A new study by a team of researchers at the University of California, Riverside has outlined the types of racial socialization in early childhood that may increase a child’s ability to flourish in school and ultimately in adult life.
Using a series of focus groups, the researchers found that parents who used racial socialization techniques that promoted cultural pride and identity had children who were more likely to succeed.
Ashaunta Anderson, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine and the lead author of the study, stated that “the sense of pride and identity provided by this approach appears to give children some protection and resilience when they encountered racism from peers and others, which we begin seeing the effects of as early as preschool. If we can educate parents of young children to use positive racial socialization before toxic experiences have the chance to cause lasting damage, we may be able to significantly influence the trajectory of many children’s lives.”
The article, “Minority Parents’ Perspectives on Racial Socialization and School Readiness in the Early Childhood Period,” was published on the website of the journal Academic Pediatrics. It may be accessed here.
Any time you understand who you are and value yourself you will do better in life. I knew my history and the struggles of those who came before me, i blew off the negative images presented by mainstream media and i respected my family enough not to be an embarrassment or failure.