This paper reviews and critiques empirical research on perceived discrimination and health, highlighting the role of racism in health disparities. It discusses the persistent racial/ethnic health disparities in the U.S., including higher death rates among African Americans and American Indians, and the persistence of these disparities over time. The paper emphasizes the need to understand how racism affects health, including the stressors associated with perceived discrimination. It notes that discrimination is a significant stressor that can lead to adverse health outcomes, including mental health issues, cardiovascular disease, and chronic health conditions. Recent studies show that perceived discrimination is inversely associated with health, and that this relationship is evident in various contexts and outcomes. The paper also discusses the challenges in measuring perceived discrimination, including the need for comprehensive and accurate measures that capture the full range of discriminatory experiences. It highlights the importance of considering the stressful dimensions of discrimination, including the chronic and episodic nature of discriminatory experiences, and the need to assess the severity and impact of these experiences. The paper concludes that further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms by which discrimination affects health and to develop more effective interventions to address health disparities.This paper reviews and critiques empirical research on perceived discrimination and health, highlighting the role of racism in health disparities. It discusses the persistent racial/ethnic health disparities in the U.S., including higher death rates among African Americans and American Indians, and the persistence of these disparities over time. The paper emphasizes the need to understand how racism affects health, including the stressors associated with perceived discrimination. It notes that discrimination is a significant stressor that can lead to adverse health outcomes, including mental health issues, cardiovascular disease, and chronic health conditions. Recent studies show that perceived discrimination is inversely associated with health, and that this relationship is evident in various contexts and outcomes. The paper also discusses the challenges in measuring perceived discrimination, including the need for comprehensive and accurate measures that capture the full range of discriminatory experiences. It highlights the importance of considering the stressful dimensions of discrimination, including the chronic and episodic nature of discriminatory experiences, and the need to assess the severity and impact of these experiences. The paper concludes that further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms by which discrimination affects health and to develop more effective interventions to address health disparities.