362 ChapteR 10 Behavior in Social and Cultural Context
attached to the group, and behave in ways that
conform to the group’s rules, values, and norms.
Interestingly, many North Americans no lon-
ger want to be pigeonholed into only one ethnic
or racial category. Many have created combined
identities, such as Blaxican (African American
and Mexican), Negripino (African American and
Filipino), Hafu (half-Japanese, half-something else),
and Chino-Latino (Chinese and Hispanic). The
blurring of traditional ethnic and racial boundaries
is likely to continue: In 2010, nearly 15 percent of
all new marriages in the United States were inter-
racial, more than double the number in 1980.
Nonetheless, most ethnic minorities remain
identified with their culture of origin, while picking
and choosing among the values, foods, and customs
of the mainstream culture. Yet any observer of the
world today knows that acculturation is not always
easy, in any nation. Many immigrants arrive in
their host country with every intention of becom-
ing part of the mainstream culture. If they encoun-
ter discrimination or setbacks, however, they may
realize that acculturation is harder than they antic-
ipated and that their original ethnic identity offers
greater solace. Indeed, there seems to be a critical
period for successful acculturation: People become
better able to identify with their host culture the
longer they are exposed to it, but, as a study of
Chinese immigrants in Canada found, often only
if that exposure occurs when they are relatively
young (Cheung, Chudek, & Heine, 2011).You are about to learn...
• how people in a multicultural society balance
ethnic identity and acculturation.
• what causes ethnocentric, us-versus-them
thinking and how to decrease it.
• how stereotypes benefit us but also distort reality.Us Versus them: Group
Identity
Each of us develops a personal identity that is
based on our particular traits and unique life his-
tory. But we also develop social identities based
on the groups we belong to, including our na-
tional, religious, political, and occupational groups
(Brewer & Gardner, 1996; Tajfel & Turner, 1986).ethnic identity LO 10.14
In multicultural societies such as the United States
and Canada, different social identities often col-
lide. In particular, people often face the dilemma
of balancing an ethnic identity, a close identification
with a religious or ethnic group, and acculturation,
identification with the dominant culture (Berry,
2006; Phinney, 1996). The hallmarks of having
an ethnic identity are that you identify with the
group, feel proud to be a member, feel emotionallysocial identity The part
of a person’s self-concept
that is based on his or
her identification with a
nation, religious or politi-
cal group, occupation, or
other social affiliation.
ethnic identity A per-
son’s identification with a
racial or ethnic group.
acculturation The pro-
cess by which members
of minority groups come
to identify with and feel
part of the mainstream
culture.
Ethnic identities are changing these days, as bicultural
North Americans blend aspects of mainstream culture
with their own traditions. But many people still like to
celebrate their ethnic heritage, as illustrated in these
photos of Irish Americans celebrating St. Patrick’s Day,
Japanese Americans reviving taiko (traditional Japanese
drumming), and Mexican Americans celebrating Cinco
de Mayo.