The Dynamics of Intra-National Ethnic Identities: A Preliminary Look at the 1.5 and Second-Generation Vietnamese and Chinese-Vietnamese Americans.

While it is widely known that many group differences are lost beneath encompassing racial terms such as Asian American, less attention is given to differences within any one specific ethnic group: the intra-national ethnicity dimension. Thus, this paper seeks to further understand the 1.5 and second-generation incorporation process by examining the intra-national ethnicity of children of immigrants from one nation, Viet Nam, and unfolding the experiences of two of its many sub-ethnic groups - the Vietnamese and the Chinese-Vietnamese. This paper explores the following questions: What differences, if any, exist between these two sub-ethnic groups? What are some ethnic identity and adaptation patterns and outcome for the children of the immigrants of this particular intra-national ethnic group (Chinese-Vietnamese vs. Vietnamese)? The purpose of this paper is to incite discussion and provide preliminary findings in this propose field of research. Findings from this study show that variances exist within this particular intra-national ethnic groups vis-à-vis ethnic identification and educational attainment. However, further research is necessary to explain the causes and consequences of these adaptation distinctions. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]