Understanding Forgiveness in Asian-American Communities

Supervisor: Professor Lisa K. Son, Department of Psychology, Barnard College

Project Background

Asian American mental well-being has always been a topic of interest because of its stigmatized nature, as people in this community experience significant mental health concerns yet frequently do not seek treatment. A crucial factor in the act of forgiveness is both its conceptualization between individuals (such as in family interactions) and in the face of social violence including racism and displacement. Several studies have attempted to prove a correlation between forgiveness to positive health impacts, however, they frequently neglect the impact of acculturation stressors and immigration. 

Therefore, I intend to answer the questions: 

Do we ever forgive? Is forgiveness a concept prevalent in Asian American, specifically Korean American spheres, and if not, why is there a reluctance to forgive? Does religion play a role in the manifestation of forgiveness? How can sociocultural factors influence who we decide to forgive? 

Methodology

As the first part of my research, I intend to compile several psychological studies, and literature regarding forgiveness in Korean Americans to understand the multitude of ways it manifests and implicates mental well-being. I believe this is a crucial step, as seeking to understand and discover the unexplored areas of research may prove beneficial before experimenting. Especially regarding the distinction between Asian and Asian American, which is frequently overlooked as contributing to the development of forgiveness given the stress of acculturation and immigration.

To quantify the study of forgiveness from a psychological lens, my research will include a behavioral experiment focused on the relationship between a late Confederate who either chooses to apologize or does not. The participants of several racial backgrounds would then be asked questions assessing the confederate's attributes, reliability, and whether they could forgive them for this transgression. A survey and open-ended question will also be used to categorize the way race, religion, and gender play a role in different forgiveness scenarios ranging from trait forgiveness to situational forgiveness. 

Objectives

I intend to present both a literature review discussing the current psychological studies and research regarding the areas of forgiveness and subsequently the quantifiable results of the experimental laboratory research noting if there presents any differences between Asian Americans and White Americans, or between female and male people. Ultimately, I hope this research will provide deeper insights into the Asian American experience and psyche to create a more comprehensive understanding of these communities that may also open discussion against the taboo of mental well-being.