The Parent Effect

First generation immigrants have often used ethic markers and gone to great lengths to differentiate themselves from ethnic blacks, and their children often grow up hearing their negative opinions about American Blacks.

This sort of stereotyping, referring to black Americans as lazy, can be traced back to the tension that existed between newly arriving West Indians and American Blacks in New York City. Whereas Caribbean immigrants perceive themselves as hardworking, they see black Americans as having a kind of “laissez-faire” attitude towards family life and child raising (Waters,1994). Thus, being exposed to their parents’ negative opinions and beliefs regarding black Americans undoubtedly impact the formation of these second and 1.5 generation immigrants’ identities, though like their parents, they would lack the ability to appeal to ethnic markers (i.e. accents) if they wished to distinguish themselves from black Americans . This is not always the case, as some parents may support the assimilation of their children and drive them away from their own ethnic identities  in order for them to be “accepted”.

Popular Opinions/Misconceptions

Another factor that may play a part in which identity the second and 1.5 generations choose to adopt are the opinions of others on their ethnic country of origins. These opinions may stem from widespread misconceptions that arise partly due to the media’s depiction of some these countries.

“We’ve all seen the rum commercials on TV. bus built in the 50’s, brightly painted and overflowing with people, farm produce and livestock, as it makes in way (late) to town. Or movies (like the series on Netflix set in Belize) where corruption, drugs and a general overly laid-back lifestyle is the norm. As a son of the Caribbean it’s very frustrating to say the least, as I know this sort of stereotype is inaccurate and very hurtful.” – Chris De la Rosa (a Trinidad-born Ontario resident, the man behind http://caribbeanpot.com)

If you watched the trailer of “Culture Clash: Caribbean Children of Immigrant Parents” (found on this page),  it is mentioned that “they had a beat up day for Haitians, and one for Jamaicans, and one for Latin.” This made it hard for students to admit they were from these places because that meant a dip in popularity and that they were “different”. A similar conundrum arises alongside these held misconceptions, and as a study conducted found, second generation immigrants are more susceptible to stereotype threat effect than first generation immigrants (Deaux,Kay, et al. 2007).

Surroundings

Surroundings in this case include family (parents, but also other family members), school, and the neighborhood.

As in the case of parents, spending time with or being around other members of the family can play a role in shaping the identity of second and 1.5 generation immigrants.

“There are sectors of my life that my Haitian family (my parents primarily but also some cousins) would perceive as ‘acting white, or, more broadly, as ‘acting like them’ (them being any non-Haitian). Rather than try to explain this part of myself to them, I simply exclude them. It is no wonder then, that second generation immigrants “experienced more difficulty defining a singular source of identity” (Olwig 2004, 62). How can you be sure of your identity if you rarely have the opportunity to be completely you?”

-Leonicka Valcius, an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto.

At school, culture-based clubs and associations can help feel them feel closer to their ethnic origin and give them a sense of belonging. On the contrary, the people these second and 1.5 generation immigrants befriend can also affect their identity. For instance, one might feel the need or the pressure to identify as black American because the majority of their friends are.  The same applies to the neighborhoods in which they reside, where the predominant culture may similarly influence their choice of identity, as can be seen in one of the responses provided by  subject 1 who said:  “I live in a neighborhood predominantly made up of my ethnic group. Most speak my native language. So I’ve always identified as a Caribbean American”.