Asian American Identity: Shared Racial Status and Political Context

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 729-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Junn ◽  
Natalie Masuoka
Keyword(s):  
Asian American ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Racial Identification ◽  
Group Consciousness ◽  
Explicit Consideration ◽  
Group Attachment ◽  
American Case ◽  
Asian American Identity

Amidst rising levels of ethnic diversity in the United States, scholars struggle to understand how group consciousness functions among other non-black minority groups such as Asian Americans and Latinos. Most of the literature in this area focuses on the relationship between identity and immigration incorporation or the debate between national origin and panethnicity. We argue that the Asian American community offers an important case study to understand how social context and one's perceived racial position influence an individual's sense of group attachment. Thus, the Asian American case presents new insight beyond the black politics model into how racial identification influences individual political attitudes and behavior. We present findings from a unique embedded survey experiment conducted in 2004 that reveals a surprising degree of malleability in Asian American racial group attachment. This is a striking contrast to the findings demonstrated by blacks whose racial identification is relatively more stable over various contexts. We seek to explain these findings by advocating for a more explicit consideration of the structural incentives and costs of adopting racial and ethnic identities by highlighting the significance of U.S. immigration policy and its role in creating group-based stereotypes and racial tropes.

The Model Minority Narrative and Its Effect on Asian American Identity and Social Status

2015 ◽  
pp. 323-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Lowe
Keyword(s):  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Model Minority ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Cultural Struggle ◽  
Asian American Identity

Asian Americans have been conceptualized as a model minority for their apparent success in socioeconomic, academic, and professional settings, where other minorities have struggled. However, studies have suggested that this image is only a popularized stereotype, with academic underachievement, poverty, mental health issues, and cultural struggle prevalent amongst different Asian American communities. This chapter is a meta-analysis of studies on the model minority narrative, its influence on the social perception of Asian Americans, and its effect on shaping self-identity for Asian Americans themselves. This chapter also discusses the role the narrative plays in hindering racial parity and inter-race relations through furthering the marginalization of minority groups, silencing the voices of social change while maintaining the imbalance of status and power that currently exists in the United States.

Strength in Numbers: Perceptions of Political Commonality with African Americans among Asians and Asian Americans in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-122
Author(s):  
Harvey L. Nicholson ◽  
J. Scott Carter ◽  
Arjee Restar
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
The United States ◽  
Group Consciousness ◽  
Relational Dynamics ◽  
Linked Fate ◽  
Political Alliances

Asians are now the fastest growing racial minority group in the United States. Nearly 18 million Asians and Asian Americans currently reside in the country. Approximately 44 million African Americans also live in the United States. To improve their limited social, economic, and political clout, Asians and Asian Americans in the United States (AAAUS) could benefit from the formation of mutually beneficial political alliances with African Americans, another historically marginalized racial group. However, complicated relational dynamics between African Americans and AAAUS may drastically reduce the chances of political unity. Using the 2008 National Asian American Survey, the authors examine the effects of three factors—group consciousness, linked fate, and experiences of discrimination—on perceptions of political commonality with African Americans among AAAUS. The findings show that group consciousness and linked fate positively and strongly increase the odds of perceptions of political commonality with African Americans; however, experiences of discrimination do not. The results suggest that the cultivation of mutually beneficial political alliances between African Americans and AAAUS would first require AAAUS to develop a heightened sense of group consciousness and linked fate. The potential impact of these factors on future political alliances between both groups are discussed, as are the limitations of this study.

scholarly journals A Comparative Analysis of Black Racial Group Consciousness in the United States and Britain

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayobami Laniyonu
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Black Politics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Racial Group ◽  
Group Consciousness ◽  
Dimensional Measure ◽  
Political Impact ◽  
Group Attachment ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Black Britons

AbstractExtant scholarship on black politics has demonstrated the mobilizing effect that racial group consciousness can have on African American political participation. Few studies, however, test for or compare the political impact of group consciousness across national contexts. This paper presents an empirical comparison of group consciousness and its relationship with political behavior among black Americans and black Britons. Mobilizing two nationally representative surveys from the United States and Britain and a multi-dimensional measure of group consciousness, the findings presented here suggest that while elements of racial group consciousness are present among blacks in both societies, racial group consciousness is generally more prevalent and politically significant among blacks in the United States. For example, blacks in Britain are less likely to view blacks as occupying a fundamentally marginalized structural position and less likely to endorse race specific interventions that might address that marginalization. Results from regression analysis further suggest that while strong racial (rather than national) group attachment negatively affects the likelihood that blacks will vote in both countries, other elements of group consciousness are more strongly associated with participation among blacks in the United States than in Britain.

Surviving the Bomb in America

2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 472-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoko Wake
Keyword(s):  
Asian American ◽  
The United States ◽  
Japanese American ◽  
Asian America ◽  
National Belonging ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
History Of ◽  
Human Costs ◽  
Asian American Identity ◽  
And Gender

This article explores the little-known history of Japanese American survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. By focusing on this particular group of survivors with a careful attention to their layered citizenship, national belonging, and gender identity, the article makes important connections between the history of the bomb and the history of immigration across the Pacific. U.S. survivors were both American citizens and immigrants with deep ties to Japan. Their stories expand our understanding of the bomb by taking it out of the context of the clash between nations and placing it in the lives of people who were not within a victors-or-victims dichotomy. Using oral histories with U.S. survivors, their families, and their supporters, the article reveals experiences, memories, and activism that have connected U.S. survivors to both Japan and the United States in person-centered, relatable ways. Moreover, the article brings to light under-explored aspects of Asian America, namely, significant intersections of former internees’ and bomb survivors’ experiences and the role of older women’s agency in the making of Asian American identity. In so doing, the article destabilizes the rigidly nation-bound understanding of the bomb and its human costs that has prevailed in the Pacific region.

Nikkei Baseball

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel O. Regalado
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Asian American ◽  
The United States ◽  
American Identity ◽  
Japanese Americans ◽  
Japanese American ◽  
Historical Factors ◽  
Meiji Era ◽  
Asian American Identity

Nikkei Baseball examines baseball's evolving importance to the Japanese American community and the construction of Japanese American identity. Originally introduced in Japan in the late 1800s, baseball was played in the United States by Japanese immigrants first in Hawaii, then San Francisco and northern California, then in amateur leagues up and down the Pacific Coast. For Japanese American players, baseball was seen as a sport that encouraged healthy competition by imposing rules and standards of ethical behavior for both players and fans. The value of baseball as exercise and amusement quickly expanded into something even more important, a means for strengthening social ties within Japanese American communities and for linking their aspirations to America's pastimes and America's promise. Drawing from archival research, prior scholarship, and personal interviews, this book explores key historical factors such as Meiji-era modernization policies in Japan, American anti-Asian sentiments, internment during World War II, the postwar transition, economic and educational opportunities in the 1960s, the developing concept of a distinct “Asian American” identity, and Japanese Americans' rise to the major leagues with star players including Lenn Sakata and Kurt Suzuki and even managers such as the Seattle Mariners' Don Wakamatsu.

Hispanic Population Growth Engenders Conservative Shift Among Non-Hispanic Racial Minorities

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen A. Craig ◽  
Jennifer A. Richeson
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Racial Minorities ◽  
Policy Preferences ◽  
Hispanic Population ◽  
Conservative Policy

The racial/ethnic diversity of the United States is increasing, yet recent social psychological research has focused primarily on White Americans’ reactions to this demographic trend. The present research experimentally examines how members of different racial minority groups perceive increasing diversity, driven by Hispanic population growth, focusing on downstream consequences for political ideology and policy preferences. Four studies reveal that making Hispanic population growth salient leads non-Hispanic racial minorities to identify as more conservative and support more conservative policy positions, compared with control information. The policy preferences of Hispanics, however, were not affected by exposure to information about their in-group’s growth. Considered in tandem with previous research, the present studies suggest that Hispanic population growth may motivate greater support for conservative ideology among members of both racial majority and minority groups.

THE SUINN-LEW ASIAN SELF-IDENTITY ACCULTURATION SCALE: TEST WITH A NON-STUDENT, ASIAN-AMERICAN SAMPLE

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiretta F. Ownbey ◽  
Patricia E. Horridge
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Major Trend

Ethnic diversity is a major trend in the United States with Asian Americans constituting a rapidly growing percentage of the population. Consequently, acculturation among Asian-Americans is an important issue since ethnic diversity both offers cultural richness and contributes to challenges for educational systems, public health services, and entities concerned with consumer practices. The Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation (SL-ASIA) Scale was tested with a non-student, random sample (N = 124) comprised of Chinese- and Filipino-Americans 18 years old and older who lived in San Francisco. Resulting data confirmed results of an initial study of the SL-ASIA; the test scores resulted in acceptable reliability measures and the instrument contains items which are promising for accurate measurement of acculturation level among Asian-American populations.

The Complexity of Generational Status and Ethnic Identity of Japanese Americans

2020 ◽  
pp. 106648072097751
Author(s):  
Lorine Erika Saito
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Japanese Americans ◽  
Japanese American ◽  
Intergenerational Ties ◽  
The Impact

Japanese Americans comprise multiple generations, with a first wave of immigrants entering the United States in the 1800s. The current generation of Japanese American descendants today includes over five generations. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the ethnic identity of fourth- and fifth-generation Japanese American adults. Forty participants were interviewed as part of a larger study and deemed exempt by institutional review board. Results indicate that ethnic identity for multigenerational Japanese American adults is complex, with factors that include the impact of historical and intergenerational ties to World War II, continuance of family and cultural traditions, and identity as American but perceived as “forever foreigner.” Family counselor recommendations include considering historical background of Asian American and minority groups, rethinking educational curriculum through transformative social and emotional learning.

scholarly journals "Machine Town": Panethnic Asian American Identity in Philadelphia Politics

Perceptions ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Ronald Raju Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Civil Rights Movement ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Politics ◽  
American Politics ◽  
The United States ◽  
American Identity ◽  
Coalition Building ◽  
Political Organizing ◽  
Asian American Identity

This paper investigated the topic of panethnic Asian American political coalition-building in Philadelphia politics, to determine if efforts to forge such a coalition succeeded. This paper traced the scholarship accumulated across multiple spheres of Asian American studies ranging from the emergence of panethnic Asian American identity, Asian American involvement in American politics before and after the civil rights movement, and the continuing ethnic divisions within the Asian American community. Further research on urban politics and its intersection with ethnic identity was also investigated, yielding insights into the nature of the potential of and obstacles to successful panethnic political organizing across ethnic lines in the urban areas of the United States. Upon investigating data on the voting patterns of Asian Americans, the socioeconomic statistics on various Asian American ethnic groups, the organizational landscape of organizations--panethnic or ethnic--serving the Asian American community, and the political clout of Asian American political activists and groups in Philadelphia politics, the conclusion was reached that efforts to forge a panethnic Asian American coalition in Philadelphia politics have not succeeded. While the topic of panethnic Asian American politics in the urban context remains a relatively understudied topic in political science, the existing evidence points that there remain significant obstacles to panethnic political organizing in Asian American communities.

Minority Versus Minority: Partisanship and Inter-Group Competitions Among Asian Americans

2021 ◽  
pp. 1532673X2110532
Author(s):  
Dongshu Liu ◽  
Nathan Carrington
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Republican Party ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
The United States ◽  
Conflict Theory ◽  
Partial Explanation

Increasingly salient in democratic politics are the divides among political parties regarding how they mobilize supports between ethnic majorities and minorities. Why, then, do some members of a minority group support political parties that seem antithetical to the interests of minority groups? We draw on group conflict theory to suggest that a partial explanation rests on perceived competition within minority groups. We test this theory by focusing on Republican Party support among Asian Americans in the United States. Based on two representative surveys and an original online survey experiment of Asian Americans, we demonstrate that perceived competition among racial minority groups has a significant effect on the partisanship of Asian American and pushes them toward the Republican Party. We also present observational evidence suggesting our theory applies to other minority groups. Our findings provide critical implications on how race affects politics in democracies with increasingly diversified ethnic minority groups.

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