How do adolescents who hail from non-white, poor, or rural backgrounds reconcile their ethnic or traditional heritage with the largely white, middle-class, urban world of modern America? How does this issue impact their development and behavior? This volume in the Advances in Adolescent Development series addresses these questions by focusing on how demographic diversity (defined by race, ethnicity, community size, region, and wealth) shape adolescent experiences and development. With contributions by recognized experts in their field, the book explores: competence among urban adolescents living in poverty; rural youth and how their experiences differ from other adolescents; the development of contemporary Appalachian youth; how Native American youth negotiate the challenges of adolescent development; Asian American adolescents from the perspectives of academic achievement, ethnic identity and psychological adjustment; poor versus positive functioning among African American adolescents and the factors that produce these outcomes; and, a phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory as a framework to review research on American adolescent diversity that goes well beyond the traditional focus on minorities.