This book presents an integrated review of research on the issues related to children and ethnicity in pluralistic societies. It addresses such questions as: How do children respond to and deal with the differences among groups in both the observable characteristics and the less obvious values and norms? How do children come to understand the meaning of their own and others' ethnic group membership? How does the impact of ethnicity change with development? The chapters, each written by a different author, focus on the social impact of ethnicity and not on such issues as academic achievement or integration per se. The book begins with an introduction and overview of the topic and examines the various perspectives from which ethnicity is taught to children. The remainder of the book deals with the impact of ethnicity across the development of the child, and is divided into four sections dealing with the following: (1) the young child--awareness, attitudes, and self-identification; (2) minority status and the child; (3) later childhood and adolescence--ethnic identity and ethnic group patterns; and (4) the study of ethnicity--emerging themes and implications. An extensive list of references is included. (PS)