title: Ethnic identity, achievement, and psychological adjustment: Examining risk and resilience among youth from immigrant Chinese families in Canada.
abstract: Ethnic identity, achievement, and psychological adjustment were examined among 95 youth from immigrant Chinese families in Canada (mean age 12 years). Utilizing cross-sectional data, promotive effects of ethnic identity were observed; higher ethnic identity was associated with above average achievement and self-esteem and below average levels of depressive symptoms. Vulnerability effects of ethnic identity were fewer; lower ethnic identity was associated with above average depressive symptoms and, for males only, below average self-esteem. Findings also suggested that higher ethnic identity might buffer the stress of poor achievement, indicating a possible protective effect of ethnic identity. Although requiring replication, these preliminary findings illustrate the utility of adopting a risk and resilience framework and suggest the value of promoting strong ethnic identities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3P5, Canada. costigan@uvic.ca
authors.forename: Catherine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Costigan
authors.forename: Céline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Koryzma
authors.forename: Josephine M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Lauren J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Chance
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012933:Social Identification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires