About this paper symposium

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Panel information
Panel 17. Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Paper #1
“It’s stressful to be American”: What it means to be American for Minnesotan young adults
Author information	Role
Dr. Michelle Christine Pasco, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, United States	Presenting author
Nusroon Fatiha, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, United States	Non-presenting author
Jennifer George, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, United States	Non-presenting author
Pubudu Senaratne, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Identity formation is a salient developmental task in young adulthood that involves integrating one’s identity across various domains and making meaning of one’s self (Erikson, 1968). Young adulthood is an especially important period to explore identity development (Arnett, 2004). Young adults have new independence and experience significant cognitive and sociocultural changes which may encourage them to re-examine their own values and identity. In the U.S., developing a more nuanced understanding of the American identity is warranted given the recent sociopolitical climate (e.g., presidential elections, supreme court decisions, anti-immigrant sentiments). Furthermore, prior work suggests that having a strong American identity is associated with positive adjustment among Latinx young adults (Meca et al., 2020) and Black, Latinx, and White (Martinez-Fuentes et al., 2021). Recent research on American identity has mainly utilized quantitative methods, some of which has focused on measurement invariance across different ethnic-racial groups (Meca et al., 2020; Martinez-Fuentes et al., 2021). There has been a dearth of qualitative research examining American identity, especially what it means to be American. Using semi-structured interviews, we explored what it means to be American for young adults living in Minnesota, specifically the Twin Cities. METHOD: Data comes from 41 U.S.-born young adults in Minnesota, primarily college students (18-25 years, µ = 21.80, SD = 3.01). The majority of participants self-identified as cis-gender females (73.8%; cis-gender males: 16.7%, transgender males: 4.8%), and affiliated as democratic (69%). Half of the participants identified as White/Caucasian, while the other half identified with various ethnicities and races, including Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Middle eastern, or multiracial/multiethnic. For the purposes of this study, we focused on the questions, “On a personal level, can you tell me what it means to be an American?” and “What characteristics or qualities do you think make someone “American”?” The research team developed a codebook and coded the narratives using a team-based approach (Braun & Clarke, 2012). Each interview was coded by two research team members and any discrepancies were resolved in team meetings. RESULTS: Six themes representing Minnesotan young adults’ meaning of being American emerged from the data: American façade & hypocrisy, awareness of injustices & inequities, rights & opportunities, perceptions of American pride & patriotism, negative feelings about America/Americans, and lack of American identity & pride (See Table 1 for description and exemplar for each theme). We also examined differences for each theme across White and ethnic-racial minoritized (e.g., Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Mixed) young adults. We found that White young adults mentioned perceptions of American pride & patriotism and lack of American identity twice as many times as ethnic-racial minoritized young adults (See Table 2). DISCUSSION: Findings underscore the importance of using qualitative methods to capture the nuanced narratives of Minnesota young adults and what it means to them to be American beyond physical (e.g., white skin, blue eyes) and character traits (e.g., friendliness, assertive, westernized). Lastly, findings bring attention to how young adults are aware of the social issues and inequities that are plaguing the United States.

Paper #2
Unpacking Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Young Adults’ Conceptions of Being American and Relations with Identity
Author information	Role
Dulce W. Westberg, University of California, Davis, United States	Presenting author
Michelle Pasco, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, United States	Non-presenting author
Alan Meca, The University of Texas at San Antonio, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Existing research has documented that racial/ethnic identity (REI) is a developmental asset, particularly for racially/ethnically minoritized young adults in the United States (U.S.), who are navigating systemic oppression (Rogers et al., 2020). However, REI is not established in a vacuum and researchers have also investigated the parallel development of U.S. identity (USI; Meca et al., 2023). Research in this area demonstrates that there is a dynamic interplay in how youth negotiate their REI and USI (Phinney & Devich-Navarro, 1997). But less research has examined what racially/ethnically minoritized young adults think American identity is and the ways they feel American or not in a society characterized by racist and xenophobic discourse. In the present study, we conducted an in-depth qualitative investigation to identify themes in how young adults from racially/ethnically minoritized groups conceptualize American identity. To further contextualize these findings, we examined whether themes of American identity varied based on social positionality rooted in race/ethnicity, gender, and nativity. We then examined whether American identity themes correlated with established measures of REI (Umaña-Taylor et al., 2004) and USI (Meca et al., 2020). Participants were 450 young adults (Mage = 19.87, SD = 2.15, range = 18 – 26 years; 332 Black/African American, 62 Asian American, 56 Latine; 340 Women, 107 Men, 3 Transgender; 91% born in U.S) attending a large public university in the southeast U.S. who completed an online survey for course credit. Consistent with past research (Moffitt et al., 2022), the author team made notes of preliminary themes on participants’ responses to three qualitative prompts around American identity until reaching saturation (36% of responses) in order to develop a coding manual representative of participants responses. All responses were then independently coded by two trained research assistants. We identified twelve themes around what it means to be American including Idealistic Values, Negative Descriptors, and Icons & Patriotism (see Table 1). Additionally, we identified three themes representing ways participants felt American (e.g., Nativity) and four themes representing ways participants felt not American (e.g., Engagement in Other Practices & Preference for Other Identity). The presence of certain themes differed significantly based on race/ethnicity, gender, and nativity (see Table 2). For example, Engagement in Other Practices & Preference for Other Identity was mentioned less often by Black/African American participants compared to Asian American and Latine participants, and more often by those born outside rather than inside of the U.S. In contrast, Rejection of Systemic Oppression was mentioned more by women relative to men participants. We also noted significant positive relations between American identity themes including Rejection of Structural Oppression (r = .11, p < .05, 95% CI [.02, .20]) and measures of REI, highlighting how understanding structural oppression in American society might be relevant for REI development. These findings advance understanding of what American identity is among racially/ethnically minoritized young adults and demonstrates how conceptions of American identity may vary. Discussion will center on how American identity and REI are interconnected and the importance of considering distinct meanings of what it is to be American.

Paper #3
U.S. Identity Development in Context: The Impact of Current Events on Dimensions of U.S. Identity
Author information	Role
Bethany Cruz, The University of Texas at San Antonio, United States	Presenting author
Alan Meca, The University of Texas at San Antonio, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
A recent burgeoning body of work has highlighted the benefits associated with the establishment of a positive U.S. identity (USI; Meca et al., 2020). Broadly, USI has been conceptualized as a multidimensional construct that reflects individuals’ beliefs and attitudes about their national group membership as well as the process by which these beliefs and attitudes develop (Meca et al., 2017). Paralleling research on ethnic/racial identity, current operationalization of USI has emphasized the importance of exploration and resolution, representing the developmental process underlying identity development, and affirmation, represent the meaning and significance. Although recent steps have begun examining factors that contribute to USI (Cruz et al., 2023), research remains limited. Addressing this gap, and recognizing identities are nested within a broader ecological context (Meca et al., 2023), the present study sought to examine how USI is impacted by current events, and how perceived changes to one’s affect and understanding of one’s USI impacts overall adjustment. The sample consisted of 592 college-attending emerging adults (Mage=19.08, 69.3% cisgender women; 67.9% Hispanic/Latine). Participants were asked to think about a current event happening in the world that had made them feel positive or negative. Utilizing consensus data, responses were grouped into 7 broad categories: COVID/Illness-Related (10.47%), war and international tension (11.66%), elections and domestic political shifts (5.57%), Abortion Access (23.82%), mass shootings (18.24%), other recent events (28.04%, e.g., pop culture events, natural disasters, etc.), or listed multiple events (2.20%). Subsequently, participants were asked to what degree this recent event impacted their USI positive (e.g., When _____ occurred, I felt a strong attachment to the United States) and negative affect (e.g., …it made me sad to be an American) and USI resolution (e.g., …I knew what being an American meant to me.). As shown in Table 1, participants who indicated Abortion Access and Mass Shootings demonstrated the highest levels of Perceived Impacted USI Negative Affect and lowest endorsement of Perceived Impacted USI Positive Affect and USI Resolution. Subsequently, we examined how Perceived Impacted USI was related to general USI (see Table 2). Perceived Impacted USI negative affect was negatively associated with USI resolution and positively associated with USI Negative Affect. In contrast Perceived Impacted USI Positive affect was negatively associated with USI Negative Affect. Perceived Impacted USI Resolution was also positively associated with USI exploration and resolution. Moreover, Perceived Impacted USI Negative Affect was negatively associated with psychological well-being and self-esteem, and positively associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Overall, the present study elucidates the need for research to further our understanding of how the broader socio-historical context impacts USI (Meca et al., 2023). This is particularly important, given that current events may impact an individual’s affective evaluation of their USI. As a result, it is possible that USI content, as opposed to process, is particularly impacted by socio-historical events. Concurrently, the fact that perceived impact of these events on USI was associated with USI Resolution and Affirmation and overall adjustment highlights the need for future research on this topic.

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