Ethnic Identity, Race-Related Stress, and Quality of Life

What is it about?

Ethnic identity research and theory suggest that ethnicity is a prominent aspect of identity development among People of Color (POC). Individuals with high ethnic identity feel a sense of pride, belonging, and attachment to their ethnic group's heritage and traditions. In addition, there is increased awareness of how majority society perceives the individual as a member of that minority group. The authors hypothesized that individuals with a strong ethnic identity might be more inclined to recognize race-related comments, slurs, jokes, and digs, and that these ongoing experiences could have a cumulative effect that compromises quality of life. Results, showed that while high ethnic identity was tied to elevated race-related stress, it did not diminish quality of life. The authors contend that because a strong ethnic identity is characterized by a deep sense of belonging and connectedness to the larger ethnic community, it may have a stress buffering effect against the toxic effect of race-related stress.

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Why is it important?

Ethnic identity is a process of identity formation wherein ethnic minority group members negotiate the intersection of two or more group identities-one as ethnic minority and the other as American. Given the ubiquity of both overt and indirect forms of racism in contemporary culture, exploration of protective factors against racial prejudice is an important public health endeavor.