Conceptions of the transition to adulthood among emerging adults in American ethnic groups.

What does it mean to make the transition from adolescence to adulthood? This intriguing question has been addressed in numerous studies of young Americans. Consistently, the studies report that young Americans view the transition to adulthood as marked mainly by individualistic character qualities such as accepting responsibility for one’s self, making independent decisions, and becoming financially independent (Arnett, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001; Crockett, 2000; Greene, Wheatley, and Aldava, 1992; Scheer and Palkovitz, 1994). Becoming an adult means learning to stand alone as a self-sufficient person. A secondary consideration is developing greater consideration for others and avoiding behavior that might harm them (Arnett, 1998). In contrast, most young Americans regard specific events traditionally viewed as marking the transition to adulthood, such as finishing education, beginning full-time work, and marriage, as irrelevant to the attainment of adult status. All of the studies conducted in the United States thus far have involved predominantly white samples. How might conceptions of the transition to adulthood be different for young Americans in minority cultures? The goal of the study examined here was to investigate this question. The participants in the study were drawn from the three major American ethnic minority groups: African Americans, Latinos, and Asian