American ethnic groups are often thought of as discrete categories to which people belong and that explain some aspects of psychological functioning. However, ethnicity is a complex multidimensional construct that, by itself, explains little. To understand its psychological implications, it is necessary to identify and assess those aspects of ethnicity that may have an impact on outcomes of interest. In this article, the author examines 3 key aspects of ethnicity: cultural norms and values," the strength, salience, and meaning of ethnic identity," and the experiences and attitudes associated with minority status. These aspects are best understood in terms of dimensions along which individuals and samples vary, rather than as categories into which individuals can be classified.

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When we talk about American ethnic groups, what do we mean?

This article discusses a proposed interconnectedness between the ecologies of ethnic minority families, adaptive strategies, socialization goals, and child behavioral outcomes. The ethnic minority groups included are African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian Pacific Americans, and Hispanics. Demographic information on population size, geographic area of concentration, and preferred identity terms is provided. It is argued that adaptive strategies, including extendedness of families and role flexibility, biculturalism, and ancestral worldview, emerge from the ecological challenges of ethnic stratification status. These adaptive strategies foster the child-rearing goals of positive orientation to the ethnic group and socialization for interdependence, which in turn enhance the developmental outcomes of cognitive flexibility and sensitivity to discontinuities among ethnic minority children.

Family Ecologies of Ethnic Minority Children.

Family psychology and cultural diversity: Opportunities for theory, research, and application.

This article examines two contrasting interviews—with an Anglo and a Puerto Rican woman—and concludes that gender congruence does not help an Anglo interviewer make sense of the working-class, Hispanic woman's account of her marital separation. Both in form and content, her discourse contrasts sharply with an Anglo woman's account. The two women use different narrative genres or forms of telling to communicate their culturally distinctive experiences with marriage. In the case of the Puerto Rican woman, these differences result in major misunderstandings by the interviewer. Applying narrative methods to these interviews shows how closer attention to the voice of the subject can enrich qualitative research.

When Gender is not Enough: Women Interviewing Women

Research suggests that living in and adapting to foreign cultures facilitates creativity. The current research investigated whether one aspect of the adaptation process—multicultural learning—is a critical component of increased creativity. Experiments 1-3 found that recalling a multicultural learning experience: (a) facilitates idea flexibility (e.g., the ability to solve problems in multiple ways), (b) increases awareness of underlying connections and associations, and (c) helps overcome functional fixedness. Importantly, Experiments 2 and 3 specifically demonstrated that functional learning in a multicultural context (i.e., learning about the underlying meaning or function of behaviors in that context) is particularly important for facilitating creativity. Results showed that creativity was enhanced only when participants recalled a functional multicultural learning experience and only when participants had previously lived abroad. Overall, multicultural learning appears to be an important mechanism by which foreign living experiences lead to creative enhancement.

When in Rome . . . Learn Why the Romans Do What They Do: How Multicultural Learning Experiences Facilitate Creativity

I. SETTING THE STAGE. 1. Diversity Among America's Ethnic Minorities. 2. A "Then and Now" Overview of the Immigrant Family in America. II. EUROPEAN ETHNIC MINORITIES. 3. The Irish-American Family, Ellen Somers Horgan. 4. The Greek-American Family: A Generational Approach, George Kourvetaris. 5. The Italian-American Family, D. Ann Squiers and Jill S. Quadagno. 6. The Polish-American Family, Helena Znaniecka Lopata. III. HISPANIC ETHNIC MINORITIES. 7. The Mexican-American Family, Rosina Becerra. 8. The Cuban-American Family, Zulima Suarez. 9. The Puerto Rican Family, Melba Sanchez-Ayendez. IV. ASIAN ETHNIC MINORITIES. 10. The Korean-American Family, Pyong Gap Min. 11. The Vietnamese-American Family, Thanh Van Tran. 12. The Chinese-American Family, Morrison G. Wong. 13. The Japanese-American Family, Kerrily J. Kitano and Harry H.L. Kitano. 14. The Asian Indian-American Family, Uma A. Segal. V. HISTORICALLY SUBJUGATED ETHNIC MINORITIES. 15. African-American Families, Harriet Pipes McAdoo. 16. Native American Families, Robert John. VI. SOCIORELIGIOUS ETHNIC MINORITIES. 17. The Jewish-American Family, Bernard Farber, Bernard Lazerwitz, and Charles H. Mindel. 18. The Amish Family, Gertrude Enders Huntington. 19. The Mormon Family, Bruce L. Campbell and Eugene E. Campbell. Index.

Ethnic Families in America: Patterns and Variations

I. SETTING THE STAGE. 1. Diversity Among America's Ethnic Minorities. 2. A \"Then and Now\" Overview of the Immigrant Family in America. II. EUROPEAN ETHNIC MINORITIES. 3. The Irish-American Family, Ellen Somers Horgan. 4. The Greek-American Family: A Generational Approach, George Kourvetaris. 5. The Italian-American Family, D. Ann Squiers and Jill S. Quadagno. 6. The Polish-American Family, Helena Znaniecka Lopata. III. HISPANIC ETHNIC MINORITIES. 7. The Mexican-American Family, Rosina Becerra. 8. The Cuban-American Family, Zulima Suarez. 9. The Puerto Rican Family, Melba Sanchez-Ayendez. IV. ASIAN ETHNIC MINORITIES. 10. The Korean-American Family, Pyong Gap Min. 11. The Vietnamese-American Family, Thanh Van Tran. 12. The Chinese-American Family, Morrison G. Wong. 13. The Japanese-American Family, Kerrily J. Kitano and Harry H.L. Kitano. 14. The Asian Indian-American Family, Uma A. Segal. V. HISTORICALLY SUBJUGATED ETHNIC MINORITIES. 15. African-American Families, Harriet Pipes McAdoo. 16. Native American Families, Robert John. VI. SOCIORELIGIOUS ETHNIC MINORITIES. 17. The Jewish-American Family, Bernard Farber, Bernard Lazerwitz, and Charles H. Mindel. 18. The Amish Family, Gertrude Enders Huntington. 19. The Mormon Family, Bruce L. Campbell and Eugene E. Campbell. Index.

Ethnic Families in America: Patterns and Variations.

Ethnicity as a Strategic Option: An Emerging View@@@Ethnicity: Theory and Experience@@@Interethnic Relations@@@Pursuing the American Dream: White Ethnics and the New Populism@@@Ethnic Families in America: Patterns and Variations

Charles H. Mindel

Papers

Ethnic Families in America: Patterns and Variations

Ethnic Families in America: Patterns and Variations.

Ethnicity as a Strategic Option: An Emerging View@@@Ethnicity: Theory and Experience@@@Interethnic Relations@@@Pursuing the American Dream: White Ethnics and the New Populism@@@Ethnic Families in America: Patterns and Variations