News Release

Strong ethnic identity affects well being for some individuals

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Center for Advancing Health

Participating in ethnic activities can make adolescents feel good about themselves -- but only if they consider their ethnic identity central to who they are, according to a study of Chinese-American teenagers.

"Ethnic identity is not simply a stable, rigid sense of self, but rather, a more complex and dynamic one," says Tiffany Yip, lead author of the study appearing in the September/October issue of Child Development. Yip is a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at New York University.

Yip and study co-author Andrew J. Fuligni, of the Center for Culture and Health at the University of California at Los Angeles, asked nearly 100 first- and second-generation Chinese-American students from 16 New York City area high schools to completely daily diaries for two weeks.

The diaries contained checklists that reminded the students to record their ethnic feelings and behaviors, such as speaking Chinese, eating Chinese food and reading or watching Chinese media. The researchers also gave the participants tests measuring ethnic pride and self-esteem.

The adolescents' sense of ethnicity increased as they participated in ethnic activities, the researchers found. The more they spoke Chinese, participated in Chinese cultural events or spent time with other Chinese individuals, the "more Chinese" they felt. This finding suggests ethnicity is a dynamic concept that can vary on a daily basis, according the study.

Yip and Fuligni also found that study participants who strongly identified with their ethnicity identity felt better on days when their awareness of their ethnicity was particularly high. This finding held true even when the researchers took into account the self-esteem test results. Such positive feelings "may result from a sense of purpose and belonging to a larger social group, which may be particularly important during this developmental period," Yip says.

Yip and Fuligni noted several gender variations in the study findings. While girls were more likely to have a strong sense of ethnic identity than boys, the researchers found a stronger connection between feeling Chinese and feeling good in boys.

"It is possible girls' well-being is grounded in aspects of life other than their social identity," Yip says. "For example, interpersonal relationships may be more influential for their well-being."

As the study participants' age increased, they were less likely to report a strong connection between ethnic identity and positive feelings.

"As youths develop, they construct a more complex and multidimensional social identity," Yip says. "Consequently, their sense of meaning and well-being is not linked to a single aspect of their identity."

"Only by acknowledging the diversity within ethnic groups can we understand the significance of ethnic identity for all youths of color, including those who choose not to make their ethnic heritage important to their overall identity," Yip concludes.

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This research was supported by a grant from the William T. Grant Foundation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Health Behavior News Service: (202) 387-2829 or www.hbns.org.
Interviews: Contact Shonna Keogan at (212) 998-6797 or shonna.keogan@nyu.edu.
Child Development: Contact Angela Dahm Mackay at (734) 998-7310 or admackay@umich.edu.


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