Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study is to: 1) examine how the ethnic identity development process for Filipino Americans influences their involvement in ethnic-peer groups, 2) identify which social structures and institutions foster or prohibit the ethnic identity development of Filipino Americans, and 3) theorize how the process of both physical and internal colonization affects the types of ethnic-peer groups Filipino American gain membership to. This study examines three specific peer groups: defensive groups, social movement groups, and inter-ethnic equalization coalition groups. Through in-depth interviews of members from each of these groups, the study provides reasoning for individual membership, sustained involvement, and how involvement began. In contributing to pre-existing research, this study helps to cross examine the impacts of social and institutional racism, colonization, and ethnic identity development on Filipino American lives. Understanding how these intersections affect ethnic-peer group membership is critical in examining the Filipino American experience.