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ABSTRACT
The qualitative study described in this paper aims to explore perceptions and challenges associated with a bi-ethnic identity in a multi-ethnic country. Sample of this study was recruited by snowball sampling technique. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with fifteen Chindian adolescents. Results yielded a number of themes related to the perceptions of being a Chindian (i.e., enjoy the best of both worlds, peer acceptance, and sense of pride) as well as challenges (i.e., phenotype ambiguity, social insensitivity, situational ethnicity, and identity crisis). More research is required to identify ways to overcome challenges associated with bi-ethnic identity and to examine how these challenges would affect identity formation.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. Solyom, ”Dual Identity in Interethnic Context,“ 28–36.
2. Albuja et al., “Fluid Racial Presentation,” 132–42.
3. Muhamat et al., “The History of Ethnic Relationships in Malaysia,” 504–10.
4. Chandran and Ariffin, “Beyond Arbitrary Labels,” 1–17.
5. Ahmad and Yusof, “Ethnic Boundary amongst Students in Malaysian Primary Schools and Social Interaction,” 82–91.
6. French et al., “The Development of Ethnic Identity During Adolescence,” 1–10; Juang et al., “The Ethnic Identity, Other Group Attitudes, and Psychosocial Functioning,” 542–68; Renn, “Research on Biracial and multiracial Identity Development,” 13–21; Roberts et al., “Ethnic Identity, Immigration and Well-being,” 493–510; Schwartz et al., “The evolution of Eriksonian and Neo-Eriksonian Identity Theory and Research,” 7–58; and Townsend et al., “My Choice, Your Categories,” 185–204.
7. Shih and Sanchez, “Perspectives and Research on the Positive And Negative Implications,” 569–91; and Roberts et al., “Ethnic Identity, Immigration and Well-being,” 493–510.
8. Gaither et al., “Resolving Racial Ambiguity in Social Interactions,” 259–69; Maddox and Gray, “Cognitive Representations of Black Americans,” 250–59; and Miville et al., “Chameleon Changes,” 507.
9. Mutang, et al., “A Multiethnic Perception through the Eyes of Students,” 249–53.
10. See note 4 above.
11. Kottak, Mirror for Humanity.
12. Weaver, The Relationship Between Cultural/Ethnic Identity and Individual Protective Factors.
13. Juang et al., “The Ethnic Identity, Other Group Attitudes, and Psychosocial Functioning of Asian American,” 542–68; Sanchez et al., “Exploring the Identity Autonomy Perspective (IAP),” 139–59; Schwartz, “The Evolution of Eriksonian and Neo-Eriksonian Identity Theory and Research,” 7–58; Schwartz et al., “Identity in Emerging Adulthood,” 96–113; and Solyom, “Dual Identity in Interethnic Context,” 28–36.
14. Tajfel and Turner, “An Integrative Theory of Inter-group Conflict,” 33–47.
15. Root, Racially Mixed People in America.
16. Phinney et al., “Ethnic Identity, Immigration and Well-being,” 493–510.
17. Robert et al., “Ethnic Identity, Immigration and Well-being,” 493–510.
18. Juang et al., “The Ethnic Identity, Other Group Attitudes, and Psychosocial Functioning of Asian American,” 542–68.
19. Ingram and Jones, “How Do Biracial Students Interact With Others on the College Campus?’ 297–312.
20. Sanchez et al., “Exploring the Identity Autonomy Perspective (IAP),” 139–59.
21. See note 2 above.
22. Chen and Ratliff, “Implicit Attitude Generalization,” 544–550.
23. Ruiz, “Ethnic Identity,” 29–40.
24. Bonilla-Silva, Racism Without Racists.
25. Qian, “Options,” 746–66.
26. See note 4 above.
27. Arifin and Chandran, “Interface of Ethnicities in Communication,” 39–51.
28. Zaid et al., “Language Choice of Malaysian Chindians,” 440–6.
29. See note 16 above.
30. Renn, “Research on Biracial and Multiracial Identity Development,” 13–21.
31. Poston, “The Biracial Identity Development Model,” 152–5.
32. See note 19 above.
33. See note 4 above.
34. Miville et al., “Chameleon Changes,” 507.
35. Gaither, “Mixed Results,” 114–9.
36. Albuja et al. “Fluid Racial Presentation,” 132–42.
37. Khanna, “Ethnicity and race as ‘symbolic’,”1049–67.
38. French et al., “The Development Of Ethnic Identity During Adolescence,” 1–10.
39. Schwartz, “The Evolution of Eriksonian and Neo-Eriksonian Identity Theory and Research,” 7–58.
40. Creswell, Research Design.
41. Ritchie and Lewis, Qualitative Research Practise.
42. Caballero et al., Parenting ‘Mixed’ Children.
43. See note 15 above.
44. Verkuyten, The Social Psychology of Ethnic Identity.
45. Khana, “Ethnicity and Race as ‘symbolic’,” 1049–67.
46. See note 4 above.
47. Ingram and Jones, “How Do Biracial Students Interact with Others,” 297–312.
48. Gaither et al., “Resolving Racial Ambiguity in Social Interactions,” 259–69.
49. See note 4 above.
50. Shih and Sanchez, “Perspectives and Research on the Positive and Negative Implications,” 569–91.
51. Gaither, “‘Mixed’ Results,” 114–9.
52. Chandran and Ariffin, “Beyond Arbitrary Labels,” 1–17.
53. Tajfel and Turner, “An Integrative Theory of Inter-Group Conflict,” 33–47.
54. See note 20 above.
55. See note 39 above.
56. French et al., “The Development of Ethnic Identity During Adolescence,” 1–10.
57. Kroger and Marcia, “The Identity Statuses,” 31–53.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Chinsiang Ang
Chinsiang Ang is a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Academic Director of Academic Division at TMC Academy, Singapore. His research involves the disciplines of developmental psychology and positive psychology. His research deals with the psychosocial determinants that influence adolescents and young adults’ development and well-being.
Kamfong Lee
Kamfong Lee is a PhD student at the Department of English Language, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia. She is also a lecturer at the Department of English Language and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her research interests include Systemic Functional Linguistics, Corpus Linguistics, and Discourse Analysis.