Examining Ethnic-Racial Socialization as a Predictor of Resilience and Ethnic-Racial Stress in Hispanic/Latine Young Adults

Date of Award

8-2024

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology

First Advisor

Joseph R. Morris, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Samuel T. Beasley, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Bridget E. Weller, Ph.D.

Keywords

Ethnic-racial socialization, ethnic-racial stress, Hispanic, Latine, resilience, young adults

Abstract

Multiple scholars have emphasized the importance of elucidating how Hispanic/Latine individuals are socialized to navigate issues pertaining to ethnic-racial identity, such as ethnicracial stress from racism and discrimination (Ayón et al., 2020; Umaña-Taylor & Rivas-Drake, 2021). Ethnic-racial stress has been linked to numerous adverse physical and mental health outcomes among Hispanic/Latine people, including poor health-related quality of life and increased depressive symptoms (Alamilla et al., 2010; Andrade et al., 2021).

Attention to the role of ethnic-racial stress in exacerbating health disparities within Hispanic/Latine communities has also stimulated increased interest in understanding Hispanic/Latine resilience (Arce et al., 2020; Bosma et al., 2019; Umaña-Taylor & Rivas-Drake, 2021). Scholars have highlighted the incorporation of developmental perspectives into this research, underscoring the need to explore changes in ethnic-racial socialization and resilience processes at different lifespan stages (Ayón et al., 2020; Smith et al., 2014; Williams et al., 2020). Broader developmental perspectives encourage researchers to move past the prevailing focus in extant ethnic-racial socialization and resilience literature, which has concentrated on childhood and adolescence (Ayón et al., 2020; Smith et al., 2014; Umaña-Taylor & Rivas-Drake, 2021). Though initial studies examining the associations between ethnic-racial socialization, resilience, and ethnic-racial stress have demonstrated promising findings, there remains much to learn about the interactions between these variables among Hispanic/Latine young adults.

The current study employed quantitative analyses to address hypotheses regarding the relationship between ethnic-racial socialization, resilience, and ethnic-racial stress among Hispanic/Latine young adults. Using a secure online research platform (Qualtrics), data from a final sample of 505 Hispanic/Latine young adults were obtained. A series of hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that several ethnic-racial socialization dimensions predicted resilience and ethnic-racial stress in these participants. The ethnic-racial socialization messages communicated to Hispanic/Latine young adults appear to profoundly impact their sense of resilience and perceptions of racism and discrimination. This investigation demonstrated that not all ethnic-racial socialization messages are associated with positive outcomes. Furthermore, the results indicated that while ethnic-racial socialization might increase Hispanic/Latine young adults’ ethnic-racial awareness, these messages do not necessarily prepare them with skills to address racist incidents and ethnic-racial stress efficiently. Implications for research, training, and practice are provided.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Abstract Only

Restricted to Campus until

8-1-2026

This document is currently not available here.

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