Uncovering Alternate Ethnic Identity Trajectories: A Cluster Analysis of the MEIM and Psychological Well-Being

There is vast support in the racial-ethnic identity literature that there is a positive association between racial-ethnic identity and psychological well-being. The current study calls attention to the possibility that there may actually be heterogeneity among racial-ethnic minority group members regarding this link whereby the pathway to psychological well-being may involve an alternate identity that accords limited importance to race and ethnicity. We utilized cluster analysis with two independent datasets (N = 414, N = 506) to examine trends within the data based on the most frequently referenced measure of ethnic identity-Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM; Phinney in J Adolesc Res 7(2):156-176, 10.1177/074355489272003, 1992)-several of which are in-line with the findings of extant research. A four-cluster solution fits the data the best. The first two clusters we observed fit with identify profiles already observed in the literature. Cluster 1 (High) included participants with high levels of ethnic identity and high levels of well-being. Cluster 2 (Low) was comprised of participants with low levels of ethnic identity and well-being. Of interest was Cluster 3 (Alternate), which revealed a pattern not recorded in previous research whereby participants had low levels of ethnic identity and high levels of well-being. Cluster 4 (Enhanced) presented an ethnicity-mental health connection similar to that of Cluster 1, but participants in this group had high scores on the MEIM with even more elevated ratings of well-being. Therefore, simple linear depictions of the association between the MEIM and indicators of well-being may not fully capture the complexity of the relationship. In contrast to what has been previously asserted, some individuals may achieve well-being through something other than ethnicity.