Ethnic identity is an object of analysis of many academic disciplines, and the term itself refers to the link of the individual person to a certain group. Identity formation and confirmation are closely linked to two parallel processes – of constructing the collective „Self“ and of its distinction from the „Others“. The article reviews the main schools of thought with regard to the phenomenon of ethnic identity – primordialism, instrumentalism, constructionism and interactionism, and identifies the role hate speech plays in the identity construction process both vis-à-vis individual and collective identity, its significance for the interaction and the identity of the „others“ as well as the main mechanism used in these processes. It concludes that identity serves as a mediator and moderator of the effects hate speech produces in society.