Ethnic validity: A model for families on uncharted seas

This paper provides an ethnic validity framework as a model for conceptualizing and understanding the lives of ethnic minority families and the individuals in them. It outlines the ecological context of minorities (nonculture- defining groups) in a culture defined and dominated by a culture- defining group majority. Cross- ethnic/racial and cross- cultural studies organized around themes of acculturation and psychosocial competence are cited to substantiate the utility of this model. Their findings also provide a basis for outlining individual, family, and societal intervention approaches which can facilitate each group's ethnic validity and lead to a culturally diverse society which is more equitable for all of its members.