Minority mental health patients face many health inequities and inequalities that may stem from implicit bias and a lack of cultural awareness from their healthcare providers. I analyzed the current literature evaluating implicit bias among healthcare providers and culturally specific life traumas that Latinos and African Americans face that can impact their mental health. Additionally, I researched a current mental health assessments tool, the Child and Adolescent Trauma Survey (CATS), and evaluated it for the use on Latino and African American patients. Face-to-face interviews with two healthcare providers were also used to analyze the CATS for its’ applicability to Latino and African American patients. Results showed that these assessments were not sufficient in capturing culturally specific life traumas of minority patients. Based on the literature review and analysis of the interviews with healthcare providers, a novel assessment tool, the Culturally Traumatic Events Questionnaire (CTEQ), was created to address the gaps that currently make up other mental health assessment tools used on minority patients.

Colonial mentality is defined as the perception of ethnic and cultural inferiority as a form of internalized racial oppression as a direct consequence of colonialism. It promotes the notion that being lighter equates to more economic value and an increase in privilege. This psychological phenomenon is prevalent in the Filipinx community, both on the mainland and in the diaspora. Many Filipinx are encouraged to use skin-lightening products or undergo other procedures that aim to erase their ethnic features. Some experience constant microaggressions from family members about being “too dark”. And the lack of representation of darker-skinned individuals in the entertainment industry further perpetuates the notion that being lighter leads to more success. This honors thesis aims to show that Filipinx on the mainland and diaspora share similar mental and social repercussions of growing up in such an environment, frustrations regarding their identity, and a desire to reclaim their roots. These factors bond the community together. Finally, it also aims to present the extent of feeling represented in media and being accepted for the color of your skin has on one’s self-esteem and mental health. The zine accompanying this honors thesis will feature poems, interview excerpts, art, and other creative pieces done by me or the participants that describe our experiences with colonial mentality, colorism, and Westernization. It will also feature a spotlight interview with one participant.

Colonial mentality is defined as the perception of ethnic and cultural inferiority as a form of internalized racial oppression as a direct consequence of colonialism. It promotes the notion that being lighter equates to more economic value and an increase in privilege. This psychological phenomenon is prevalent in the Filipinx community, both on the mainland and in the diaspora. Many Filipinx are encouraged to use skin-lightening products or undergo other procedures that aim to erase their ethnic features. Some experience constant microaggressions from family members about being “too dark”. And the lack of representation of darker-skinned individuals in the entertainment industry further perpetuates the notion that being lighter leads to more success. This honors thesis aims to show that Filipinx on the mainland and diaspora share similar mental and social repercussions of growing up in such an environment, frustrations regarding their identity, and a desire to reclaim their roots. These factors bond the community together. Finally, it also aims to present the extent of feeling represented in media and being accepted for the color of your skin has on one’s self-esteem and mental health. The zine accompanying this honors thesis will feature poems, interview excerpts, art, and other creative pieces done by me or the participants that describe our experiences with colonial mentality, colorism, and Westernization. It will also feature a spotlight interview with one participant.