What is key in the process of fostering ethnic identity?

The family is key in this process (Umana-Taylor, Alfaro, Bamaca, & Guimond, 2009). It is through the family that minority adolescents INVESTIGATE their ethnicity and come to UNDERSTAND what it means to be a member of their ethnic group, and it can be particularly important in societies such as the United States where members of ethnic minorities often believe that majority groups have access to privileges that minority groups don't have. In these contexts, positive ethnic identity can protect individuals' sense of self-wroth (Brittian et al., 2013).