Examining the Role of Identity Development and Cultural Stressors in the Establishment of a US Identity Among Hispanic/Latinx College Students

Understanding the processes that guide the development of a U.S. identity (USI) has become an increasingly important task. While a positive USI has been shown to play an important role in psychosocial adjustment, few studies have examined factors that contribute to USI development, particularly among Hispanic/Latinx emerging adults. Addressing this gap, the present study examined the role that personal and ethnic/racial identity (ERI) development and cultural stressors (i.e., discrimination and bicultural stress) play in USI development among 416 Hispanic/Latinx emerging adults (84.3% female; M-age = 20.57 years; SD = 2.38 years). Whereas ERI and personal identity commitment were positively associated with dimensions of USI, discrimination was negatively associated with USI. Furthermore, results found significant interactions between ERI and discrimination, such that at high levels of discrimination, ERI affirmation was more strongly related with USI affirmation and exploration. In contrast, as bicultural stress increased, ERI exploration was less strongly associated with USI exploration. Taken together, these results highlight the important factors contributing to USI development among Hispanic/Latinx populations.