Jazmin Guerrero - Lehman College
Grace Miele - Lehman College
Amanda Sisselman-Borgia - Lehman College
Ilyana Sori - Lehman College
We will present preliminary findings on the association of socioeconomic discrimination and depression among young people of color in NYC. People of color and those living in poverty are especially vulnerable to discrimination and microaggressions, particularly when multiple identities intersect with one another. Data were collected from 317 CUNY Freshman (average age 18 years old, majority reported household incomes below $50,000 per family unit, 98% of the participants were students of color) from CUNY campuses in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan. Socioeconomic microaggressions were associated with depression, somatic complaints, and difficulty concentrating. Participants who were food insecure reported more experiences of socioeconomic microaggressions, depression, and difficulty concentrating. We will present findings and lead an open discussion about potential implications surrounding SES microaggressions for CUNY students, including but not limited to social mobility, needs for support, and the intersectionality of discrimination for CUNY students of color who are also food insecure.