Mapping the Intersections of Adolescents’ Ethnic-Racial Identity and Critical Consciousness

Ethnic racial identity and critical consciousness frame how youth of color understand themselves in their racialized worlds. Although both may be salient in the lives of youth of color, little work investigates how ethnic racial identity and critical consciousness development overlap to promote positive outcomes during adolescence. This theoretical paper contributes to this effort, providing an overview of research on both phenomena and mapping their potential areas of congruence. This article concludes with suggestions of how the two processes might influence one another to foster positive developmental outcomes among youth of color. This work urges researchers to examine the intersections of ethnic racial identity and critical consciousness processes among youth of color that can lead to a more holistic understanding of how youth of color draw upon these processes to resist and challenge racial marginalization, as well as navigate diverse sociopolitical contexts.