Abstract
Research suggests that young people’s definition of their identities are historically and geographically linked, highlighting the dynamics of relational processes between an individual and larger structures. Immigrant and first-generation U.S. born youth face the complex task of balancing multiple ethnic identities as they navigate through systemic obstacles in the U.S. The goal of this qualitative study was to explore how young adults with immigrant backgrounds define and develop their ethnic identity over time and context. In this study, eight participants of various ethnicities were interviewed about their experiences as immigrants or children of immigrants growing up in the U.S. Participants were university students between the ages of 18 and 24 who were either immigrant or born in the U.S. with parents born abroad. Data analysis revealed six themes: (1) negotiating between cultures; (2) navigating education in the U.S.; (3) connecting to ingroup and outgroup members with language; (4) accessing opportunities for diversity; (5) transforming from embarrassment to pride; and (6) living in a political world. Findings suggest that individual’s definitions of ethnic identity change in different contexts and ethnic identity continues to develop over time. Participants reported that home and school were critical contexts for the development of ethnic identity. Implications for supporting ethnic identity development in the common spaces of immigrant and first-generation U.S. born students are discussed. These qualitative findings focused on the thick descriptions of ethnic identity which may provide a new lens for the way identity formation is measured that considers the various overlapping contexts in which immigrant and first-generation students navigate their everyday lives.