Bicultural Identity Orientation of Immigrants to Canada

Studies of bicultural identity have claimed conflict--harmony and distance--overlap as relevant axes for describing bicultural identity, whereas other research emphasises variations across social situations. Based on this literature and focus group interviews, the bicultural identity of 300 young adults from immigrant families was examined, and a new bicultural identity instrument was developed, which included subscales assessing conflicted, monocultural, situationally alternating, complementary and hybrid identity orientations. The reliability indices and factor structure supported the distinctiveness of each of these subscales, and correlational analyses supported their validity. A second survey confirmed the factor structure and demonstrated meaningful differences between first- and second-generation Canadians (G1: n = 367 and G2: n = 217, respectively). In particular, both groups endorsed identity hybridity and complementarity more strongly than alternation and alternation was endorsed more strongly than monoculturality and identity conflict. As well, the G1 group reported more conflicted, monocultural and alternating identities than did the G2 group, and the G2 group reported more complementary and hybrid identities than the G1 group. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the diversity of identity experiences of bicultural persons, as well as an instrument to assess these orientations.