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"Best friends forever" can make a difference in an unexpected way for some racial minorities. Having a best friend of a different race can improve academic achievement of black and Hispanic high school students.
Education professor Rebecca A. Newgent and colleagues Sang Min Lee and Ashley F. Daniel used the Educational Longitudinal Study from 2002, a database of 13,134 high school students, to focus on interracial friendships and academic achievement, something few studies have addressed.
"Sometimes researchers have been reluctant to ask sensitive questions," Newgent said. "We asked the hard questions because we thought it was important to know what the data says to know what to do about it."
After dividing student data into two groups between those whose best friends were of the same race and those of a different race, the researchers used scores in standardized tests of math and reading to determine academic achievement. Overall, test scores improved when minority students had a best friend of another race.
Black and Hispanic students with best friends from other races had significantly higher math and reading test scores than did those with best friends of the same race. For Asians, having a best friend of a different race was associated with higher reading scores. Native Americans with a best friend of a different race had higher math test scores.
"Our research confirms the understanding that every culture has something to offer," Newgent said. "You learn more from people who are different than from people who are the same as you and echo your ideas."
The research was published in Professional School Counselor.