Jaki Yi

Assistant Professor

B.S., Applied Psychology, New York University
PH.D., Clinical-Community Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Email: jakiyi@uw.edu
Office Number: UW1-144
Mailing Box: 358530, 18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011-8246

Teaching

My approach to teaching is informed by my clinical-community psychology perspective and focuses on providing educational experiences that are culturally responsive. In my teaching, I focus on the cultivation of critical thinking and perspective-taking skills, with an emphasis on how systems of power, privilege, and oppression shape our world. I actively engage students in connecting what they are learning to their personal lives and the broader society, as well as foster interest and engagement in sociopolitical change. Furthermore, I am committed to tailoring my teaching to the individual experiences and needs of students, creating spaces where students can bring their whole selves, and prioritizing the well-being of my students.

Recent Courses Taught

BIS 170 Introduction to Psychology

Research/Scholarship

How do people understand, justify, or reject systems of oppression? In my program of research, I address this question with two interrelated lines of inquiry. In one line of research focused on Asian Americans, I address gaps in the literature on how Asian Americans navigate systems of oppression, particularly their experiences with race and racism and their engagement in social justice action. My second line of research more broadly examines diversity and social justice attitudes and interventions that aim to raise awareness of systemic oppression, particularly in higher education contexts. Moreover, I take an interdisciplinary approach to conducting social justice-oriented research, drawing from theories and methodologies from community, clinical, counseling, social, and developmental psychology as well as ethnic and educational studies. Overall, in this research I seek to challenge racism and other forms of systemic inequality, foster sociopolitical activism, and improve the wellbeing of individuals and broader society. This work is important given that injustices against racially minoritized and other oppressed groups persist as significant social problems, and because my scholarship shines light on how communities can come together to address these challenges.

Selected Publications

  • Yi., J., & Todd, N. R. (2023). Reinforcing or challenging the status quo: A grounded theory of how the model minority myth shapes Asian American activism. Journal of Counseling Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/cou0000710
  • Yi, J., Neville, H. A., Todd, N. R., & Mekawi, Y. (2023). Ignoring race and denying
    racism: A meta-analysis of the associations between colorblind racial ideology, anti-Blackness and other race-related processes. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 70(3), 258-275. doi: 10.1037/cou0000618
  • Featured in press releases by Forbes and American Psychological Association
  • Yi, J., La, R. A., Lee, B. A., & Saw, A. (2023). Internalization of the model minority myth and Asian/Asian Americans’ experiences of discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Community Psychology, 71(1-2), 123-135. doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12635
  • Yi, J., & Todd, N. R. (2022). Race, campus climate, and social change behaviors for Asian
    American college students. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 15(4), 453–465. doi: 10.1037/dhe0000309
  • Yi, J., Todd, N. R., Blevins, E. J., & Wantland, R. A. (2022). Colorblind racial
    ideology and student expectations and reactions to a university-sponsored diversity workshop. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Advance Online Publication. doi: 10.1037/dhe0000430
  • Yi, J., & Todd, N. R. (2021). Internalized model minority myth among Asian
    Americans predicts anti-Black attitudes and opposition to affirmative action. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 27(4), 569-578. doi: 10.1037/cdp0000448.
  • Yi, J., & Todd, N. R. (2020). Social change behaviors among Asian American college students: Ethnic group differences and campus-level predictors. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 11(4), 211-222. doi: 10.1037/aap0000204
  • Yi, J., Todd, N. R, & Mekawi, Y. (2020). Racial colorblindness and confidence in and
    likelihood of action to address prejudice. American Journal of Community Psychology, 65, 407-422. doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12409