Cultures in Contrast

Ethnic and racial identity in childhood and adolescence.

“…Ethnic identity must be constructed in a U.S. social milieu that remains polarized along racial and ethnic lines ( Shelton & Richeson, 2006 ;Winant, 1998 ) and replete with negative racial and ethnic stereotypes ( Hudley & Graham, 2001 ). Racial and ethnic polarization and stereotyping remain particularly troublesome in classroom interactions, educational activities, and academic materials ( Sue, Capodilupo, Nadal, & Torino, 2008 ) because they have the potential to produce negative educational consequences for students who are plagued by such a detrimental environment ( Hudley & Daoud, 2007 ). Fortunately, evidence has shown that a strong, well-developed racial-ethnic identity can buffer the negative psychological effects of polarization and stereotyping.…”