Racial Microaggressions and Latinxs' Well-being: A Systematic Review

As a form of racism that is both subtle and ubiquitous, racial microaggressions (RMAs) can have cumulatively deleterious physical and emotional effects on people of a specific race or ethnicity. While a significant body of knowledge about RMAs has been developed from a Black-White perspective, this study was undertaken to explore extant empirical research that specifically addresses the physical and emotional effects of racism and RMAs on people who are Latinx-American. Through the implementation of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, we systematically searched multiple databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, Social Services Abstract, and CINAHL) to identify studies that specifically focused on Latinxs’ well-being in response to RMA. Following a systematic search and screening process, nine studies met all of the study’s inclusion criteria. Researchers reviewed studies for content, methods, effect sizes, and risk of bias. Strengths and shortcomings of the existing studies were identified, followed by suggestions for future research.