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Carlita was only a year old when her mother left for the U.S to work. Her grandmother took care of me every day. Even though her mother wasn't there physically, her grandmother's care helped her to feel secure.
This crisis is trust vs mistrust. Trust forms when a primary caregiver meets the infant's need reliably. Mistrust develops when care is unpredictable or absent.
images source: AI-generated by ChatGPT (DALL·E), 2025. -
At age 8, her mother returned home for a visit. She proudly showed her her best math test and the short story she had wrote for a competition but did not win a prize. Her mother hugged her tightly and told her she was proud, which made her feel capable and hardworking.
This crisis is industry vs. inferiority. Children gain industry by mastering skills and receiving recognition. Inferiority develops when accomplishments are ignored or compared negatively. -
At 15, she struggled between identifying as Dominican like her father, American like her mother, or both. After joining a multicultural youth group, she learned she didn’t have to choose.
This crisis is identity vs. role confusion. Adolescents explore values, culture, and beliefs to form a stable sense of identity usually influence by peers and role models. Without this exploration, one can face role confusion and feel lost.