Navigating identities: the construction and maintenance of ethnic identity for second generation Tongan Americans

Abstract

This thesis examines the process of ethnic identity construction and maintenance for second generation Tongan Americans born in the U.S. It also examines the dichotomy of collectivist goals vs. individualist goals and the way these attitude and practices contribute to the ethnic identity construction and maintenance process. Twelve in-depth interviews were completed and analyzed through qualitative systematic coding methods. Participants were located through personal social connections and snowball sampling. These methods revealed six major themes in the narratives that contribute to the ethnic identity formation and maintenance process: family influence, gender roles and expectations, perceptions of identity, social groups, cultural anchors, and the use of kava on contributing to the maintenance and construction of a Tongan ethnic identity. These themes all intersect and provide a better understanding of the ethnic identity construction and maintenance process for second generation Tongan Americans.