Ethnic identity beliefs of young adults and their parents in families of Mexican descent

Goodnow's (1992) two-step model of intergeneration agreement was applied to parental socialization of ethnic identity. Young adults of Mexican descent (M = 20.3 years, SD = 3.1) completed questionnaires on their ethnic belief s, their perceptions of their parents' beliefs, and their relationships wit h their parents. Parents of the young adults answered questions about their own ethnic beliefs and their childrearing goals and practices. The relatio n between parents' beliefs and young adults' beliefs was mediated by young adults' perceptions of their parents' beliefs. The difference between young adults' beliefs and their mother's beliefs was a function of the accuracy of young adults' perceptions of their mother's beliefs and their desire to be like their mothers. The difference between young adults' beliefs and the ir father's beliefs was a function of the accuracy of young adults' percept ions of their father's beliefs.