This study seeks to identify the correlations between racial socialization, racial identity and acculturation by utilizing surveys developed to assess each concept and observe the patterns among them. The process includes both implicit and explicit messages given to children and adolescents on being African American, implicit messages on appropriate values, beliefs, and behaviors, as well as direct coping mechanisms for racism. The type of racial socialization messages a child receives may be related to the acculturation of the family and the racial identity of the care-givers. The continuum begins at the preencounter stage with low salience to race and anti-Black attitudes.
Acculturation is considered to be on a continuum with traditional and bicultural individuals.
Traditional individuals identify with African values, traditions and practices. They usually cannot speak much English and may be immersed in their culture of origin. Acculturated individuals have embraced and adopted the majority culture. They may not be familiar with an native language and associate themselves with the mainstream. Bicultural individuals fall somewhere in-between.