Real Talk: Supporting Children of Color Amidst Inequity and Racism through Family and Community Socialization

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

The current political climate, bolstered by recent race-related deaths and protests, has prompted a greater spotlight on inequities for communities of color. Children’s awareness, experience of, and preparation for these inequities are shaped by messages they receive from their families and communities. This symposium considers these different sources of information and how they contribute to children’s understanding of ethnic/racial identity, discrimination, and justice. The first paper examines how early adolescents’ beliefs regarding their own ethnicity/race are informed by civic socialization and ethnic/racial discrimination discussions with both their families and larger communities. The second paper, more specifically, compares the impact of the recent George Floyd protests on the fears, hopes, and beliefs of 6- to 11-year-olds of various ethnicities, as well as the parent-child conversations that inform them. Lastly, the third paper explores the socialization practices of Latinx immigrant parents, including introducing children to the realities of undocumented status restrictions at a young age and highlighting their children’s privilege of having “papers” compared to their own limitations without “papers.” Presenters will consider the ways socialization conversations can support children’s development of positive identity, contribute to their awareness of inequities, and mitigate fear related to these inequities.

Sub Unit

• Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Chair

• Courtney Wong Chin, Sesame Workshop

Discussant

• Christia Spears Brown, University of Kentucky

Individual Presentations

• Lessons from the Community: Civic Socialization and Ethnic-Racial Identity among Latinx Early Adolescents - Presenting Author: Bernardette Pinetta, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor; Non-Presenting Author: Deborah Rivas-Drake, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Personal Relevance of Racism and Recent Protests: Reactions of Children and Parents - Presenting Author: Courtney Wong Chin, Sesame Workshop; Non-Presenting Author: Rosemarie Truglio, Sesame Workshop; Non-Presenting Author: Shalom M Fisch, MediaKidz

• Documentation Status Socialization among Mixed Status Latinx Families - Presenting Author: Fernanda L. Cross, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor; Non-Presenting Author: Saraí Blanco Martinez, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor; Non-Presenting Author: Deborah Rivas-Drake, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor