“Not Mexican-American, but Mexican”: Shifting ethnic self-identifications among children of Mexican immigrants

Abstract

Based on survey data and 21 qualitative interviews, this article examines how and why ethnic self-identifications shift as children of Mexican immigrants in Southern California transition from adolescence to early adulthood. The study finds that respondents born in the United States are more likely than those born in Mexico to use multiple identity labels, such as Mexican-American or Latino. Negative political contexts heighten the salience of Mexican, as opposed to Latino/Hispanic or American, ethnic self-identities. University-educated respondents tend to develop stronger self-identities as Mexican than those who did not go to college. This study highlights the importance of generational status and transnational experiences, social and political contexts, and educational experiences in understanding changes in ethnic self-identifications over time.