Second-generation Asian American Identity of Indians: Assimilating with Americans or Retaining Asian-ness or Beyond?

Abstract

This article critically interprets the multi-dimensional Asian American identity of Indians in terms of their pan-ethnic identity formation as Asian Americans through cultural assimilation or merging with the host culture of Americans and retention or holding on to Asian identity. The identification of Indian Asian Americans will be determined by pan-ethnicity, gender and religion by the interview responses of Indian Americans, including the pan-ethnic identity of Indians in the Mar Thoma Church community, the second-generation Patel family’s union formation in terms of gender identity. Identity formation theories like acculturation and culture shock theories will be used to justify the claims made in the hypothesis. The analysis will be organized in terms of its beginning with the analysis of important factors of pan-ethnicity and then of gender and religion consecutively as part of thematic analysis and finally by statistical analysis. Results show the reasons include better professional advantages, which propel their choice of different identities and their future directives as part of the hypothesis of Asian American identity of Indians as they merge with the American identity as part of cultural assimilation, in other cases, retain their Asian identity beyond Americanized identity and sometimes go beyond both American, Asian identity to restate their Indian ethnicity. To conclude, the identity of Indian Americans remains in flux and keeps changing due to the requirements of the ever-evolving world.