Within and Between Two Worlds: Conceiving, Measuring, and Applying Mixed-Ethnic Identity in Three Countries

Abstract

Accompanying the rising ethnic diversity of Western countries is a burgeoning number of mixed-ethnic unions and people with mixed-ethnic ancestry. These people do not fit neatly into one group or another. This ambiguity is compounded by the fact that their ethnic identity is affected by how they are perceived and labeled by others. Theories have been advanced to explain ethnic identity, and its corollaries for cognition, emotions, and consumer behaviors. However, aside from a handful of ethnographic studies, knowledge about how social identity of mixed-ethnic consumers is formed and shaped, and how it potentially affects consumer dispositions, remains largely uncharted. Using data gathered in three countries (Canada, United States, United Kingdom), and considering various ethnic mixture combinations, this article presents the development and validation of a multidimensional scale for measuring mixed-ethnic identity (MEI) and examines the relationships of the 13 MEI components to consumer dispositions commonly used to segment domestic and international markets. The consistency of the relationships between the MEI components and the established consumer dispositions are scrutinized. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.