"Who am I?" "How do I fit in with others around me?" "How do I feel about my ethnicity?" Understanding the answers to these complex questions is part of a process that many individuals revisit throughout the course of their lives. This process becomes particularly salient during adolescence when youth gain the cognitive abilities necessary to consider abstract concepts such as identity. The current literature suggests that there is a relationship between ethnic identity and self-esteem, such that those who feel more positively about their ethnic identity and who explore their ethnic identity to a greater extent report higher self-esteem. This article focuses on how different components of ethnic identity are directly related to self-esteem, and how ethnic identity may protect youth's self-esteem against stressful events. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)