Ethnicity

The importance of ethnic identity in coping with a variety of life situations, particularly those of a stressful nature, has been a major focus of current literature. While identity development is a complex task for all adolescents; it is particularly complicated for adolescents belonging to ethnic groups. Adolescents, due to their membership both in an ethnic group and in the mainstream culture(s), face an extra problem with identity. Thus, the adolescent is caught between his parents' ethnic beliefs and values, and that of the mainstream society. This causes extra stress, which adds to the already existing conflict of adolescent self-identity. For this reason, very often we may find adolescents with more than one ethnic identity. This constitutes a way of assuming different roles of the self according to the situation they are in. For some adolescents this is OK, they can handle themselves in each circumstance, and they can develop a integrative ethnic identity. In other words, they are able to see themselves as multicultural and feel very proud of it. But, for some adolescents this may be a complex task, especially those with family difficulties, i.e. poverty, social problems, acculturation problem of their own or their parents. Troubled adolescents may not have yet committed to a definition of identity, and they may not yet have explored all of the identity options or alternatives. In order for the culturally different adolescent to achieve a stable self-identity, he or she must integrate the racial or ethnic identities with a personal identity (Rosenthal & Feldman, 1992). Adolescents today must be allowed to develop a multicultural identity that is composed of multicultural identifications.

Defining your own identity is a very important developmental task for any adolescent. From a psychosocial point of view, striving for a unified and integrated sense of self may facilitate the definition of personal goals and the sense of direction. It may also promote the constructive integration into society. For culturally different adolescents the complications of identity formation may arise as a product of skin color, language differences, behavioral patterns, cultural values and norms, social stereotypes, parents' misconceptions, and fears (Beale Spencer & Markstrom-Adams, 1989). For instance, the issues of an accent may be more salient for some ethnic groups than it is to others. The maintenance of accent stereotypes and accent bias may produce the possibility of developing a unique identity formation process for monoracial or multiracial adolescents.

The search for identity is a pervasive theme in our society. Social scientists use the term "identity" in a variety of ways to explain an assortment of phenomena. Some vocabularies such as: identity crisis, finding yourself, self-actualization, etc. are used for the search for identity (Baumeister, 1986). For the purpose of this paper, Identity is "an internalized, self-selected concept based on experiences inside the family and outside of the family." We form our identity by selecting values, beliefs, and concepts that better define our sense of self. (Adams, Gullotta, and Montemayor, 1992, p.2). Ethnicity refers to a specific characteristics of shared unique cultural tradition, and an heritage that persists across generations. Ethnic identification is defined as a real awareness of self within a specific group, which is followed by a great sense of respect and pride, and it constitutes a base for the development of a healthy self-concept. (DeVos & Romanucci-Ross, 1982). Identity cannot be separated from the culture(s) which build and structure it. The identity of the individual develops and crystallizes across one's lifespan, beginning with a young child's awareness of significant others and an initial sense of self and extending to the older adults' summation, integration and evaluation of ones life accomplishments (Erikson, 1963). Identity, then, is a broad term which describes the general aspects of the individual's total personality - that is, the establishment, assimilation, or integration of, for example, societal norms, values, beliefs, and standards. Identity is determined by the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental characteristics, and interactions of significant components of an individual's unique world (Bronfenbrenner, 1979).

Adolescence may be an emotional turbulent phase of life, due in part to the physical and mental changes in an individual. Adolescence is a stage, which is also associated with considerable changes in self. Both Eric Erikson (1968) and Peter Blos (1962, 1979) recognized adolescence as a major life stage for identity formation, and individual development within a social context. They argued that adolescents must receive community acceptance for their behavior. Erikson spoke of the role of intergenerational socialization where society must provide for a mutual trustworthiness to assure self-chosen values and interests. Achieving a sense of identity is a fundamental task for adolescents. The clear sense of personal identity constitute an aspect of optimal psychological functioning (Erikson, 1968).

The development of your ethnic identity is a complex, continuous, process related to many factors. Depending on one's self-identity one may be predisposed to feel in a certain way, and to respond favorably or unfavorably to certain life events. This means that negative feelings toward self may predispose one's attitude towards coping with problems. When one studies identity it is important to relate it to other aspects of personality or the self-system, such as self-concept, self-esteem, self-motivation, cultural-self, self-aspirations, physical-self, etc. Self-identity is multifaceted, and it is more so in culturally different adolescents, as a consequence of their own ethnic and cultural attitudes, beliefs, preferences, and behaviors.

Ethnic self-identity is the integration of ethnicity or race into one's self-concept or self-image. It is the full recognition of one's ethnicity(ies), and the subsequent self-identity that flows from the values, ways, and styles of that ethnic background(s), instead of from the self-concept based on the opinion and prejudices of the larger society towards