Bridging (Identification) divides: Ethnic minority endorsement of new diversity ideologies

Jessica Gale*, Kumar Yogeeswaran, Maykel Verkuyten

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In culturally diverse societies, ethnic minorities are faced with the challenge of negotiating between their national and ethnic identification. Diversity ideologies address this challenge in different ways, by prioritizing national identification in the case of assimilation, and ethnic identification in the case of multiculturalism. However, existing research has highlighted the risks and drawbacks of both ideologies, presenting polyculturalism and interculturalism as new alternatives which construe identities as more complex, dynamic, and interconnected between groups. Given that little is known about these ideologies from the minority perspective, the present study investigated their endorsement among ethnic minorities, as well as associations with their ethnic and national identification in the USA. Results show that, in general, pro-diversity ideologies (multiculturalism, interculturalism, and polyculturalism) are all supported by ethnic minorities, in contrast to assimilation. Moreover, ethnic identification is associated with support for multiculturalism, national identification is associated with support for assimilation, and both are associated with polyculturalism. For interculturalism, associations with ethnic and national identification depend on its subcomponents, which seem to address and bring together the other three ideologies. Interculturalism may therefore be a promising way forward to minimize the risks of assimilation, multiculturalism, and polyculturalism, while also maximizing their benefits to minorities and societies at large.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)121-130
Number of pages10
JournalInternational Journal of Intercultural Relations
Volume81
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The first author’s contribution to this work is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation ( P2LAP1_187707 )

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021

Funding

The first author’s contribution to this work is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation ( P2LAP1_187707 )

Keywords

  • Ethnic identification
  • Interculturalism
  • Minority perspective
  • Multiculturalism
  • National identification
  • Polyculturalism

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