(provided by candidate): My short-term career goal is to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies to design and conduct longitudinal and experimental studies about the cultural context of race. My long-term goal is to integrate my research interests in cultural, social, and developmental psychology to investigate the role of culture and racial/ethnic identities in psychosocial development and mental health of children of color. Conducting the proposed research will provide the opportunity to investigate the different aspects of children's experiences of racial identity that may potentially impact psychosocial functioning, intergroup relations, and mental health. Issues concerning race and ethnicity are becoming increasingly important as the U.S. faces major demographic changes. These changes attest to the need to better understand the development of racial/ethnic identity and its impact on psychosocial functioning and mental health among children, especially in children of color. The goals of the proposed research are: a) to better understand how the multidimensional nature of racial identity evolves during childhood; b) to examine the social factors, such as parental racial socialization goals and racial stereotypes, that contribute to the development of racial identity, c) to investigate the long-term consequences of racial identity on psychosocial functioning and mental health, and d) to explore children's experiences of racial discrimination and their coping strategies. In the proposed research a sample of approximately 360 African American, Asian American, and European American children from second to fifth grade and their parents will be involved in a 4-year longitudinal study. The protocol will include the collection of two types of data: a) children's data involving their knowledge about racial groups, dimensions of racial identity, perceptions and evaluations of racial groups, as well as perceptions of discrimination, coping strategies, and self-evaluation; and b) parental data include collective group-esteem, beliefs about racial groups, perceptions of discrimination, racial socialization goals, and their child's mental health. This research considers both the unique developmental trajectory of each group and particular social experiences as a function of race.
