Communities in Action: Mentoring Urban African American and Latina Adolescent Girls
Donna McCrary Ph.D.
Abstract
Adolescence is a complicated stage of development for all youth between the ages of 12 and 20. This is particularly for girls of color. Phinney (1992) states that adolescents from ethnic groups who do not view themselves as part of the mainstream social organization will begin to form personal perceptions about themselves based on generalized ideas about ethnicity and race rather than their own individual capabilities. The research in this paper seeks to understand how mentors can help adolescent girls of color develop more individualized personal perceptions about themselves that lead to greater ethnic identify, self-esteem, and selfefficacy.