Race, Ethnicity, and Religion

Civil Rights: Race, Ethnicity & Religion

APA Services advocates for the equal treatment of people of all races, religions and ethnicities, as well as funding for federal programs that address health disparities in these groups.

Our focus

  • Promoting Findings from Psychological Science
    The findings from psychological research show how bias, discrimination, and racial trauma have a negative effect on communities of color and American society overall and are critical to advance racial equity.

Our efforts on this issue advance the following advocacy priorities:

  • Access to health services, including mental and behavioral health services
  • Immigration
  • Violence and suicide prevention
  • Discrimination
As psychologists we have the opportunity to advance anti-racist work within systems, organizations and structures. We can help transform the communities we serve and improve their psychological well-being.
—Monique Jiménez-Herrera, PhD

What you can do

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Contact us

K. Conwell Smith
Deputy Chief, Military and Veterans Policy
Email APA Advocacy Officeopens in new window

More on race, ethnicity, and religion

APA's commitment to addressing systemic racism

Includes background information, links to APA's apology and racial equity action plan, a framework for equity, diversity, and inclusion, and more.

APA Policy Statement on Immigrant Health (PDF, 76KB)

Immigrants may be disproportionately likely to experience stress and other behavioral health concerns (Cohodes et al., 2021; Doctors without Borders, 2020), which can be made worse with harmful public policies and lack of access to appropriate supports and services (Garcini et al., 2022; Samari, et al., 2021).

Racism: Adopting a Uniform Definition and Understanding (PDF, 95KB) opens in new window

Psychologists should consider the following four levels of racism in designing and implementing antiracist research, education, training, policy, and clinical applications through the lens of intersectionality.

APA Race and Ethnicity Guidelines in Psychology (PDF, 578KB) opens in new window

Guidance for the development of racial and ethnocultural responsiveness for psychological practice, meaning the continual development of knowledge, awareness, reflective practice, and skills needed to promote health, well-being, and equity for racially and ethnically diverse individuals and communities.

APA Multicultural Guidelines: An Ecological Approach to Context, Identity, and Intersectionality (PDF, 1.2MB) opens in new window

Encourages psychologists to consider how knowledge and understanding of identity develops from and is disseminated within professional psychological practice.

APA resolution on APA, psychology, and human rights (PDF, 251KB) opens in new window

The report discusses the relationship between human rights and concepts such as human welfare and social and ethical responsibility. It introduces a framework connecting science and human rights, ensuring a commitment to these issues from the APA.
Last updated: October 2024Date created: October 2021