Identity Construction and Negotiation Among Second Generation Igbo Young Adults in the United States
Uchenna Onuzulike.
“Identity Construction and Negotiation Among Second Generation Igbo Young Adults in the United States.”
Igbo Studies Review (ISR)
, Goldline & Jacobs Publishing
, no. 2, 2014
, pp. 125-148
.
Second-generation Igbo (SGI) young adults are a rapidly growing popu}lltion m the United States, yet the role of Igbo culture in the construction and negotiation of their identity remains little studied. The aim of this pilot study is to begin filling this research gap by examining SGI young adults' identity construction and negotintion in the United States, to serve as a template fur a larger project. Responses were gathered through a qualitative research approach, using data from face-to-face, in-depth interviews with two participants. They recount haw dzildren born in the United States to Igbo parents attempt to articulate their identities. Eight themes emerge from the analysis. Even though the findings demonstrate that the participants encounter identity stntggles, they also found lgbo culhm empawering because it stands out among therr multiple ulentiti.es, The participants offer suggeshons for how to teach the Igbo language, a central compo nent of Igbo culture, to Igbo children born in the diaspora.