Identity construction among twice-minority immigrants: a comparative study of Korean-Chinese and Uyghurs in the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACT ‘Twice-minority’ immigrants, immigrants who are ethnic minorities in both their home country and country of destination, may face ambiguity and multiple options in their ethnic self-identification in the host society. This paper investigates the dynamics in the identity construction among such groups. My data comes from in-depth interviews with 40 recent immigrants in the United States from two minority ethnic groups in China: Korean-Chinese and Uyghur. I find that these two groups’ perceived phenotypical and cultural difference from (or similarity to) the majority Han ethnic group in China, experiences of prejudice in China, and pre-existing transnational ethnic ties influence the identity dynamics in their interactions with different groups in the U.S. Both Korean-Chinese and Uyghur immigrants experience a mix of pulling and pushing forces towards identities associated with different proximal host groups in these interactions, but Uyghur immigrants’ identity options are constrained by their phenotypical distinctness from the Han Chinese. Both groups maintain their distinct ethnic identity in the host society, but they find different new bases for their twice-minority identity. The article shows how everyday interactions with multiple ethnic audiences shape possibilities of identity and ethnicisation and helps us better understand ethnic identity and transnational movement of ethnic schemas.