The researchers also found that young people who had positive feelings about their racial or ethnic identity had better social interactions and self-esteem, did well in school, and had fewer problems with drugs or alcohol.
In their analysis, the researchers sought to determine how ethnic-racial affect -- that is, how an individual feels about his or her ethnicity or race -- is related to well-being, distress, health risk, and academic adjustment in youth; most previous research in this area has focused only on psychological outcomes. They also looked at how links between positive ethnic-racial affect and the different outcomes varied across age and ethnic-racial groups. Together, the 46 studies they reviewed looked at African American, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and American Indian youth in the United States, primarily middle and high school students.
"Our findings show that the positive associations between ethnic-racial affect and key outcomes function similarly across groups of children differing in age, gender, and particular ethnic-racial categories," adds Rivas-Drake. "Young people who are exposed to experiences that promote positive feelings about their ethnic or racial heritage -- such as when minority parents teach their children about their ethnic heritage or instill pride in their race -- may reap not only psychological benefits but also greater commitment and connection to academics. They may also have less risk of unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and drug use, all of which have important long-term implications for health, well-being, and economic opportunity."