race racial identity well-being happiness African American transracial adoption
Abstract:
For many African Americans, race is a substantial part of their self-definition, but not uniformly so. Understanding how well-being is influenced by the importance Black Americans place on their racial identity has been a key aim of psychology research over the last several decades. Most of this research has relied on adolescent samples, often from a limited geographic area. Using a nationally representative sample of African American adults, respondents to the 2010 General Social Survey, the present study reexamines this question. My results show that racial identity interacts with some sociodemographic variables as they influence certain dimensions of well-being, suggesting that racial identity may serve as a source of solidarity among lower-status Black Americans. However, there are no significant overall associations between the importance Black respondents place on racial identity and their happiness, health, financial satisfaction, or social trust. These findings call into question arguments against transracial adoption and claims that race must be “cultivated” in African Americans to maximize their well-being.
