Unequal Identities: The Attainment of National Identity and Ethnic Identity Among Children of Immigrants in Canada

Despite growing interest in “the new second generation,” quantitative analyses on the psychosocial adaptation among non-white offspring are limited, especially in Canada. This study addresses this gap by assessing the impact of ethno-racial characteristics among children of immigrants on the establishment of self-labelled national and ethnic identities using a nationally representative survey, the 2002 Ethnic Diversity Survey. Results from binary logistic regression suggest that while white children of immigrants are more likely to form national identity, ethnic identity is more likely to be established among their non-white counterparts. While this is consistent with the segmented assimilation theory, the study also reveals that the level of parental education does not explain the results, countering the theory. This paper concludes by highlighting the impact of ethnic concentration, home language, and experience of discrimination on the identity formation and discussing implications for immigrant integration policies and future immigration research.