Self and Group Racial/Ethnic Identification Among Emerging Adults

Abstract

Emerging adulthood is a time of active identity exploration. Exploration of racial and ethnic identity is common in college and formational for adulthood. In this study, I use data from Latino, Asian, and multiracial emerging adults to explore the complexities of racial/ethnic self-identification and group belonging. I find that-when allowed to differentiate between the race with which one most identifies and the racial group one most feels a part-respondents' choices don't always align along a single racial or ethnic identity. This is true for those who are connected to just one or multiple racial/ethnic groups through ancestry or adoption, highlighting how elements of racial/ethnic identification may diverge even for those with only one reported racial or ethnic heritage. I use responses to open-ended questions to understand the discrepancies in some students' self-identification and identify the factors that contribute to these different constituent parts of their identity.

Critical Action and Ethnic–Racial Identity: Tools of Racial Resistance at the College Transition

“…Colleges are important developmental contexts due to exposure to diverse perspectives through several mediums including peers, faculty, and course curricula (Arnett, 2016). Such exposure has significant implications for the ERI development of college students of color (Blake, 2019). Given the relevance of the college contexts for youth development, it is important to examine how Black college students (re)think their ERI within these environments.…”

Ethnic and Racial Identity Development From an Interdisciplinary Perspective: Introduction to the Special Issue

“…Second, the papers in this special issue reflect diverse and expansive definitions and theoretical perspectives of ERI. These include ERI as operationalized by Nigrescence theory (Cross, 1991), as a multidimensional process (Sellers et al, 1998), and as racial identity attitudes (Gonzalez, 2019), perspectives on identity (Medina et al, 2019), sense of belonging (Blake, 2019), self-categorization and labeling (Feliciano & Rumbaut, 2019), and national identity (van der Does & Adem, 2019). While work in this area has tended to adopt at most one of these perspectives in any particular investigation, an interesting observation by Blake (2019) is that there may be a discrepancy between youths’ self-identification and the group to which they feel the strongest sense of belonging.…”

“…These include ERI as operationalized by Nigrescence theory (Cross, 1991), as a multidimensional process (Sellers et al, 1998), and as racial identity attitudes (Gonzalez, 2019), perspectives on identity (Medina et al, 2019), sense of belonging (Blake, 2019), self-categorization and labeling (Feliciano & Rumbaut, 2019), and national identity (van der Does & Adem, 2019). While work in this area has tended to adopt at most one of these perspectives in any particular investigation, an interesting observation by Blake (2019) is that there may be a discrepancy between youths’ self-identification and the group to which they feel the strongest sense of belonging. This finding suggests that self-identification and sense of belonging, while both examples of identity, should not be assumed equivalent, and focusing on any one particular operationalization of ERI to the exclusion of others may mask important nuance or even be misleading in understanding youths’ experiences of ERI.…”

Multidimensional Acculturation and Identity Re-Formation Processes Among South Sudanese Refugee as Emerging Adults in the United States

“…Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical periods for identity exploration and maturation (Arnett, 2000(Arnett, , 2004Erikson, 1968). Compared to adolescence, emerging adulthood is especially tasked with sociocultural identity development in terms of race and ethnicity (Blake, 2019). Exploring ethnic and racial identity in this population is particularly compelling because race and ethnicity may be more salient for emerging adults, as their social interactions are broadened by making important developmental transitions from high school to college or to employment (Phinney & Chavira, 1992).…”