Racial identification and ethnic identity in Louisiana Creole people of color

With the rise of interracial unions and changes in how society views these trends (as reflected by the 2000 Census' option for multiracial identification), multiracial identity development is an increasingly significant area of study in psychological literature. Responding to both the need for theory and research and professional recommendations related to the development of multicultural competencies, recent scholarship has elucidated concepts related to multiracial identity development and choice and the variables associated with these processes. In the literature review, a variety of theoretical models are described, including Kich's (1992) three-stage multiracial identity development model, Phinney's (1992) model on ethnic identity achievement, and Wijeyesinghe's Factor Model of Multiracial Identity (2001). Additionally, research findings regarding factors associated with racial identity choice in multiracial individuals were presented.;Although research has enhanced knowledge about racial and ethnic identity development by the exploration of Multiracial individuals, it has neglected communities that have a multi-generational history of interracial mixing (e.g., Melungeons, Creoles). Given the increasing pride in Creole heritage, the shift of traditional perspectives of race, and research trends in psychological study of multiracial identity development, attending to the experience of Louisiana Creoles of Color may prove to be a fruitful line of inquiry.;In light of these issues, the researcher examined how a sample of 94 Louisiana Creoles of Color racially categorized themselves and the factors associated with their choices. Specifically, the researcher investigated differences across racial identity choice (exclusively Black; alternately Black, Creole, and/or White; exclusively Creole; race-less) in the following variables: ethnic identity achievement; self-esteem; self-perceived skin color, social interpretation of appearance; negative treatment; perceived social status of Blacks; fluency in Creole dialect; and racial composition of pre-adult social context. Additionally, the researcher examined which combination of variables contributed to Creole racial identity as well as the relation between ethnic identity achievement and self-esteem. A section with open-ended questions was also included in order to enhance the results of the quantitative analyses.;A variety of factors were found to be associated with one's identification of Creole as a multiracial identity, particularly fluency in Creole dialect, self-perceived skin color, ethnic identity achievement, social interpretation of appearance, and racial composition of pre-adult social context. That is, greater proficiency in Creole dialect, lighter skin color, and greater ethnic identity achievement are associated with an exclusively Creole identity. Considering oneself exclusively Creole is also associated with having ambiguous physical features that are interpreted by others to convey a Creole appearance and being exposed to predominantly White childhood peers. Lower levels of self-esteem are associated with an alternating racial identity. Moreover, with a regression model that moderately fits the data, fluency in Creole dialect, self-perceived skin color, and self-esteem emerged as the best predictors of Creole racial identity. Ethnic identity achievement and self-esteem were not significantly related.