The Association Between Preparation for Bias and Ethnic Identity Development: Exploring the Moderating Effect of Age Among Latinx Sexual Minority Youth

• In Event: Ethnic Racial Socialization

Abstract

This study combines the Integrative Model (Garcia Coll et al., 1996) and intersectionality frameworks (Collins, 1996; Crenshaw, 1989) to understand the associations between preparation for bias specific to Latinx ethnicity and sexual orientation and ethnic identity development (i.e., ethnic identity affirmation, exploration, and resolution) among Latinx sexual minority youth (SMY). SMY endure more mental health problems than their heterosexual counterparts and these disparities are largely driven by minority stress experiences (e.g., Meyer, 2003; Russell & Fish, 2016). As SMY of color who experience multiple minority statuses face discrimination because of their race/ethnicity as well as their sexual orientation (Kuper et al., 2014), risk factors often have compounding effects due to their intersection with their sexual identity (Toomey et al., 2018). Scholars have also documented the role of family racial-ethnic socialization in helping youth navigate race and racism in the U.S. (Hughes et al., 2006). Family racial-ethnic socialization is theorized to positively correlate with cultural assets such as ethnic identity which promotes self-concept, attributions, and coping strategies (Neblett et al., 2012). Yet, the role of preparation for bias in developing ethnic identity remains less-understood, and little is known about the potential role that preparation for bias specific to sexual orientation play on ethnic identity of sexual minority Latinx youths. This study examined the following three hypotheses: H1) preparation for ethnic bias would be positively associated with ethnic identity processes, H2) preparation for sexual orientation bias would be negatively associated with ethnic identity processes, and H3) preparation for ethnic and sexual orientation bias would differ by age such that the associations will be weaker for young adults compared to adolescents, given that young adults have broader access to contexts and resources that may contribute to their ethnic identity development.
Hypotheses were tested using secondary data comprised of 385 Latinx SMY and young adults between the ages of 14 and 24 (M=20.26, SD= 2.62). Results from linear regression are provided in Table 1. Consistent with H1, preparation for ethnic bias was positively associated with ethnic identity exploration and resolution, yet negatively associated with ethnic identity affirmation. Consistent with our H2, preparation for bias specific to sexual orientation was negatively correlated with ethnic identity affirmation and resolution, yet positively correlated with ethnic identity exploration. Notably, and contrary to H3, there was a significant interaction between age and preparation for ethnic bias as well as sexual orientation bias predicting ethnic identity affirmation, indicating a stronger association for older Latinx SMY compared to younger counterparts. The counterintuitive findings present new lines of inquiry for future studies to examine critical issues concerning Latinx SMY’s co-occurring family socialization around heterosexist and racist oppressions that together shape youths’ ethnic identity processes. The results of the study imply that the complex intersections of multiple marginalized identities and the links between multiple minority stressors are important aspects that parents, scholars, and practitioners need to consider to better understand the varied trajectories of ethnic identity development compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

Authors

• Sei Eun Kim, Columbia University
  Presenting Author

• Russell B Toomey, University of Arizona
  Non-Presenting Author

• Karla Anhalt, Kent State University
  Non-Presenting Author