Across a series of experiments, Professor Thompson shows that racial threat from a stereotypically nonthreatening racial minority group, Asian Americans, has a direct impact on white Americans' views of discrimination toward the group. When white Americans learn the group is growing, they feel a distinct racial threat which decreases support for the idea that Asian Americans experience discrimination while simultaneously increasing support for policy which actively discriminates against Asian Americans. He shows this concept to be portable over context, examining support for discriminatory policy toward Asians in education policy and COVID-19 policy. Professor Thompson concludes that by discussing the implications for how racial threat can drive more racial conflict while simultaneously decreasing the perception that this discrimination is occurring.
Read his research findings in PSRM.