Exploring Identity Negotiations: An Analysis of Intercultural Japanese-U.S. American Families Living in the United States

Abstract

This study examines identity negotiations of intercultural Japanese-U.S. American families particularly in terms of a) how dominant ideologies and societal structures relate to the formation and negotiation of intercultural married couples' identities, and b) how they negotiate the relational, family, and cultural identities in their relationship. Both interpretive and critical perspectives are utilized to uncover the complex nature of identity negotiations. Interviews with intercultural families reveal that their identity locations are negotiated from historical contexts and gender and racial ideologies. Ambivalence, contradictions, dialectical tensions, and the intersectionality of their identities are often mentioned in the interviews. Particularly in talking about their childrearing process, the parents negotiate multiple identities and manage dialectical tensions of their children's possible future identities. In general, the results show that intercultural families created a unique and secure space to navigate the social, economic, and political climates in the United States and Japan.