Ethnic Identity Development in Young Adult Filipino Americans

Purpose: Asian Americans are the fastest-growing population in the United States, and a growing body of empirical studies shows a corresponding increase in the importance of the development of ethnic identity to Asian Americans. Although Filipino Americans are the second-largest Asian American population after Chinese Americans, limited information exists about ethnic identity formation in either group. Studying Filipino Americans’ identity formation is of particular importance because the Philippines’ history of migration and its legacy of American colonialism make the ethnic identity of Filipino Americans more complex than that of other Asian American groups. Researchers have expressed concern about the dearth of research on identity development in Filipino Americans beyond early adolescence. Most studies focus on adolescents (e.g., high school students), leaving a noticeable gap in the literature regarding young adult Filipino Americans aged 18–24 years. This is a significant developmental period, as individuals in this age group experience more autonomy as they enter into adulthood and assume new roles in the family that may influence sense of self as well as ethnic identity development. Indeed, ethnic-racial identity research notes that in the young or emerging adult phase, the narratives constructed around the intersections of individuals’ various identities (e.g., race, class, gender, politics) become important in their overall identity development.  There is, however, limited knowledge about the ethnic identity development process of young adult Filipino Americans. This exploratory study is aimed at shedding light on this important subject by answering the following overarching research question: How do young adult Filipino Americans perceive their ethnic identity and its development?

Methods:Using convenience and snowball sampling methods, this study recruited 13 young adult Filipino Americans living in the San Francisco Bay area. The selection criteria were; 1) being aged 18–24 years, and 2) having parents born in the Philippines. Seven of the participants were female, six were male, and their mean age was 21.2 years. All subjects participated in in-person individual interviews that lasted about 45-60 minutes in English, their preferred language.

Results:Three main themes emerged from the thematic analysis. The first theme was ethnic identity formation as a process: the key findings demonstrate that ethnic identity is formed as part of a continuous, non-linear process, and that the process is influenced by environmental factors, such as family, peers, and social groups. The second theme was the importance of family values and family dynamics: through these, the participants have learned the values of respect and collectivity and the importance of education. The third theme was a sense of acceptance from participation in a social group: based on peer and social group participation, the participants developed pride and a sense of community.

Discussion: This study 1) adds to the cultural knowledge about young adult Filipino Americans by exploring their experiences of constructing an understanding of their ethnic identity, and 2) helps to improve social work with this population by showing the key roles that family and social group membership play in the ethnic identity development of young adult Filipino Americans.