“Bridging Several Worlds”: The Process of Identity Development of Second-Generation Ethiopian and Eritrean Young Women in Canada

Abstract

This paper explores the social and cultural experiences of second-generation Ethiopian and Eritrean young women in relationship to expectations surrounding identity continuity by way of maintenance of traditional culture. From the analysis of ten in-depth interviews, complexities in family relationships emerged as a major category with interrelated concepts that particularize the social and cultural experiences of second-generation Ethiopian and Eritrean women with their process of identity formation. These included gendered intergenerational relationships whereby Ethiopian and Eritrean parents maintained a strong sense of belonging to the larger culture they left behind and raised their daughters with such expected continuity; and the confrontation of cultural resistance through communication as a means of forging a balance between conflict and consensus in families. Findings from this study highlight the need to expand understandings in the scope of intergenerational activities and values in immigrant families in both research and clinical practice. This necessitates that practitioners take into account the structure and composition of family, the values imbedded within, and the role and functions of each member of the unit. This cannot be decontextualized from the family’s experiences of migration and ongoing settlement process.