African American and white adolescents' strategies for managing cultural diversity in predominantly white high schools

This study examined 3 strategies that African American and White participan ts (9th-12th grade) used to manage cultural diversity: multicultural, separ ation, and assimilation/acculturation strategies. Older African American ad olescents endorsed multicultural strategies (integration/fusion and alterna tion) more strongly and separation less strongly than their younger African American peers. The reverse pattern was found for White adolescents. With respect to peer relations, separation and multicultural strategies were ass ociated with cross-ethnic peer relations for both African American and Whit e respondents. For African American adolescents, multicultural strategy end orsement was positively related to ethnic identity; particularly for older compared with younger African American adolescents, assimilation/acculturat ion was a strategy associated with a less strongly positive sense of ethnic identity. The results are discussed in relation to forces supporting adole scents' strategy development, and the implications of strategy usage for ad justment in predominantly White schools.