PARENTAL ETHNIC SOCIALIZATION AND ADOLESCENT COPING WITH PROBLEMS RELATED TO ETHNICITY

This study investigated ethnic socialization by parents of minority gr oup adolescents, the adolescents' ethnic identity and strategies for c oping with stereotypes and discrimination, and the interrelationships among these and demographic variables. In-depth interviews were carrie d out with 60 American-born Japanese-American, African-American, and M exican-American high-school students, aged 16 to 18 years, and one par ent of each adolescent. There were significant ethnic group difference s in parental ethnic socialization, with African-American parents more frequently reporting discussing prejudice with their child and Japane se-American and African-American parents emphasizing adaptation to soc iety more than Mexican-American parents. Adolescent use of a proactive style of coping with stereotypes and discrimination was associated wi th higher self-esteem, and use of verbal retorts was related to lower self-esteem. Parental socialization did not have a strong relationship to adolescent outcomes.