The Meaning of “Being Chinese” and “Being American”

Abstract

Few studies have investigated how the meanings attached to being of a particular culture vary within cultural groups. The meanings of “being Chinese” and “being American” were compared among three Chinese American groups: 122 American-born Chinese (ABC), 119 immigrant Chinese who arrived in the United States before or at age 12, and 112 immigrant Chinese who arrived in the United States after age 12. Participants completed the General Ethnicity Questionnaire (abridged version). For each group, the relationship between “being Chinese” and “being American” and the specific cultural domains (e.g., engagement in American activities, Chinese language proficiency) on which they were based were assessed. Results suggest that “being Chinese” and “being American” were unrelated for ABC, but were negatively related for immigrant Chinese. Results also suggest that for immigrants, the domains on which “being Chinese” and “being American” are based change with increased stay in the United States.

Views on interracial dating among Chinese and European Canadians: The roles of culture, gender, and mainstream cultural identity

“…Americans (Tsai et al, 2000) in their influence on the acculturation process. Ryder et al (2000), for example, found that identification with the mainstream culture was a significant positive predictor of psychosocial adjustment for Chinese Canadians, while heritage culture identification was unrelated to adjustment.…”

Functions of the common ingroup identity model and acculturation strategies in intercultural communication: American host nationals’ communication with Chinese international students

“…In addition, linguistic components were included because linguistic adjustment plays a critical role in cultural adaptation. Furthermore, considering Tsai, Ying, and Lee's (2000) suggestion, Mei-Lin/Chen's exposure to media and food preferences were included in the scenarios.…”

“…The concept of multiple social identities composing one's self concept typically considers one's cultural identity along with other social identities such as gender, racial and ethnic, and age group identities (Hornsey, 2008). In a diverse world, an increasing number of people have come to experience dual or multiple cultural identities (Hsu, 2010;Tsai et al, 2000). As a result, it has become imperative to examine how multiple cultural identities are perceived.…”

“…Previous studies have illustrated that immigrants and sojourners commonly experience separation or marginalization (Suinn, 2010;Sumer et al, 2008;Wang & Mallinckrodt, 2006), pointing out the difficulty of achieving assimilation or integration. However, for some individuals, separation and marginalization are experienced only during a certain period of time (Hsu, 2010;Tsai et al, 2000). It is particularly meaningful to examine how the proportion of life spent in the host and home countries is associated with one's cultural adaptation (Hsu, 2010;Tsai et al, 2000).…”

“…However, for some individuals, separation and marginalization are experienced only during a certain period of time (Hsu, 2010;Tsai et al, 2000). It is particularly meaningful to examine how the proportion of life spent in the host and home countries is associated with one's cultural adaptation (Hsu, 2010;Tsai et al, 2000).…”