Ethnic Identification: Honolulu and Seattle Japanese -Americans

Abstract

This study compared the magnitude of ethnic identification among three generations of Japanese-Americans in Honolulu, Hawaii. Ethnic identification was measured by a recently constructed Ethnic Identity Questionnaire. The first generation Japanese immigrant (Issei) scored higher than the second (Nisei) and third (Sansei) generations. The EIQ scores between the Nisei and Sansei, although not significantly different, were in the hypothesized direction of attenuation with generations. This was attributed to intermingling of peer self-defined generation groups. The Honolulu sample was then compared to three generations of Seattle Japanese-Americans on the same questionnaire. The former were seen to be less ethnically identified than their Seattle counter-parts. Possible reasons for this unexpected result were discussed in terms of immigration and community history, greater structural assimilation in the areas of political and economic power and social interrelationships, middle-class status conformity, personality differences and varying definitions of ethnic identity.