The Structure of Ethnic Identity of Young Adolescents from Diverse Ethnocultural Groups

ROBERT E. ROBERTS; JEAN S. PHINNEY; LOUISE C. MÂSSE; Y. Richard Chen; Catherine R. Roberts; Andrea Romero

doi:10.1177/0272431699019003001

journal article Aug 01, 1999

The Structure of Ethnic Identity of Young Adolescents from Diverse Ethnocultural Groups

ROBERT E. ROBERTS JEAN S. PHINNEY LOUISE C. MÂSSE Y. Richard Chen Catherine R. Roberts Andrea Romero

The Journal of Early Adolescence Vol. 19 No. 3 pp. 301-322 · SAGE Publications

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Abstract

The purpose for this study was to examine the structure and construct validity of a measure of ethnic identity among young adolescents from diverse ethnic groups. Students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades (N = 5,423) from diverse ethnic groups completed the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), measures of psychological well-being and a measure of salience of ethnicity. Factor analyses of data for the three largest ethnic groups (European American, African American, Mexican American) yielded a two-factor structure that corresponded to two theoretical approaches to ethnic identity, as hypothesized. Similar patterns in magnitude of loadings were observed across groups, indicating that the MEIM could be used as a global composite index of ethnic identity. Ethnic identity was related positively to measures of psychological well-being such as coping ability, mastery, self-esteem and optimism, and negatively to measures of loneliness and depression. MEIM scores also were moderately strong and positive with salience (the importance of a person’s own ethnic background in his or her life), across ethnic groups.

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References

Details

Published: Aug 01, 1999
Vol/Issue: 19(3)
Pages: 301-322
License: View

Authors

R

ROBERT E. ROBERTS

The University of Texas-Houston

J

JEAN S. PHINNEY

California State University, Los Angeles

L

LOUISE C. MÂSSE

The University of Texas-Houston

Y

Y. Richard Chen

The University of Texas-Houston

C

Catherine R. Roberts

The University of Texas-Houston

A

Andrea Romero

Stanford University

Cite This Article

ROBERT E. ROBERTS, JEAN S. PHINNEY, LOUISE C. MÂSSE, et al. (1999). The Structure of Ethnic Identity of Young Adolescents from Diverse Ethnocultural Groups. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 19(3), 301-322. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431699019003001

The Structure of Ethnic Identity of Young Adolescents from Diverse Ethnocultural Groups

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