25th Annual Student Research Conference
Ethnic Identity and Assimilation Among Second and Third-Generation Asian Americans
Molly J. Hendricks
Dr. Huping Ling, Faculty Mentor
From the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries, about a million Asian immigrants came to the United States, driven by push and pull factors such as war and famine at home and the promise of prosperity in America. After the Chinese Exclusion Act lifted in 1965, another wave of Asian immigrants arrived, driven by political persecution and turmoil and the hope for a better future. Their children, born in America, second-generation Asian Americans, have had unique experiences in this country in comparison to other immigrant groups, as have their grandchildren. Why are third-generation Asian-American expected to constantly answer the question, Where are you from? By examining secondary works, archival material, and oral history interviews, I examine the unique experiences of second and third-generation Asian Americans with the issue of ethnic identity, and if that has played a part in the level of assimilation they have experienced in the United States.
Keywords: immigrants, Asian-Americans, assimilation, identity
Topic(s):Asian-American Studies
Asian American History
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 308-1
Location: OP 2117
Time: 1:00