Child Development
Volume 79, Issue 4, 2008, Pages 944-956

Stability and change in ethnic labeling among adolescents from Asian and Latin American immigrant families (Article)

Fuligni A.J. , Kiang L. , Witkow M.R. , Baldelomar O.
  • a University of California, Los Angeles, United States, Center for Culture and Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 62, 760Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States
  • b Wake Forest University
  • c Willamette University
  • d University of California, Los Angeles, United States

Abstract

An important question for the acculturation of adolescents from immigrant families is whether they retain ethnic labels that refer to their national origin (e.g., Mexican, Chinese) or adopt labels that are dominant in American society (e.g., Latino, Asian American, American). Approximately 380 adolescents from Asian and Latin American immigrant families selected ethnic labels during each of the 4 years of high school (age span = 14.87-17.82 years). Results indicated no normative trend either toward or away from identifying most closely with pan-ethnic or American ethnic labels. Significant numbers of adolescents changed their ethnic labels from year to year, however and these changes were associated with fluctuations in adolescents' ethnic affirmation and exploration and proficiency in their heritage languages. © 2008, Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Asian Verbal Behavior social change Social Identification human statistics Asian continental ancestry group Ethnic Groups ethnic group language Hispanic Americans Humans family Hispanic Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants Acculturation female cultural factor Article migration social behavior
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-47249090020&doi=10.1111%2fj.1467-8624.2008.01169.x&partnerID=40&md5=83f35dcf5c4217f9a7ae7efbde51e180
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01169.x
ISSN: 00093920
Cited by: 48
Original Language: English