Abstract
Rates of immigration are at an all-time high in many
Western countries, and immigration can exert profound influences on identity
development. These influences occur both at the individual level and at the
group level, but these two sets of influences have rarely been considered
simultaneously. Accordingly, this article adopts a multilevel approach to
identity development among immigrant youth, with a focus on North American
receiving contexts. We focus not only on individual ethnic, national, and
personal identity development, but also on the societal-level intergroup
processes (e.g., threats and stereotypes) that constrain the identity options
available to immigrants. We highlight the prominence of biculturalism -
endorsement of both heritage and destination-country identities - but
also discuss ways in which biculturalism may be difficult to attain for some
immigrants and immigrant groups. We also emphasize the interplay between
individual immigrants' identities and the mechanisms through which
defensive policies enacted by "threatened" majority groups may
harm identity development among immigrant youth. The article concludes with a
listing of priorities for future work.
