Life satisfaction, self‐esteem, and personal happiness among Mexican and African Americans

This study, using data from the Mexican Origin People in the United States: The 7 979 Chicano Survey and the National Survey of Black Americans, examines variation in religious participation and subjective quality of life across age and racial/ethnic groups. Results from multiple regression analyses demonstrate that Mexican and African Americans differ with respect to self‐esteem, happiness, and life satisfaction, even after controls for sociodemographic characteristics are introduced. Results further show that the subjective consequences of age and religious participation, and to a lesser extent socioeconomic status, differ between the two racial/ethnic groups.