November 2024Vol. 25, No. 9Exploring Shifts in Young People's Racial and Ethnic Identities
A research brief from Child Trends explores how the racial and ethnic identities of adolescents and young adults may shift over time. Foster Care and the Development of Racial and Ethnic Identity delves into the experiences of young people in foster care whose racial and ethnic identities changed at some point in time. It also presents research on racial and ethnic identity development and factors that influence identity development.
The brief begins by acknowledging that adolescent years are formative for a young person's identity development. Several factors can influence one's racial and cultural identity, including racial socialization—the process of receiving and internalizing messages about racial identity and heritage. Youth in foster care may have unique or complicated experiences developing their racial and ethnic identity because of their child welfare system involvement. They may live in foster or adoptive homes with caregivers of different races and ethnicities, they may be unaware of their heritage or learn about it at an older age, and they may not spend time with those who share their racial and ethnic background.
Recognizing the unique factors that influence the racial and ethnic identity development of youth in foster care, researchers interviewed 29 young people who experienced foster care and a racial or ethnic identity change. These include changes from monoracial to biracial, from biracial to monoracial, from monoracial to a more specific identity (for example, from broadly Hispanic or Latino to Mexican American), and more. Interviewees reported the following four influences for their racial and ethnic identity changes:
- The child welfare system (79 percent)
- Family (45 percent)
- School (45 percent)
- Employment practices (21 percent)
The most frequently reported reasons for the change include the following:
- They were responding to existing societal biases (48 percent).
- They had learned new information about their family of origin (38 percent).
- They had experienced a stronger sense of identity with a particular racial and ethnic group (24 percent).
The young people shared how the child welfare system, including their placements and caseworkers, played a role in their identity development and sense of belonging. They were also asked to share their experiences after choosing to shift their racial or ethnic identity, which many acknowledged they were still processing.
The brief concludes with practice and research implications, including how both practitioners and researchers can better apply an equity lens to their work and recognize that racial and ethnic identities can be fluid, especially among youth who might have limited knowledge of their heritage.
For more information, including quotes from the study participants, explore the brief on the Child Trends website.
