Social Interactions Based Bicultural Identity Development Of Sino-Japanese Biculturals

Bicultural identity is an important issue in cross-cultural psychology,especially when the two cultures are in complex relations,such as China and Japan,with both similarities and friendship,and differences and conflicts,which will influence the cultural identity of SinoJapanese biculturals,who will construct and negotiate bicultural identities in social interactions.This qualitative study explores how Sino-Japanese biculturals develop their bicultural identity,through interviewing twelve bicultural participants with a focus on their social interactions.It’s found that:(1)In terms of bicultural identity construction: Cognitively,social interactions can help them conduct bicultural socialization,and thus form understanding of the two cultures and develop bicultural competence;Emotionally,mainly through interactions with families,they will develop affection towards both cultures.(2)In terms of bicultural identity negotiation: Cognitively,based on their bicultural socialization,they can smoothly integrate their Chinese and Japanese cultural identities into an East Asian cultural identity;Emotionally,due to experience of being discriminated against by Chinese and Japanese mainstream cultural members in social interactions,they tend to struggle between their two cultural identities,and this chaotic feeling will be negotiated by their affection towards both cultures as well as interactions with identity peers.It’s expected that this study can enrich the research field about cultural identity,and provide reference for Sino-Japanese biculturals in terms of bicultural identity development,and others in terms of interactions with Sino-Japanese biculturals.