it isn’t just you.

Imposter Syndrome

Impostor syndrome—the idea that you’ve only succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications—was first identified in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, theorizing specifically on women as affected by impostor syndrome. Since that time, research has expanded to understand how imposter syndrome affects many individuals. Impostor syndrome can apply to anyone who isn’t able to internalize their valid accomplishments.

  1. Factors outside of a person, such as their environment or institutionalized discrimination, can play a major role in spurring impostor feelings.
  2. A sense of belonging fosters self-esteem and confidence to explore new skills and experiences. Equity and inclusivity plays a role: the more people who look or sound like you, the more confident you feel. Conversely, when there are fewer people who look or sound like you, this can affect issues of self-identity.
  3. A person with impostor syndrome has:
  • a sense of being a fraud
  • fear of being discovered
  • difficulty internalizing their success
  1. Imposter syndrome can be common in new situations–when starting a new job, or new program. Although some self-doubt can be healthy and prompt reflection and decision to move in a helpful new direction, ongoing lack of confidence can be detrimental to an individual’s self identity.

Microaggressions

Microaggressions are defined as the everyday, subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — interactions or behaviors that communicate some sort of bias toward historically marginalized groups.

The difference between microaggressions and overt discrimination or macroaggressions, is that people who commit microagressions might not even be aware of them. Each encounter is cumulative, creating a compounded ongoing effect. See examples and context.’

Microaggressions may have long-lasting effects on the psychological health of all people—especially individuals from historically oppressed groups and communities.

Model Minority

Originally coined in the 1960s, the term “Model Minority” is description of Asian Pacific Islander Americans as uniformly successful, and able to integrate into mainstream culture. This is often attributed to racial stereotypes: quiet, subservient, studious. How this may impact well-being and mental health:

  1. The model minority label may contribute to anxiety from pressures to appear successful, and discourage API students from asking for and seeking help.
  2. For children from immigrant families, parental validation from academic success is a large part of their identity; the possibility of not meeting expectations can have an impact on emotional well-being, self-esteem, and confidence.
  3. The model minority stereotype masks the socio-economic diversity within the API community, creating “invisibility” for students from backgrounds with fewer financial and educational support systems.
  4. The model minority myth creates a false narrative that merit-based achievement, cultural and even hereditary factors are solely responsible for achievement, ignoring structural racism that exists within social systems. The myth also posits API communities in a harmful and false dichotomy against other communities of color.