| This thesis contributes to the general understanding of second-generation identity formation, specifically its intersection with inter-generational conflicts and intra-ethnic (same-group) variations in orientations. It explores the phenomenon among 1.5 and second-generation Filipino Americans born to the post-1965 wave of Filipino immigrants. Although the respondents in this study chose different manifest ethnic labels (i.e., hyphenated, national origin, pan-ethnic, and American) to describe themselves, they nonetheless share a sense of being different from both the "FOBs" ("Fresh-Off-the-Boat"), and the "white-washed" Filipinos who are generally viewed negatively. Moreover, the cohort collectively experiences the psycho-social stress of "emotional transnationalism." In coping with this emotional state, 1.5 and second-generation Filipino Americans engage in what this thesis refers to as "intra-ethnic intermediary identification"---a latent process of actively and strategically positioning themselves between two extreme orientations so as to develop a positive ethnic self-image and a sense of identity or belonging. Research implications are addressed. |
