Ethnic-racial Identity Affirmation Research Articles

Sticks and Stones May Break Bones, But Racism Breaks Spirits: Discrimination and BIPOC Adolescent Mental Health

BIPOC adolescent mental health is essential to a healthy, equitable society. Negative associations between discrimination and mental health may be ameliorated by affirmed ethnic-racial identity (ERI). We examined relations between racial discrimination and depression, anxiety, suicide ideation, chronic pain and subjective happiness moderated by ERI affirmation (353 U.S. BIPOC youth, Mage = 15.28, 48% female). Racial discrimination negatively, and ERI affirmation positively, related to mental health. Interactions were not significant. Exploratory follow-up analyses showed for BIPOC adolescents with moderate to highly affirmed ERI, racial discrimination related to increases in chronic pain and decreases in subjective happiness. Although affirmed ERI is positive for mental health, anti-racist involvement at community/structural levels are necessary to reduce discrimination’s consequences on BIPOC mental health.

The interactive effects of Indigenous identity and lateral violence on youth adjustment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

ABSTRACT Objectives Lateral violence is the potential for members of a group to engage in practices that are harmful to other members of their own group. Evidence indicates that lateral violence can affect Aboriginal children’s social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB); however, little is known about the potential for ethnic-racial identity (ERI) to protect against harmful effects of lateral violence. Methods We investigated whether ERI affirmation moderated the relationship between exposure to lateral violence and Aboriginal children’s SEWB. Children (n = 360) from the K-Cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children were included in this analysis. Children’s ERI was dichotomised into high versus low affirmation, and General Linear Models were used to examine the effects of lateral violence on SEWB and the potentially moderating effect of ERI on that relationship. Results Increased exposure to lateral violence was associated with increased difficulties in all Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire domains. ERI was also shown to moderate the relationship between exposure to lateral violence and peer difficulties, with children in the high ERI affirmation group showing greater vulnerability than those in the low group. Conclusions The findings of this study are discussed in relation to their potential to inform policy and clinical practice.

The role of autonomy granting and ethnic-racial socialization in Mexican-origin girls' ethnic-racial identity trajectories.

The current study examines the role of ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) and maternal autonomy granting in predicting ethnic-racial identity (ERI) exploration, resolution, and affirmation trajectories in a sample of Mexican-origin girls (N = 338) in early and middle adolescence at Wave 1. Latent growth curve analyses showed significant growth in ERI exploration, resolution, and affirmation over 3.5 years. ERS, autonomy granting, and their interaction were associated with ERI trajectories. Results also indicated significant differences between early and middle adolescents in the association between ERS, autonomy granting, and ERI exploration trajectories. Findings demonstrate the importance of concurrently examining contextual and developmental predictors of ERI formation. In addition, ERS may be particularly important for ERI development among early adolescents, whereas autonomy processes and development may play a more prominent role during middle adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Role of Racial Microaggressions and Ethnic Racial Identity Affirmation on Sense of Belonging Among Black and Latinx College Students

Growing evidence suggests that racial microaggressions negatively impact psychological and physical well-being. However, despite this work, few studies have explored the role of racial microaggressions in college students’ sense of belonging and the protective role of emerging adults’ ethnic racial identity (ERI) affirmation. Utilizing a weekly diary design, the current study examined Black and Latinx emerging adults ( N = 139, Mage = 20 years, SD = 1.16) experiences of racial microaggressions and their relation to belonging with peers, faculty, and administrators, and how ERI affirmation may mitigate the negative effects of these encounters. Results indicated that week-to-week fluctuations in racial microaggressions were negatively associated with belonging with peers, but not with faculty or administrators. ERI affirmation did not moderate weekly associations between racial microaggressions and sense of belonging. Findings highlight the salience of racial microaggressions on college campuses and the role they play in emerging adults’ sense of belonging.

The Role of Ethnic-Racial Identity and Self-Esteem in Intergroup Contact Attitudes.

Adolescents' ethnic-racial identity (ERI) exploration, resolution, and affirmation inform their approach and avoidance attitudes toward intergroup contact, but the potential mechanisms through which this occurs have been underexplored. Given the evidence that adolescents with higher ERI exploration, resolution, and affirmation also report higher self-esteem, and self-esteem is theorized to facilitate openness to intergroup contact, the current study explored the role of self-esteem as a mediator of the relation between adolescents' ERI and their intergroup contact attitudes. Participants were 4606 adolescents (Mage = 16.35, SD = 1.16; 37.5% White, 27.1% Black, 20.7% Latinx, 11.7% Asian American, 3% Native American) from the U.S. Southwest and Midwest. The three waves of data were collected between March 2017 and March 2018. Results from longitudinal multigroup path models indicated that across all ethnic-racial groups there were positive direct relations between Wave 1 (W1) ERI resolution and W2 self-esteem (7 months later). In turn, W2 self-esteem was positively related to W3 approach attitudes (12 months later) and negatively related to W3 avoidance attitudes. The relations between ERI resolution and both approach and avoidance attitudes were fully mediated by self-esteem across all ethnic-racial groups. Notably the baseline values (W1) of all mediation and outcome variables (W2, W3) were included, suggesting that ERI resolution at baseline predicted increases in self-esteem, which predicted subsequent increases in approach attitudes and decreases in avoidance attitudes. ERI exploration and affirmation were not significant predictors of later self-esteem or contact attitudes. These findings suggest that of the three dimensions of ERI examined, resolution is the primary driver of the increases in self-esteem that inform adolescents' attitudes towards interaction with ethnic-racial outgroup members.

Assessing Invariance of Universal Ethnic-Racial Identity Measures Among Black Adolescents in the United States.

Black immigrants and their children represent a significant and growing share of the U.S. Black population; however, their experiences of their multifaceted identities are often collapsed into the experiences of multigenerational Black youth. The current study investigates whether generalized ethnic-racial identity measures are equivalent for Black youth with an immigrant parent and Black youth with only U.S.-born parents. Participants were 767 Black adolescents (16.6% immigrant-origin; Mage = 16.28, SD = 1.12) attending diverse high schools in two regions of the U.S. Participants completed the affirmation, exploration, and resolution subscales of the Ethnic Identity Scale-Brief (EIS-B), along with the centrality and public regard subscales of the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity-Teen (MIBI-T). The results indicated that, whereas the EIS-B demonstrated scalar invariance, the MIBI-T demonstrated partial scalar invariance. Accounting for measurement error, immigrant-origin youth reported lower affirmation than multigenerational U.S.-origin youth. Across groups, ethnic-racial identity exploration and resolution scores were positively associated with family ethnic socialization; ethnic-racial identity affirmation was positively associated with self-esteem; and ethnic-racial identity public regard was negatively associated with ethnic-racial discrimination, supporting convergent validity. Conversely, centrality was positively associated with discrimination among multigenerational U.S.-origin Black youth, but the relation was not significant among immigrant-origin Black youth. These results fill a methodological gap in the literature, providing researchers with empirical support for considering whether to pool immigrant-origin and multigenerational U.S.-origin Black youth in analyses regarding ethnic-racial identity.

The Ethnic Identity Scale: Affirmation, really?

The Ethnic Identity Scale (EIS) was developed to distinguish between process and content components of ethnic-racial identity (ERI). However, the affirmation subscale is composed entirely of negatively worded items, measuring negative feelings about one's ethnic-racial group, rather than positive feelings as widely conceptualized. Addressing this gap, the present study examined the psychometric validity of a revised EIS with positively and negatively worded items to determine whether affirmation is best represented as a unidimensional construct, a bidimensional construct, or a combination of the two. The sample consisted of 280 college students (75.5% female; Mage = 20.95 years; SD = 1.98 years). The largest ethnic-racial group consisted of Black or African Americans (68.2%), followed by Asian/Asian Americans (12.1%), Hispanic/Latinos (9.6%), and other ethnic-racial groups (10%). Confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence for both unidimensionality and multidimensionality. Indeed, although positively worded and negatively worded items of "affirmation" loaded onto a general factor representing affirmation, there was still a significant amount of variance captured by the negative ERI affect specific factor, indicating the presence of multidimensionality. In addition, results indicated that negative ERI affect, over and above the general ERI affirmation factor, predicted psychosocial functioning. The present study expands our understanding of the multidimensionality of ERI, highlighting the need for examination of how we measure ERI affect at the very least, and possibly how we conceptualize it within the broader ERI literature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Cultural Socialization and Ethnic-Racial Identity Mediated by Positive and Negative Conversations about Race: Exploring Differences among Asian American, African American, Latinx, Multiracial, and White Students

ABSTRACT The current study examined associations between cultural socialization and ethnic-racial identity via positive and negative conversations about one’s ethnicity/race. Ethnic-racial differences between Asian American, African American, Latinx, Multiracial, and White students were explored. College students 18–22 (M age = 18.46) participating in a university-wide study provided self-reports of childhood cultural socialization, engagement in conversations about ethnicity/race during college, and ethnic-racial identity. Cultural socialization was associated with more positive conversations about race, and, in turn, greater ethnic-racial identity exploration, resolution, and affirmation among all students. Additionally, among Multiracial and African American students, cultural socialization was associated with greater negative conversations about race and, in turn, less ethnic-racial identity affirmation. Although cultural socialization was not associated with negative conversations about race for Asian American, Latinx, or White students, the relation between greater negative conversations about race and less ethnic-racial identity affirmation was significant. Negative conversations about race also informed greater ethnic-racial identity exploration among all students, but was not associated with ethnic-racial identity resolution. The current study highlights the nuanced ways that childhood cultural socialization and conversations about one’s ethnicity/race influence college students’ ethnic-racial identity, both similarly and differently among different racial groups.

Effects of Receiving Genetic Ancestry Results on Emerging Adults’ Ethnic-Racial Identity Affirmation

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is associated with adaptive outcomes in emerging adulthood, but more research is needed on factors that may inform ERI, such as receiving one’s genetic ancestry results. The current study examined changes in ERI using a pre-test post-test design in which 116 emerging adults 18–25 years were randomly assigned to either receiving their genetic ancestry results before the post-test (the testing condition) or after post-test (the control condition). We also tested whether ethnicity/race and gender moderated these associations. Findings indicated that male students of color (SOC) in the testing condition experienced an increase in ERI affirmation from pre-test to post-test, and male SOC in the control condition experienced a decrease in ERI affirmation from pre-test to post-test. There were no significant differences in ERI affirmation change between students in the testing condition and control condition for female SOC, White males, or White females.

A prospective examination of neighborhood social and cultural cohesion and parenting processes on ethnic-racial identity among U.S. Mexican adolescents.

Neighborhood social processes may have important implications for parenting processes and ethnic-racial identity (ERI) processes and content in adolescence. Past research suggests that adolescents whose parents engaged in more cultural socialization, an important aspect of parental racial socialization, had higher levels of ERI processes and content. Parenting, however, is also situated within neighborhood contexts and can be influenced by resources available in neighborhoods. For example, having neighbors who share mutual values, trust one another, and appreciate/celebrate one's heritage culture may be a resource that promotes parents' efforts to engage in cultural socialization. We prospectively examined (from x¯age = 10.9-15.8 years) a model in which U.S. Mexican parents' perceptions of neighborhood social and cultural cohesion supported parents' engagement in higher levels of cultural socialization and in turn promoted adolescents' ethnic-racial identity processes and content. We tested a longitudinal mediation model with a sample of 749 U.S. Mexican adolescents (30% Mexico born; 48.9% female) and their parents. Mother-adolescent models suggest mothers' perception of neighborhood social and cultural cohesion in late childhood promoted middle adolescents' ERI affirmation via intermediate increases in maternal cultural socialization. Similar patterns were observed for ERI resolution, but only for adolescents whose mothers were born in the United States. We did not find evidence for mediation in the father-adolescent models. Findings are discussed in the context of the promoting nature of socially and culturally supportive neighborhood environments for U.S. Mexican families and adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Sex differences in how ethnic-racial identity informs first coital affect and virginity beliefs among Black college students

Objective: The present study examined whether ethnic-racial identity (ERI) exploration, resolution, and affirmation informed individuals’ beliefs about virginity (ie, virginity as a gift, stigma, process) and first coital affective reactions (FCAR; ie, positive and negative), and whether these relations varied by biological sex. Participants and method: The sample consisted of 184 Black college students (M age = 19.79, SD = 2.08) enrolled in a large Southern university. Participants completed a virginity beliefs measure, first coital affective reaction measure, and an ethnic-racial identity measure. Results: Findings indicated that for Black females, greater ERI exploration was associated with decreased virginity as a gift beliefs; and ERI resolution was associated with increased virginity as a gift beliefs. Additionally, for Black males and females, ERI affirmation resulted in more positive FCAR, less negative FCAR, and less views of virginity as a stigma. Conclusion: Finding implications are presented in the context of future research.

Mexican-origin youth's ethnic-racial identity development: The role of siblings.

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) formation is an important developmental task. Although families are a primary context for ERI socialization, little is known about siblings' role. Accordingly, we applied the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model to longitudinal data from 2 siblings to examine the links between siblings' ERI exploration, resolution, and affirmation. Participants were Mexican-origin mothers, fathers, and 2 siblings (older siblings Mage = 20.65 years; younger siblings Mage = 17.72 years) from 246 families in Arizona who were interviewed on 2 occasions across 2 years. Siblings' ERI exploration in late adolescence positively predicted young adult ERI, accounting for mothers' and fathers' ERIs. For resolution, the sibling (i.e., partner) effect was moderated by sibling gender constellation, such that the sibling effect emerged only for same-sex dyads. For affirmation, the sibling effect emerged for older but not younger siblings. These findings highlight the need to understand siblings' role in ERI and to expand research on family socialization of ERI beyond parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Associations between ethnic-racial identity and alcohol problems among diverse emerging adults

Excessive alcohol use and problems during college is a major public health concern, and there are health disparities in patterns of drinking and alcohol-related illnesses based on ethnicity and race. Given the prevalence and disparities in excessive alcohol use and problems and associated negative impacts, it is important to examine potential protective factors such as dimensions of ethnic-racial identity (ERI). Thus, the current study examined how multiple dimensions of ERI were associated with alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms, and how these relations varied by individuals’ ethnic-racial group among 1850 diverse emerging adults (M = 18.46, SD = .38). Findings indicated that there were significant differences by race/ethnicity. ERI affirmation was negatively associated with AUD symptoms for Asian individuals and African American individuals, while ERI exploration was positively associated with AUD symptoms among African American individuals. ERI resolution was negatively associated with alcohol use for Latinx individuals and positively associated with alcohol use for Multiracial individuals. Among White individuals, ERI exploration was negatively associated with alcohol use and ERI affirmation was negatively associated with AUD symptoms. Overall, the current study builds on our understanding of nuanced ways in which ethnic-racial identity impacts alcohol problems among emerging adults and highlights areas for future research.

Testing invariance of ethnic-racial discrimination and identity measures for adolescents across ethnic-racial groups and contexts.

Ethnic-racial discrimination experiences, ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development, and attitudes toward other ethnic-racial group contact all make important contributions to individuals' health and well-being. Absent from the literature is systematic examination of whether these constructs may be measured equivalently for adolescents from different ethnic-racial groups living in different contexts. In 2 large ethno-racially diverse samples of high school students in the Southwestern (N = 2,136) and Midwestern (N = 1,055) United States, the current study tested invariance of 4 widely used measures, including Adolescent Discrimination Distress Index (Fisher, Wallace, & Fenton, 2000), Ethnic Identity Scale-Brief (Douglass & Umaña-Taylor, 2015), Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity-Teen (Scottham, Sellers, & Nguyên, 2008), and Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Other Group Orientation (Phinney, 1992). Results from multigroup confirmatory factor analyses supported configural and metric but not scalar invariance across Asian, Black, Latinx, Native, and White American adolescents, and across geographic regions for Asian, Black, and White American adolescents. Results demonstrate the utility of these measures to examine whether associations with theoretically related constructs differ across groups and regions, but specific items preclude mean-level group difference tests for certain groups. Supporting convergent validity across ethno-racially diverse adolescents in 2 regions, scores on ethnic-racial discrimination from peers, adults in school, and other adults in society were each positively associated with depressive symptoms; ERI exploration, resolution, affirmation, centrality, and public regard scores were each positively associated with self-esteem; and other group orientation scores were positively associated with ERI achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Ethnic-racial discrimination experiences and ethnic-racial identity predict adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment: Evidence for a compensatory risk-resilience model

Theory and empirical evidence indicate that ethnic-racial discrimination serves as a risk factor for adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment, whereas ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development promotes positive youth adjustment and can mitigate the negative outcomes of discrimination-related risk. In Colombia, the legacies of an ethnic-racial hierarchy, mestizaje ideology (i.e., the assumption that everyone is racially mixed), and contemporary multiculturalism education reforms create a unique context for understanding adolescents’ experiences of ethnic-racial discrimination, ERI development, and their implications for psychosocial adjustment. In this study of Colombian adolescents (N = 462; Mage = 15.90 years; 47.3% female), almost 40% of participants reported experiencing ethnic-racial-based discrimination. Experiencing more frequent ethnic-racial discrimination was associated with lower self-esteem and higher depressive symptoms, whereas higher ERI resolution (i.e., gaining sense of clarity about ethnic-racial group membership) and affirmation (i.e., feeling positively about ethnic-racial group membership) were associated with higher self-esteem and lower depressive symptoms. ERI exploration (i.e., learning history and gaining knowledge about ethnic-racial group membership) was also associated with higher self-esteem and moderated the association between discrimination and depressive symptoms, such that this association was stronger at higher compared to lower levels of ERI exploration. Findings provide novel evidence for ethnic-racial-related risk and resilience processes among Colombian youth.

Ethnic-racial identity affirmation: Validation in Aboriginal Australian children.

IntroductionPositive attitudes towards ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is a key factor in Aboriginal Australian children’s development. The present study aims to offer evidence of construct and criterion validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of a brief measure of Aboriginal children’s ERI affirmation.MethodsData was from 424 children aged 10–12 years (mean 10.5 years; SD 0.56) participating in the 8th wave of the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC). Information on ERI was obtained from 4 child-reported items. Sociodemographic characteristics and child social and emotional outcomes were caregiver-reported. A factorial structure was tested by Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The estimation method was weighted least squares with mean and variance adjusted test statistic (WLSMV). For reliability verification, the ordinal α and Ω hierarchical α were assessed. For construct validity, a generalized linear model with log-Poisson link estimated the association between ERI and children’s social and emotional outcomes. We hypothesized that children with positive ERI would have lower behavioural and emotional difficulties.ResultsWe found evidence of excellent fit for a unidimensional model of ERI affirmation after adjusting for correlated uniqueness between items 1 and 3 (χ2(2) = 0.06, p = 0.80; RMSEA = 0.000 [90% CI 0.000–0.080], p = 0.088; CFI = 1.000). Internal consistency reliability was considered adequate (ordinal α = 0.83; Ω hierarchical α = 0.72). The unidimensional model was shown to be invariant among boys and girls (Δχ2 (4) = 6.20, p = 0.18; ΔCFI = 0.000). Higher ERI was associated with lower risk of problematic scores (>17) on the SDQ (Risk Ratioa = 0.91, 95% CI 0.64, 1.29).DiscussionThe four LSIC items perform as a brief measure of Aboriginal children ERI affirmation among boys and girls. Results contribute much needed evidence for LSIC’s ongoing success and to future research on Aboriginal children’s development and wellbeing.

Does ethnic-racial identity modify the effects of racism on the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal Australian children?

ObjectivesThis study investigates the protective role of ethnic-racial identity (ERI) affirmation on the longitudinal association between racism and Aboriginal Australian children’s social and emotional well-being (SEWB).Methods408 children from the K-Cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children were included in the analysis. Data were collected through questionnaire-guided interviews at 7–10 and 9–12 years of age. Children’s racism experience, SEWB (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and confounding were reported by caregivers. ERI was reported by children and dichotomized into high versus low. Generalized linear models with log-Poisson links and robust errors were used to estimate adjusted Risk Ratios (RRa) for the effect of racism on SEWB domains. Effect-measure modification analysis was used to verify differences on effect sizes per strata of ERI affirmation. The presence of modification was indicated by the Relative Excess Risk due to Interaction (RERI).ResultsSlightly above half (51.4%) of the children presented high ERI affirmation. Children exposed to racism and with low ERI affirmation were at increased risk of hyperactive behavior (RRa 2.53, 95% CI 1.17, 5.48), conduct problems (RRa 2.35, 95% CI 1.07, 5.15), and total difficulties (RRa 1.73, 95% CI 0.84, 3.55). Positive RERIs indicated the joint effects of racism and low ERI affirmation surpassed the sum of their separate effects in these domains. Children with high ERI affirmation were at increased risk of peer problems (RRa 1.66, 95% CI 0.78, 3.52).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that ERI may mitigate the risk of poor SEWB due to racism. Fostering affirmative ERI can be an important strategy in promoting resilience in Aboriginal Australian children.

Collective ethnic-racial identity and health outcomes among African American youth: Examination of promotive and protective effects.

Racial discrimination is associated with numerous negative health outcomes, including increased risk for depression and anxiety symptoms and substance use. Positive affect toward of one's ethnic or racial group (i.e., ethnic-racial identity affirmation) has been shown to buffer the negative effects of racial discrimination on health outcomes. The extent to which one believes his or her group is valued by others (i.e., positive collective ethnic-racial identity) has also been proposed to be protective. However, to date a limited body of research has examined the moderating effect of collective ethnic-racial identity on health, and among available studies, findings are mixed. African American youth (N = 612; 58.2% female, M grade = 8) completed measures on experiences of discrimination, mood symptoms, substance use, ethnic-racial identity affirmation, and collective ethnic-racial identity (assessed using the Collective Self-Esteem Scale). Controlling for demographic variables and affirmation, a significant main effect was found for collective ethnic-racial identity, such that believing that others viewed your group positively was associated with better health outcomes among African American youth. However, collective ethnic-racial identity was not found to buffer the effects of discrimination on health outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of examining collective ethnic-racial identity and the promotive effect it can have on health outcomes for African Americans. More research is needed to better understand if there are health outcomes in which collective ethnic-racial identity may also mitigate risk as a consequence of racial discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The Health Correlates of Culture: Examining the Association Between Ethnic-Racial Identity and Diurnal Cortisol Slopes

PurposeThe objective of this study was to examine the link between ethnic-racial identity (ERI) components (exploration, resolution, and affirmation) and youths' diurnal cortisol slopes. MethodsA sample of 103 U.S.-Mexican adolescents (Mage = 15.29 years) living in the Southwest participated in an in-home interview and 3-day salivary sampling protocol. ResultsERI affirmation, but not exploration or resolution, was related to steeper diurnal slopes (greater declines in cortisol from waking to bedtime) after controlling for adolescents' life stressors, acculturation level, ethnic-racial discrimination, and daily behaviors (i.e., caffeine use, hours of exercise, hours of sleep, and medication level). ConclusionsThis study provides initial evidence of the physiological benefits of ERI affirmation. Given that steeper diurnal slopes are thought of as an indicator of positive health, our findings point to the importance of examining cultural processes in the well-being of ethnic-racial minority youth.

Discrimination and Ethnic-Racial Identity: Understanding Direction of Effects Using Within- and Between-Person Analyses.

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development and ethnic-racial discrimination are two salient experiences among adolescents in the United States. Despite growing awareness of the costs and benefits of these experiences individually, we know little about how they may influence one another. The current study examined competing hypotheses relating discrimination and components of ERI (i.e., exploration, resolution, affirmation) among a sample of Mexican-origin adolescent mothers (N=181; Mage at Wave 1=16.83, SD=1.01) across six waves of data. Findings revealed that within-person changes in discrimination predicted subsequent ERI resolution and affirmation; however, ERI did not predict subsequent discrimination. Between-person effects of discrimination on affirmation were significant. Our findings underscore the importance of discrimination experiences in shaping Mexican-origin adolescent mothers' normative developmental competencies.