Let Me Choose: Primary Caregiver Cultural Humility, Racial Identity, and Mental Health for Multiracial People
The current study introduces cultural humility as a racial socialization strategy for Multiracial children. Specifically, the relationship between perceived primary caregiver cultural humility and mental health was examined for Multiracial people. The indirect and the moderating role of children’s racial identity (i.e., Multiracial pride, challenges with racial identity) was also examined. Multiracial people (N = 399) were recruited to fill out measures of caregiver cultural humility, mental health, and racial identity via Qualtrics. Findings indicated that caregiver cultural humility was correlated with less depressive symptoms for Multiracial children. Age moderated relationships between humility and depressive symptoms, such that primary caregiver humility negatively correlated with depressive symptoms for Multiracial individuals in their mid to late thirties and younger. Multiracial pride and challenges with racial identity partially explained relationships between cultural humility and depressive symptoms. Also, challenges with racial identity moderated relationships between humility and depressive symptoms, such that humility was more beneficial for individuals experiencing more challenges with racial identity. Results of the study highlight cultural humility as a promotive strategy that primary caregivers might employ to foster the mental health and racial identity of Multiracial children.