Racial, Ethnic & Cultural Trauma

  • Person sitting on the floor with knees bent, head down, arms wrapped around legs, in a room with wooden floor and plain wall.

    Racial

    The National Center for PTSD defines racial trauma as, “ the emotional impact of stress related to racism, racial discrimination, and race-related stressors, such as being affected by stereotypes, hurtful comments, or barriers to advancement.”

    Racial trauma can result from major experiences of racism such as workplace discrimination or hate crimes, or it can be the result of an accumulation of many small occurrences, such as everyday discrimination and microaggressions.

  • Two people sitting and talking, a woman with long dark hair in a black jacket and a man with short dark hair in a blue shirt, in a group setting.

    Ethnic

    Ethnic trauma can be directed towards minority groups such as Asian, Arab-Chaldean, British, Irish, Jewish, to name a few. Trauma can result from the psychological distress of experiencing or witnessing discrimination, verbal and physical aggression (including receiving death threats or acts of violence) and intimidation.

  • Close-up of two hands covered in colorful powder, possibly during a celebration or festival.

    Cultural