigate the association between ethnic identity and percept ions of prejudice. Study 1 examined the relationship between ethnic identit y and the personal-group discrimination discrepancy (PGD) among ethnic mino rity and White respondents. High-identified minorities reported increased p ersonal vulnerability to discrimination and less PGD, whereas less-identifi ed minorities conformed more to the PGD phenomenon. Whites also reported mo re personal than group discrimination but ethnic identity did not moderate this effect. Study 2 examined minorities' perceptions of prejudice in an in teraction with a White confederate, who displayed either obvious or subtle prejudice. High-identified minorities showed stronger reactions to subtle p rejudice than did low-identified minorities, who tended to overlook subtle prejudice. The authors relate findings to principles from stigma research, social identity, and self-categorization theory and suggest that ethnic ide ntity can explain why some minorities perceive prejudice when others do not .