Becoming Americanized: The Generational Shift of Chinese Americans’ Linguistic Construction of Their Ethnicity
This study utilizes data collected for a focus group study involving Chinese Americans. To address the underrepresentation of Chinese Americans in the evaluation of new medications, 12 focus groups were conducted among foreign-born and US-born Chinese Americans to investigate their perspectives on clinical trial participation. Drawing on the audio recordings of the focus groups, the present study performs a secondary analysis with a focus on how Chinese Americans construct their ethnic identities, memberships, and practices through their language use.
The analysis reveals three key differences between foreign-born and US-born speakers, suggesting a generational shift toward these aspects: 1) heterogeneity: foreign-born speakers tend to portray Chinese people as a homogeneous entity, whereas US-born speakers orient to heterogeneity within the group; 2) membership: foreign-born speakers do not reference their individual identity and background, whereas US-born speakers often establish their membership within the Chinese community; 3) the broader context: foreign-born speakers focus their discussions solely on Chinese, whereas US-born speakers tend to expand their discussions to include the broader Asian community and other minority groups in the US.
These differences highlight the intricate interplay between cultural background, generational influences, and societal contexts in shaping linguistic practices among Chinese Americans. I argue that the observed generational shift in these aspects reflects how the process of Americanization is manifested in everyday language use. This study also makes a novel methodological contribution by showcasing how secondary analysis affords insights into interactional research, which has traditionally relied on primary data analysis.