Latino Adolescents: Ethnic Identity, Self-Esteem, and Strategies for Coping with Discrimination
As the Latino population increases, an understanding of this ethnic group's development and psychological adjustment becomes a more pressing issue. Some of the most important developmental factors for ethnic minority adolescents are ethnic identity and self-esteem. Existing research has established a positive relationship between ethnic identity and self-esteem, but has only looked at the relationship between ethnic identity achievement and self-esteem, rather than examining the relationships between the components of ethnic identity (e.g. exploration, resolution) and self-esteem. This study focused on the relationships among three components of ethnic identity (i.e., exploration, affirmation, and resolution), the use of proactive strategies to cope with discrimination, and adolescents' global self-esteem. Results indicated that the there was a positive relationship between the use of proactive coping strategies, ethnic identity, and self-esteem. The current study included adolescents of Hispanic or Latino/a descent (N = 325) from five Midwestern high schools. This study offers a better understanding of Latino youth, the factors that are associated with their resilience to discrimination and self-esteem, and offers valuable information for program directors, educators, and society-at-large.
School:
University of Texas at San Antonio
Department:
Psychology
Research Advisor:
Adriana Umaña - Taylor
Department of Research Advisor:
Human and Community Development
Year of Publication:
2003