Migration Across Generations

Who’s Identity Is Authentic

The 1990 U.S. Census Report

In a 1990 U.S. Census report 37% of Asian Americans were native born Americans, compared to 92% of the general population

For Chinese Americans the number of native born Americans is only 30.7% (Min,1995.) The Chinese immigrants migrated here from 19th century through the 1960’s they came mostly from rural areas of southern China.

Quote from a Chinese immigrant

Immigrants found themselves not feeling at home anywhere Stated in the article a Chinese mother had made a statement to her child about her young adulthood “Now I feel as if I truly belong nowhere. When I am here [Hong Kong] I feel so American. When I am home [America] I feel so Chinese.”

Identity

Who’s Identity is more Chinese or Chinese American?

Who’s more Authentic?

Identity is Fluid and is shaped through experiences. (Rosenthal 1987)

The Study

What does it mean to be Chinese, Chinese American and Asian American in the U.S. in the 1990’s?

The author says there is not now nor has there ever been, an easy answer to the above question.

“Trying to pinpoint and understand what ethics and racial identity in the U.S. is like trying to shoot a moving target.”

Method and Process

The method and process used to study the identity that is authentic, was gathering information and obtaining quotes of people that lived it.

Hard work

The immigrants worked hard to preserve who they were as a cultural.

However with living in the U.S. some of them took on the roles of Americans, portraying the holidays and roles of their surroundings.

1996 Conflict

Asian American/ African American conflict became heated as a discussion about Asian immigrant entrepreneurship in African American communities unfolded. Students began taking sides, in result left some Asian and Asian American students questioning their own loyalty to their ethnic and racial group. Many questions came about at that point.

Collectivistic- was used in this article, I think this because it is the tendency to emphasize on beliefs, needs, goals, and views of the ingroup rather than those of the individual. I think that all the information that was covered was based on the group in a whole and finding out the identity.

Approaches

Quotes

“Now I feel as if I truly belong nowhere. When I am here [Hong Kong] I feel so American. When I am home America, I feel so Chinese.” (pg 96 part three mother) Identity is fluid and is shaped through experiences. Identity formation arises in interaction and is a function not only of the individual and his or her relation to the ethnicity or racial group but of that group’s place in the wider social setting (Rosenthal 1987)

Cite

Rosenthal, D.A (1987). Ethnic Identity development in adolescents. In J.S. Phinney &M.J. Rotheram (Eds.), Children’s ethnic socialization: Pluralism and development (pp.156-157). Newbury Park, CA: Sage. I used this quote because I thought it was neat how the author used the analogy that identity was such a a fluid. It really gave me an idea on how hard it is do put your finger on identity.

Cite Continue

pp 96 part three mother History and intercultural Communication.

I liked this quote from the mother because I feel like she is just so confused at this point which made me feel like I was almost with her it must have been so hard to go through what they did at that time.

QUESTION’S FOR YOU!

How would you reach out to the immigrants living in your community in the 1960’s?

If you could give advice to the Asian American’s whom are confused about identity what would your say?