Parental ethnic identity and child development

Ethnic identity often matters in the economic lives of minority individuals, but little is known about its role in shaping child development. Drawing an ethnic minority sample from an established UK cohort study, we examine the relationship between parental ethnic iden- tity and children’s performance on validated cognitive tests. We find a negative association between maternal majority identity and children’s test scores. This association is largely con- fined to households lacking financial resources and family support networks, who may struggle to provide comprehensive social and material support to aid cognitive development. In con- trast, we find little evidence of any association between parental minority identity and child development.