Abstract
The current chapter reviews existing empirical work on ethnic identity and its relation to psychosocial functioning among ethnic minorities in the United States. A working definition of the construct of ethnic identity is presented, followed by an overview of the theoretical frameworks that have informed the literature on ethnic identity. Existing work with Latino, Black, Asian, and American Indian samples is then reviewed and the strengths and limitations of this work are presented. Although there is much heterogeneity in ethnic identity experiences within and among ethnic minority groups in the United States, the current review of the existing research suggests that, among all groups, ethnic identity appears to serve a promotive and/or protective function for individuals’ psychosocial functioning. Despite this potential commonality, it is recommended that researchers not assume homogeneity in ethnic identity experiences and outcomes within or among ethnic minority groups. Suggestions for future research are presented and focus largely on conducting longitudinal work that captures multiple developmental periods and that considers (a) within group diversity, (b) the influence of community ethnic concentration, and (c) the interaction of ethnic identity and other salient social identities in informing individuals’ psychosocial functioning and development.
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A special thanks to Aaron Foley for his assistance with a search of the literature on ethnic identity and externalizing behaviors.
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Umaña-Taylor, A.J. (2011). Ethnic Identity. In: Schwartz, S., Luyckx, K., Vignoles, V. (eds) Handbook of Identity Theory and Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7988-9_33
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