Development of self-esteem tends to become stable in middle adolescence for mainstream groups, but relatively little is known about self-esteem development of individuals in groups undergoing cultural adaptation, such as Spanish-speaking adolescents. The idea that immigrant students (voluntary minorities) are alike in many psychological and social aspects ignores the role of intergroup social relations and culture upon the development of self-esteem. This paper examines the relationships among self-esteem, culture, and adaptation, using data from the Youth Adaptation and Growth questionnaire developed for the Second Generation Project in Miami and San Diego. For this analysis, the sample included approximately 2,600 students in grades 8-9 of Mexican, Cuban, Nicaraguan, or Colombian origin. The Cuban group was divided into private and public school students. Students were foreign-born or had at least one immigrant parent. As in mainstream samples, parent-child conflict and, to a lesser extent, depression were common predictors of self-esteem across most groups. However, groups differed in the importance of other predictors: academic achievement, achievement need, English proficiency, perceived discrimination, familism, and family structure. A model is proposed in which an immigrant group's adaptation (measured by self-esteem) is a function of the group's cultural history and traits, its compatibility with either mainstream or other minority groups, its reception by the mainstream, and its political and social capital. (Contains 65 references and 6 data tables.) (Author/SV)