Ethnic identity and self-esteem of Latino adolescents:: Distinctions among the Latino populations

This article reviews 21 empirical studies in which the relationship between self-esteem and ethnic identity among Latino adolescents was examined, This analysis indicates that for some conceptualizations of ethnic identity there has been a positive relationship between ethnic identity and self-esteem, whereas with other conceptualizations the relationships between ethnic identity and self-esteem have been inconsistent, The methodological limitations of the existing work are also examined. Despite the differences in conceptualization and the methodological limitations, the existing research suggests a positive relationship between degree of ethnic identification and self-esteem for Latinos who live in areas where their Latino group composes the majority of the Latino population.