Latino Adolescents’ Experiences with Ethnic Discrimination: Moderating Factors and Mediating Mechanisms

Abstract

Prevalence rates of ethnic discrimination among Latino middle and high school students show that 80% report at least one discriminatory incident at school (Gonzalez et al., 2014) and these experiences with discrimination pose a serious risk to Latino adolescents' healthy adjustment and overall development (e.g., Berkel et al., 2010). The proposed chapter presents a practical understanding of the experience of ethnic discrimination among Latino adolescents, addresses specific forms and contexts of discrimination (e.g., peer, teacher, police), and delineates the detrimental effects discrimination can have on youths’ academic, physical, and mental health outcomes. We also discuss how protective factors that may occur within the individual, family, neighborhood, and/or school context may help to mitigate the negative effects of ethnic discrimination on youths’ well-being.