Native American college students: Ethnic identity, acculturation, and self-esteem

The present study explored the relationships among ethnic identity, acculturation, and self-esteem for Native American students at a predominantly White college campus. One hundred undergraduate and graduate Native American students volunteered to complete the demographic information sheet, the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, the modified Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican-Americans, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The 100 participants included 31 males and 69 females who were primarily of Navajo descent. Twenty-four different tribes as well as 8 different ethnic groups were represented in the sample. Ethnic identity was positively related to self-esteem; however, acculturation was not related to self-esteem. Students who were born and raised off of their respective Indian reservations were more acculturated than those who were born and raised on their respective Indian reservations. Students born and raised on their respective reservations had lower self-esteem than individuals born and raised off of their respective reservations. A t-test revealed no differences in self-esteem for male and female participants. Post hoc analyses revealed that: (1) The educational attainment of both fathers and mothers was positively related to the level of acculturation; (2) Father's level of education was negatively related to self-esteem; and (3) Commitment to getting a degree and working in their area of interest were both positively related to self-esteem but not to the level of acculturation or ethnic identity. School extracurricular activities did not relate to self-esteem, acculturation, or ethnic identity. The final section of this thesis discussed these findings in light of the sociopolitical history of Native Americans and offers suggestions for future research.