19.2.3: Ethnic and Racial Identity
- Page ID
- 247295
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- Describe the typical progression in children’s understanding of race and ethnicity from ages 6 to 10.
In middle childhood, children become increasingly aware of race and ethnicity as important aspects of their social identity. Ethnic and racial identity refers to how individuals view themselves in relation to racial or cultural groups, including the meanings and values they assign to group membership. This identity begins forming early in life but becomes more coherent and consciously held during the elementary school years.
Children’s ability to construct a meaningful ethnic or racial identity is linked to their cognitive development, which allows them to move beyond simple labels and into more complex understandings of group membership, societal messages, and historical context (Umaña-Taylor et al., 2014).
Research suggests a developmental progression in children’s understanding of race and ethnicity:
- Around ages 6 to 8, children can label the group to which they belong using terms like Black, White, Hispanic, or Asian. They begin to identify with the customs, language, or traditions of their family and community (Quintana, 1998).
- Between the ages of 7 and 8, children begin to understand that group differences are linked to both biological features (e.g., skin color) and social experiences (e.g., cultural traditions or experiences of discrimination).
- By the ages of 8 to 10, many children begin to grasp the concept of ethnic and racial constancy—the idea that a person’s race or ethnicity is stable over time and not easily altered by behavior or appearance (Hughes et al., 2006).
Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\). A young girl in traditional native attire. AI-generated image is hosted by StockCake and licensed CC0 1.0.
This emerging understanding can influence how children see themselves, how they interpret others’ behavior, and how they respond to messages from family, peers, media, and society at large. Children from racially or ethnically minoritized groups may begin to recognize when they are treated differently and start to develop strategies for coping with or interpreting those experiences.
The positive development of ethnic and racial identity has been associated with higher self-esteem, greater academic achievement, and improved psychological well-being (Rivas-Drake et al., 2014). Adults play a crucial role in this process by fostering cultural pride and engaging in age-appropriate discussions about diversity and fairness.
References, Contributors and Attributions
Hughes, D., Bigler, R. S., & Levy, S. R. (2006). The role of parents and educators in socializing children’s ethnic and racial attitudes: An introduction to the special issue. Journal of Social Issues, 60(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-4537.2004.00194.x
Quintana, S. M. (1998). Children’s developmental understanding of ethnicity and race. Applied & Preventive Psychology, 7(1), 27–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0962-1849(98)80020-6
Rivas-Drake, D., et al. (2014). Ethnic and racial identity in adolescence: Implications for psychosocial, academic, and health outcomes. Child Development, 85(1), 40–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12200
Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Quintana, S. M., Lee, R. M., Cross, W. E., Rivas-Drake, D., Schwartz, S. J., ... & Yip, T. (2014). Ethnic and racial identity during adolescence and into young adulthood: An integrated conceptualization. Child Development, 85(1), 21–39. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12196