Ethnicity as a Variable in Child Development

America is a culturally pluralistic society. While a substantial decline in the significance of ethnicity is expected with each succeeding generation of native born groups (Blau & Duncan, 1967), in reality, ethnicity persists as an important source of identity (Glazer & Moynihan, 1963; Greeley, 1974). As investigators have attempted to understand the factors which contribute to the persistence of ethnic identification, both sociological and psychological components have emerged.