Effect of Socialization on Ethnic Identity Formation While Participating in an Ethnic Social Organization

Abstract

Today's immigrant parents in the United States are trying to maintain their ethnic culture in the hope that their children will become a part of the culture. In order to do that, some parents take part in cultural organizations that try to promote the ethnic culture in the United States. This study investigated ethnic identity development in children (N = 63) who actively participate in a cultural group called Hindu Swyamsevak Sangh (HSS), which promotes Indian/Hindu culture in the United States. Ethnic socialization by the parents and HSS as well as the child's ethnic language proficiency, ethnic peer interaction, and culture knowledge were all related to the child's ethnic identity development. Further, the motivation behind parents making their children take part in HSS predicted the child's ethnic identity and was mediated by the child's ethnic peer interaction and knowledge of the culture.