I Am Enough: Helping Adolescents Build Self-Esteem in a World of Mixed Messages

One of the greatest challenges of growing up in America is being a multiracial person.

If you’re reading this, it most likely means you can relate to that. On the surface, being a mixed-race individual seems great. You get to be part of more than one culture.

And yet, all of this is surface level; none of it addresses the fact that multiracial youths usually have lower levels of self-esteem than monoracial youths, or those that are only one race. It doesn’t highlight the labeling multiracial individuals like you are subjected to, the self-doubt, and the resulting mental health issues. Fortunately for you, I’m on your side. A white biracial person myself, I know what it’s like to be in your shoes.

That’s why, in this article, I talk about:

• What self-esteem is
• What it means to be multiracial
• How race and culture affect self-esteem
• The correlation between ethnic identity and self-esteem
• Ways to embrace your entire racial identity

Let’s dive in!

What is self-esteem?

According to the APA, also known as the American Psychological Association, self-esteem is the degree to which the qualities and characteristics contained in one’s self-concept are perceived to be positive. Put in simple terms, it’s confidence in yourself and your abilities. It’s self-respect. You have an idea of what you’re good at and don’t bash yourself for the areas where you need to improve.

For instance, when your teacher tells you what an amazing job you did on your homework or test, that’s an example of positive self-esteem. When your parents tell you how impressed they are with your musical skills while you practice playing an instrument, that’s another example.

Self-esteem is NOT struggling to believe in yourself. You don’t say things like, “I’m stupid,” “I can’t do this,” or “No one likes me.” These types of comments lead to lower self-esteem.

There is no one thing that anyone can say is the root cause of low self-esteem, but there are some early signs and key predictors typically present in youths and young adults who struggle to believe in themselves. Childhood problems like abuse, bullying, neglect, and not fitting in at school all contribute to self-esteem issues, as does negative self-talk. If left ignored, these problems can lead to mental health issues.

What does it mean to be multiracial?

Simply put, being multiracial means you come from more than one ethnic or racial group. Most multiracial people in America are biracial individuals, or people who are two different races. It’s possible to come from more than two ethnic groups—that’s why I use the term multiracial more than biracial.

Research on the toll being multiracial takes on self-esteem is mixed. I could go into detail about all the science behind it, but that would make your eyes glaze over—which isn’t what I want. So, in a nutshell, the results are mixed because it all boils down to how strong your racial identity is.

For example, some studies say that multiracial people with a strong racial identity have high levels of self-esteem and better mental health outcomes. They’re less likely to become depressed and far less likely to develop substance use problems like drinking or doing drugs.

Other studies say that people who deny their racial identity have lower self-esteem, are more likely to struggle with depression, and deal with more stress than those with strong identities. One study found that, compared to monoracial individuals, multiracial people are at a greater risk for many different negative health outcomes, including negative self-rated health.

How does growing up in a multiracial home impact my identity development and self-esteem?

Good question! It really depends. Again, not to sound too nerdy, but the research and results are mixed. Some research shows multiracial children have similar, if not higher, self-esteem levels compared to other early adolescents. They develop a strong sense of self and grow up to become high achievers. There was even a study done in the early 2000s that found multiracial youths had higher self-esteem than kids who come from ethnic backgrounds that are mostly European—all because they were more willing to embrace their ethnic identity.

On the flip side, there’s a lot of research saying multiracial young people have significantly lower self-esteem levels than monoracial kids. For example, there was a study done involving negative feedback after completing a simple task. When asked to disclose their ethnic identity, multiracial individuals showed lower levels of self-esteem than White participants.

The short answer? Further research needs to be done for me to have a more concrete answer. But as I type this, there is no present study being conducted—or anything on the horizon—that makes my response less wishy-washy.

I can say this though; your identity development is directly linked to how willing you are to embrace your entire ethnic identity. More on this later.

Psychological well-being and being multiracial

The research on psychological well-being and being multiracial varies, but generally speaking, multiracial youths tend to struggle with mental health problems more than monoracial young people.

They experience higher levels of anxiety and depression than monoracial kids. I know what this is like firsthand. Like I said at the beginning, I’m someone with a biracial identity—my mother is a White Jewish woman, and my father is Taiwanese. As a child, I wasn’t fully aware that I was biracial. As I got older, it took one heck of a psychological adjustment to come to terms with being from two completely different worlds. I felt like I never fit in, and that made it hard to improve my self-esteem.

A study conducted by psychologist Justin Chen and a group of colleagues analyzed psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses among college students by race. Don’t worry—I won’t cite the full text. Instead, here’s a really short summary. The team found that, when compared to White respondents, multiracial students were more likely to report feeling hopeless, so depressed it was difficult to function, overwhelmed by anger, and more likely to have considered or attempted suicide.

How race and culture affect self-esteem

The race or races you identify with, along with the culture you’re a part of all impact your self-esteem, or how you see yourself. You know what race is, but what about culture? Culture is basically the customs of a specific group of people—like Mexicans or Native Americans.

The culture(s) and race(s) you identify with instill particular beliefs and views about yourself and the world in you. In turn, these things then influence your self-esteem levels.

Racial statistics

Keep those two terms in mind. Now, before I go a little deeper, let’s break down some statistics. The U.S. Census Bureau is the group in charge of keeping track of America’s racial demographics. They do a census every ten years, going door-to-door to get their data. The last census was done in 2020. Based on that data, 58 percent of the United States is White, 19 percent is Hispanic or Latino, 12 percent is Black or African-American, 6 percent is Asian or Asian-American, about 1.2 percent is American Indian or an Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, or some other race.

The remaining 4 percent? That’s the multiracial person sweet spot!

Ethnic groups and self-esteem

So, of all the different racial groups out there, who has the highest self-esteem levels?

Though they’re an ethnic minority in America, Black people have the highest self-esteem levels. A study done by Western Kentucky University found this to be true, especially among early adolescents and young adults. Why?

The research team pinpointed a handful of focal points important in self-esteem development—things like awareness levels, emotional stability, a sense of accomplishment, and being outgoing and sociable. The amount of money they made wasn’t a factor. All things taken into consideration, Black youths’ self-esteem scores were much higher than any other groups.

Correlation between ethnic identity and self-esteem

It’s pretty simple—when you have a strong ethnic identity, your self-esteem levels are higher. For this to happen though, it usually requires a positive mainstream orientation, or the ability to look at the popular culture around you and adapt your customs to it. If you’re struggling to come up with an example, think about Taco Bell. It’s considered Mexican food, but it has an American spin on it, making it a great example of positive mainstream orientation. 

Who is Hispanic?

Anyone who comes from a Spanish-speaking country is considered Hispanic. How is this different from Latino? Latino refers to people who come from Latin America. Not all Spanish-speaking countries are in Latin America. Spain is a great example—it’s located in Europe.

Latinx is an all-inclusive term for Hispanic and Latino people, a fast-growing population in America.

Strategies to embrace your entire racial identity

We’ve covered a lot of ground here. By now, you’re probably wondering what you can do to embrace your entire ethnic identity if you struggle with that. Consider these tips to start moving in the right direction.

Develop protective factors

A protective factor is anything that helps you deal with stressful events, reducing your chances of disorders or diseases. Protective factors help you improve your overall resilience levels.

Examples include secure relationships, being able to do things on your own, and social connections.

Enlist the help of a trained psychologist

Psychologists are trained on all things related to your mind, behavior, and how to improve both areas. They do their job in a non-biased way, so you never feel judged. I’d recommend starting with social and/or counseling psychologists.

Social psychology is about how your behaviors, feelings, and thoughts are influenced by the people around you. Fully embracing who you are by yourself as a multiracial person is already challenging enough; having to do so without allowing the opinions of others to phase you is another, more difficult task. A social psychologist can help you separate your feelings from others.

Counseling psychology is concerned with using general psychological principles to enhance and promote your mental health, positive growth, and well-being. In other words, it helps you function better on a daily basis. Individuals struggling to embrace their multiracial identity stand to benefit from this psychological approach.

The best part? These are two options in a world of many possibilities.

You don’t have to do this alone

When I look back, I think the hardest part of accepting my entire racial identity was not having anyone around me who came from a similar background. At home, I enjoyed learning about my Jewish heritage, but to the outside world, I was only Asian. Once I got to college and started mingling with other mixed-race young people, I felt more at ease and confident in my own skin.

Finding ways to affirm yourself, or say nice things, isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially when you’re an adolescent still at home. Dealing with microaggressions, or subtle discrimination and prejudice because of my heritage, didn’t help either.

That’s why I created a long list of affirmations you can say to yourself when you doubt your value—statements like, “I am worthy,” “Identity is fluid,” and “Sometimes it’s hard.” They’re all part of a declaration of mixed identity (link to Mixed book when live), or a mantra you create to help you celebrate all the parts of who you are.

The more detailed you are creating it, the more likely it’ll come in handy during those moments when you doubt your value as a multiracial person.

As a biracial person who once struggled a lot with self-esteem, I really think you’re going to like the end results!