Rodriguez, Alexandra
(2018)
"'Learning Where I'm Coming From': The Identity Construction of 1.5-, Second-, and Fourth-Generation Migrants of Mexican Descent in Florida".
Master thesis, Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation.
Abstract
This thesis analyzes the identity construction of 1.5-, second-, and fourth-generation migrant emerging
adults of Mexican heritage in the American state of Florida. This qualitative research was conducted in
order to fill a gap in the literature, which has hitherto either mainly analyzed perceptions and
representations of Mexican-Americans by others, or has used large-scale survey methods, which force
Mexican-Americans to sort themselves into pre-defined categories which may not feel natural to them.
In this thesis, the most commonly mentioned identity referents from six life story interviews are
identified and analyzed using theory from the fields of identity studies and migration studies. Analysis
is chiefly predicated on Hermans and Hermans-Konopka’s Dialogical Self Theory (2010) and
McAdams’ life story model of identity (2001). Several aspects of identity are analyzed, including
religious identity, racial identity, and cultural identity. Findings of the research include the
identification of “Brownness as Mexican-American identity,” “Spanish language as Mexican-American
identity,” and “Catholicism as Mexican-American identity” as the most commonly occurring identity
referents over all.
Keywords: Mexican, Mexican-American, identity, Florida, migrants, migration, 1.5-
generation, second-generation, fourth-generation, Latino, Latina, Hispanic, race, ethnicity,
culture, religion, Catholicism, brownness, Spanish
| Type: |
Thesis
(Master)
|
| Supervisors (RUG): |
| Supervisor | E-mail | Tutor organization | Tutor email |
|---|
| Buitelaar, M.W. | M.W.Buitelaar@rug.nl | | | | Martinez - Arino, J. | J.Martinez.Arino@rug.nl | | |
|
| Degree programme: |
Master Religion Conflict and Globalisation |
| Academic year: |
2017- 2018 |
| Date of delivery: |
12 Oct 2018 |
| Last modified: |
12 Oct 2018 11:21 |
| URI: |
https://rcs.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/417 |
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