Varieties of Ethnic Self-identities: Children of Immigrants in Middle Adulthood

Abstract

This mixed-methods longitudinal study examines ethnic self-identity change from mid-adolescence to middle adulthood among a representative sample of adult children of immigrants first surveyed in 1992 in San Diego when they were 14.2 years old, and followed for more than twenty years until their late thirties. Findings reveal the complexities of ethnic identity. Ethnic identity labels are often used interchangeably yet usually stabilize by middle adulthood. While the importance of ethnic identity often diminishes, immigrants’ children in their late thirties express distinct ethnic identity formations, ranging from strong ethnic attachments to indifference, that vary within and between nativity and national-origin groups. Ethnic identities relate to political views and behaviors, interethnic friendships, and cultural practices, but not interethnic unions. Consistent with life course theory, results show how identities develop across nearly a quarter century, influenced by sociohistorical contexts and relationships with others.

Keywords: ethnic identity, self-identities, immigration, generation, longitudinal studies, mixed methods, acculturation, life course, race and racism, reactive ethnicity, political identity, cultural identity, language