Ethnic Identity Development

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how adolescence is a crucial stage in life for the formation of identity. The paper shows how important it is for differences among ethnically diverse adolescents to be understood and addressed by influential figures in their lives, such as parents, teachers and clinicians. The paper examines the relationships between ethnicity and identity status and the effect that parents have on the identity development of Latino and African-American adolescents.

From the Paper:

"As cited by Torres (2004), the 2000 census reported a dramatic increase in Latinos in the United States, making them the largest minority group in the nation. Between the years 1990 and 2000, the Latino population in the United States increased by 57.9%, which was the greatest increase of any ethnic or racial group in the United States. This dramatic increase results in a more diverse population, including that observed among adolescents in school and community settings. Therefore it is important that appropriate and effective resources be available for ethnically diverse adolescents in order to facilitate healthy identity development."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Allison, B. (2001). Interpersonal identity formation during early adolescence. Adolescence, 36, 509-23.
• Greig, R. (2003). Ethnic identity development: implications for mental health in African-American and Hispanic adolescents. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 24(3), 317-31.
• Hughes, D. (2003). Correlates of African American and Latino parents' messages to children about ethnicity and race: a comparative study of racial socialization. American Journal of community Psychology, 31(1-2), 15-33.
• James, W., Kim, G., Armijo, E. (2000). The influence of ethnic identityon drug use among ethnic minority adolescents. Journal of Drug Education, 30(3), 265-80.
• Negy, C., Shreve, T., Jensen, B., Uddin, N. (2003). Ethnic identity, self-esteem, and ethnocentrism: a study of social identity versus multicultural theory of development. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 9(4), 333-44.

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