Daily hassles,ethnic identity and psychological adjustment among Lebanese‐Canadians

Acculturation, as a process of cultural change, has been related to a number of consequences including psychological distress. While some research has demonstrated how post‐migration stressors influence the adjustment of immigrants, it has been proposed that daily hassles—irritants in daily interactions—such as minor chronic problems with the in‐group and the out‐group have an even greater impact on adjustment than major life events. Furthermore, research has shown that ethnic identification profiles and discrimination are two factors closely associated with adjustment among immigrant populations. This study was, therefore, meant to further investigate the relationships among ethnic identity, discrimination (personal and collective), and adjustment (self‐esteem and depression) through a model proposing daily hassles as a mediator among these factors. There were 100 first‐ and second‐generation Lebanese‐Canadians who participated in the study. They completed a questionnaire measuring ethnic identification to their in‐ and out‐group, discrimination, hassles experienced with their in‐ and out‐group, depression, and self‐esteem. Path analyses revealed the mediating role of daily hassles between identity and discrimination, on the one hand, and indices of depression and self‐esteem, on the other. The results also demonstrated that greater experienced personal discrimination was associated with higher levels of experienced out‐group hassles and more out‐group hassles related to lower levels of adjustment. Processes of identity revealed that a higher level of Lebanese identity was associated with less experienced in‐ and out‐group hassles, which positively related to better adjustment. However, Canadian identity directly and positively related to depression. These results are discussed, first, with respect to their implications for current theorizing regarding the process of acculturation. Daily hassles would indeed now stand as a key mediating factor in the explanation of adjustment among immigrants. Second, the findings are deemed to have practical implications in term of the direction of programmes aimed at alleviating acculturative stress.     

PERPETUAL FOREIGNER IN ONE'S OWN LAND: POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR IDENTITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT

The perpetual foreigner stereotype posits that members of ethnic minorities will always be seen as the "other" in the White Anglo-Saxon dominant society of the United States (Devos & Banaji, 2005), which may have negative implications for them. The goal of the present research was to determine whether awareness of this perpetual foreigner stereotype predicts identity and psychological adjustment. We conducted a series of studies with 231 Asian Americans and 211 Latino/as (Study 1), 89 African Americans (Study 2), and 56 Asian Americans and 165 Latino/as (Study 3). All participants completed measures of perceived discrimination, awareness of the perpetual foreigner stereotype, conflict between ethnic and national identities, sense of belonging to American culture, and demographics. In Study 3, participants also completed measures of psychological adjustment: depression, hope, and life satisfaction. All participants were students at a large, public university on the West Coast of the United States. Across studies, we found that even after controlling for perceived discrimination, awareness of the perpetual foreigner stereotype was a significant predictor of identity conflict and lower sense of belonging to American culture. From Study 3, we also found that, above and beyond perceived discrimination, awareness of the perpetual foreigner stereotype significantly predicted lower hope and life satisfaction for Asian Americans, and that it was a marginal predictor of greater depression for Latino/as. These results suggest that the perpetual foreigner stereotype may play a role in ethnic minority identity and adjustment.     

The Affective Consequences of Minority Stress Among Bisexual,Pansexual, and Queer (Bi+) Adults: A Daily Diary Study

Bisexual, pansexual, and queer (bi+) individuals are at increased risk for depression and anxiety. These disparities are hypothesized to be due to the unique, minority-specific stressors that they experience. Prior research supports that bi+ stressors are associated with depression and anxiety, but nearly all studies have been cross-sectional, limiting our understanding of how experiencing bi+ stress influences individuals’ levels of depression and anxiety as they occur in their day-to-day lives. To address this gap, we examined the daily associations between bi+ stressors (discrimination, internalized stigma, rejection sensitivity, and identity concealment) and depressed/anxious mood in a 28-day diary study. Participants were 208 bi+ individuals who completed daily measures of bi+ stressors and depressed/anxious mood. We tested unlagged (same-day) and lagged (next-day) associations, and we also tested whether internalized stigma, rejection sensitivity, and identity concealment functioned as mechanisms underlying the daily associations between discrimination and depressed/anxious mood. Participants reported higher depressed/anxious mood on days when they reported higher discrimination, internalized stigma, rejection sensitivity, and identity concealment. There were significant unlagged indirect effects of discrimination on depressed and anxious mood via internalized stigma and rejection sensitivity, and there was also a significant unlagged indirect effect of discrimination on anxiety via identity concealment. However, none of the lagged associations were significant. Results suggest that bi+ stress is related to same-day, but not next-day, depressed/anxious mood. The nonsignificant lagged associations could reflect that bi+ individuals are using adaptive coping skills in response to bi+ stress, or that other experiences throughout the day have stronger influences on next-day mood.     

The costs of racism for marriage: how racial discrimination hurts, and ethnic identity protects, newlywed marriages among Latinos

The experience of racial or ethnic discrimination is a salient and severe stressor that has been linked to numerous disparities in important outcomes. Yet, the link between perceived discrimination and marital outcomes has been overlooked by research on relationship stressors. The current study examined this link and tested whether ethnic identity buffered the relation between discrimination and ratings of marital quality and verbal aggression. A sample of 330 Latino newlyweds completed measures of perceived discrimination, ethnic identity, spouse's verbal aggression, and marital quality. Each spouse's interviewer also independently rated marital quality. Dyadic analyses revealed that husbands' experience of discrimination negatively predicted wives' marital quality, but only for husbands with weak ethnic identity. Wives whose husbands had strong ethnic identity were buffered from this effect. Identity also buffered the relation between husbands' discrimination and verbal aggression toward their wives, and this effect mediated the association between discrimination, identity, and marital quality.     

Resilience to discrimination stress across ethnic identity stages of development

Ethnic identity development may increase resilience to discrimination and prejudice, which are often common and stressful for ethnic minority adolescents. Based on ethnic identity development theory and resilience theory, we hypothesize that under high discrimination stress, ethnic affirmation and ethnic identity stage will have protective moderating effects on self‐esteem and depressive symptoms. A cross‐sectional self‐report study with 125 ethnic minority adolescents (13–18 years) found that ethnic affirmation (p < .05) had protective effects on depressive symptoms (p < .05) and protective‐enhancing effects on self‐esteem at high levels of discrimination stress. Achieved ethnic identity stage (p < .05) had protective‐stabilizing effects on self‐esteem at high discrimination stress. Our findings demonstrate that the protective elements of ethnic identity are feeling positive about one's ethnic group, having learned about one's history, and having resolved conflicts about one's ethnic group.     

Gay Identity and the Experience of Gay Social Stress1

The hypothesis that identity commitment affects the experience of identity-related stressors brings identity theory and social stress research together. Research findings are not yet conclusive regarding this hypothesis. Part of the contradictory research findings stem from inadequate knowledge about the causal direction of the relationship between depression and commitment. The authors analyze if identity commitment interacts with social stress in its impact on mental well-being. Only chronic stress has a moderate impact on the experience of depression. Commitment toward the gay identity did not buffer the experience of stress. The authors also use a nonrecursive model to establish the causal relationship between depression and commitment. They show that it is depression that lowers identity commitment. It is concluded that identity commitment cannot act as a buffer against identity-related stress because commitment is affected by the resulting distress.     

Cross-ethnic friendships, perceived discrimination, and their effects on ethnic activism over time: a longitudinal investigation of three ethnic minority groups

This research examines cross-ethnic friendships as a predictor of perceived discrimination and support for ethnic activism over time among African American, Latino American, and Asian American undergraduate participants from a multi-year, longitudinal study conducted in the United States. Our research builds on prior cross-sectional research by testing effects longitudinally and examining how relationships among these variables may differ across ethnic minority groups. Results indicate that, over time, greater friendships with Whites predict both lower perceptions of discrimination and less support for ethnic activism among African Americans and Latino Americans, but not among Asian Americans. Implications of these findings for future research on inter-group contact, minority-majority relations, and ethnic group differences in status are discussed.     

Effect of ethnic group membership on ethnic identity,race-related stress,and quality of life

This study examined the effect of ethnic group membership on ethnic identity, race-related stress, and quality of life (QOL). The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, the Index of Race Related Stress--Brief Version, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life--Brief Version were administered to 160 male and female participants from 3 ethnic groups (African American, Asian American, and Latino American). Results indicated that African American participants had significantly higher race-related stress, ethnic identity, and psychological QOL scores than did Asian and Latino American participants. A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that ethnic identity and cultural racism were significant predictors of QOL and accounted for 16% of the total variance for the entire sample.     

The Impact of Multiple Dimensions of Ethnic Identity on Discrimination and Adolescents' Self-Estees

The rejection-identification model is investigated with multiple dimensions of ethnic identity in a sample of Mexican American youth. It is hypothesized that more perceived discrimination will be associated with higher ethnic identity in general, but that the multiple dimensions of ethnic identity will be associated differentially with discrimination. Higher perceived discrimination will be associated with more ethnic exploration and less ethnic affirmation. Self-report questionnaires were completed by middle school students of Mexican descent ( N= 881). Based on structural equation modeling, the data were found to fit the rejection-identification model ( p < .05). Higher discrimination was associated with lower ethnic affirmation ( p < .05) and lower ethnic exploration ( p < .05). Post hoc analyses indicated a significant interaction between discrimination and ethnic affirmation ( p < .01) such that youth with high ethnic affirmation who experienced high discrimination still reported high self-esteem. The findings are discussed in the context of understanding methods of coping with prejudice and discrimination that will enhance the mental well-being of minority youth.     

Korean transracial and international adoptees: Ethnic identity and sense of belonging and exclusion in relation to birth and adoptive groups

Past quantitative ethnic identity research on transracial and international adoptees (TRIAs) has focused on their birth culture. Given that adoptees may also identify with their adoptive family’s culture, we examined Korean and White European American ethnic identities in Korean American adoptees. Identity exploration and commitment were significantly positively correlated within each referent group. Results also indicated relatively higher levels of birth group identity exploration and higher adoptive group identity commitment. In addition, we used cluster analysis to create ethnic identity profiles and investigated the relations between identity profiles and sense of belonging and exclusion. Our findings signal a need to support TRIAs to develop inclusive flexible ethnic identities and suggest future research should examine multiple referent groups and the intersection of these identities.     

Daily dynamics of personal identity and self‐concept clarity

We examined the daily dynamics among self‐concept clarity and identity processes, and their effects on distress, among a sample of 580 Dutch adolescents. Participants completed measures of identity, self‐concept clarity, anxiety and depression at annual intervals; and daily single‐item measures of self‐concept clarity, identity commitments and reconsideration across three 5‐day weeks. We examined (a) cross‐lagged associations of self‐concept clarity to identity commitment and reconsideration and (b) associations of daily fluctuations in self and identity processes to later anxiety and depression. Results indicated that self‐concept clarity and identity commitments influence one another reciprocally across days, and that day‐to‐day fluctuations in identity predicted later anxiety and depression. Results are discussed in terms of self and identity processes and their effects on distress. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ethnic Segregation and Perceived Discrimination in College: Mutual Influences and Effects on Social and Academic Life1

This study examined relationships among same‐ethnicity friendships, perceptions of ethnic discrimination, and social and academic adjustment in college using a large longitudinal sample of White, Asian, Latino, and African American students. Results demonstrated that Latino students who had more in‐group friends during college exhibited reduced belonging and academic performance at the end of college. Perceived discrimination also had negative effects on Latino students' sense of belonging. For African American students, having more in‐group friends during college was related to enhanced academic commitment and motivation at the end of college. Perceiving more discrimination was also associated with enhanced academic motivation for African American students. Explanations for the divergent experiences of the two minority groups on campus are discussed.     

Racial discrimination and psychological distress: the impact of ethnic identity and age among immigrant and United States-born Asian adults

The association between racial and ethnic discrimination and psychological distress was examined among 2,047 Asians (18 to 75 years of age) in the National Latino and Asian American Study, the first-ever nationally representative study of mental health among Asians living in the United States. Stratifying the sample by age in years (i.e., 18 to 30, 31 to 40, 41 to 50, 51 to 75) and nativity status (i.e., immigrant vs. U.S.-born), ethnic identity was tested as either a protective or exacerbating factor. Analyses showed that ethnic identity buffered the association between discrimination and mental health for U.S.-born individuals 41 to 50 years of age. For U.S.-born individuals 31 to 40 years of age and 51 to 75 years of age, ethnic identity exacerbated the negative effects of discrimination on mental health. The importance of age and immigrant status for the association between ethnic identity, discrimination, and well-being among Asians in the United States is discussed.     

The development of ethnic identity during adolescence

The development of ethnic identity is a critical facet of adolescence, particularly for adolescents of color. In order to examine the developmental trajectory of ethnic identity, African American, Latino American, and European American early and middle adolescents (N = 420) were assessed over 3 years. Two components of ethnic identity were assessed--group-esteem was found to rise for both early and middle adolescents; exploration rose for middle adolescents. African Americans and Latino Americans were lower in group-esteem but have greater increases than European Americans, particularly across a school transition. The course of ethnic identity development during early and middle adolescence, the role of school context, and the variability in developmental trajectories among racial and ethnic groups are discussed.     

Latino/a Depression and Smoking: An Analysis Through the Lenses of Culture, Gender, and Ethnicity

Rates of major depressive disorder (MDD) and cigarette smoking increase with Latino/a acculturation, but this varies by gender and ethnic subgroup. We investigated how lived experiences (i.e., discrimination, family conflict, family cohesion, familismo) clustered together in the everyday lives of Latina/os. We further examined associations of cluster profile and Latino/a subgroup with MDD and smoking, and tested whether gender moderated these associations. Data came from the National Latino Asian American Study, which included 2,554 Latino/as (48 % female; mean age = 38.02 years). K-means cluster analysis revealed six profiles of experience, which varied by gender and socio-cultural characteristics. Proportionately more women than men were in groups with problematic family lives. Acculturated Latino/as were disproportionately represented in profiles reporting frequent discrimination, family conflict, and a lack of shared family values and cohesion. Profiles characterized by high discrimination and family problems also predicted elevated risk for MDD and smoking. Findings suggest that Latino/a acculturation comes jointly with increased discrimination, increased family conflict, and reduced family cohesion and shared family values, exacerbating risk for MDD and smoking. This research on pathways to depression and smoking can inform the development of targeted assessment, prevention, and intervention strategies, tailored to the needs of Latino/as.     

Discrimination, acculturation, acculturative stress, and Latino psychological distress: a moderated mediational model

Prior research has found that perceived discrimination is associated with adverse mental health outcomes among Latinos. However, the process by which this relationship occurs remains an understudied area. The present study investigated the role of acculturative stress in underlying the relationship between perceived discrimination and Latino psychological distress. Also examined was the ability of acculturation to serve as a moderator between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress. Among a sample of Latino adults (N = 669), moderated mediational analyses revealed that acculturative stress mediated the perceived discrimination-psychological distress relationship, and that the link between perceived discrimination and acculturative stress was moderated by Anglo behavioral orientation but not Latino behavioral orientation. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping perspective that identifies the psychological consequences associated with perceived discrimination and acculturative stress.     

民族认同的概念、测量及研究述评

民族认同对个人心理健康、国家团结和谐有着重大意义,已成为当今研究中的热点问题。文章针对民族认同涵义正在逐步拓宽的发展趋势,分析了民族认同的内涵及与相关概念的关系。在描述民族认同测量多维性的基础上,梳理并比较了MEIM、MEIM-R和EIS等应用广泛的民族认同测量工具。归纳了以民族认同作为调节变量、中介变量的最新研究及其相关研究。未来民族认同研究深化的基本途径为关键术语一致化、研究方法精确化和评估水平全面化。     

African American male adolescents' preferences in responding to racial discrimination: effects of ethnic identity and situational influences

This study investigated male African American adolescents' thinking about responses to racial discrimination. Participants (N=67) were recruited from an urban public high school in southern California. Students completed paper and pencil measures assessing their ethnic identity status and their preferred responses to racial discrimination. African American male adolescents whose scores fell into the unexamined ethnic identity or exploration ethnic identity range more strongly endorsed passive responses than individuals whose scores fell into the achieved ethnic identity range. However, a variety of situational factors moderated participants' responses, including the status of the perpetrator of discrimination and the circumstances in which the discrimination occurred. Results were discussed in terms of the social cognitive variables of self-presentation and perceptions of discrimination.     

Priming the Sleeping Giant: The Dynamics of Latino Political Identity and Vote Choice

Latinos are commonly referred to as the “sleeping giant” in American politics, and interest in the political potential of this fastest‐growing American ethnic group has risen in recent years. This article examines the influence of Latino political identity on voting preferences in the 2006 California gubernatorial election. A survey experiment linking Latino identity to support for either the Democratic or Republican candidate finds that vote preferences were influenced by group cues and that this effect was strongest in increasing support for the Democratic candidate among Latino Republicans and independents. The influence of Latino political identity is modeled as a two‐step process of social identification and group influence, both of which are found to interact with prior partisanship. These findings support a model of political identity that views identity as malleable and subject to contextual influences.     

Determinants of ethnic identity development in adulthood: A longitudinal study

Ethnic identity is defined in terms of the interaction between exploration of and commitment to a given cultural background. The present study investigated the effect of individual background, role transitions, and the social environment on the development of ethnic identity in a sample of German adults aged 21–73 years (N = 2,940). Additionally, identity transitions and the moderating effect of disequilibrating life events on identity over time were examined (N = 827). Overall, results are consistent with findings for other identity domains: Respondents could be assigned to one of four identity stages, ranging from unexamined to achieved identity. Particularly, the individual background and the extent of community involvement affected ethnic identity formation in adulthood. Longitudinal analyses revealed that only one-third of respondents had remained in the same identity stage; most individuals had transitioned forward or backward. Changes in ethnic identity were not moderated by disequilibrating life events.