Mixed Race Studies

Ethnic Identity of Biethnic Mexican American/European Americans Raised in Texas

Texas Tech University
May 2005
73 pages

Kristal L. Menchaca

A Thesis in Human Development and Family Studies Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Mexican American/European American biethnic individuals raised in Texas. The present study looked at the applicability of Poston’s (1990) five-stage model of biracial identity development to the experiences of 8 Mexican American/European Americans.

Results indicated that Poston’s (1990) model was applicable to this cohort. The respondents gave responses indicating progression through the five stages of Personal Identity, Choice of Group Categorization, Enmeshment/Denial, Appreciation and Integration. These responses were narrations of current involvement or memories of childhood experiences. Also, Poston’s (1990) suggestion that biracial individuals experience confusion and maladjustment because of their ethnicity was also applicable to the biethnic individuals in this study.

Other themes that influenced identity development of the respondents and also considered salient to their experiences were family experiences and what it means to be Mexican American and European American, separately. Respondents were aware of family’s experiences with discrimination. There was an overall positive meaning assigned to being Mexican American and European American, however, it was not as strong for the latter.

Table of Contents

• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• ABSTRACT
• CHAPTER
  • I. INTRODUCTION
    • Statement of the Problem
  • II. LITERATURE REVIEW
    • Mexican Americans in Texas
    • Definition of Terms
    • Identity Development
    • Model of Biracial Identity Development
    • Biracial Identity Development
    • Purpose of Current Study
  • III. METHODS
    • Qualitative Research
    • Phenomenology
    • Participants
    • Measures
    • Ethnicity Survey
    • Autobiographical Interview Probe
    • Procedures
  • IV. RESULTS
    • Data Analysis
    • Personal Identity
    • Choice of Group Categorization
    • Enmeshment/Denial
    • Appreciation
    • Integration
    • Confusion/Maladjustment
    • Family Experiences
    • What it Means to be Mexican American
    • What it Means to be European American
  • V. DISCUSSION
    • Personal Identity
    • Choice of Group Categorization
    • Enmeshment/Denial
    • Appreciation
    • Integration
    • Confusion/Maladjustment
    • Family Experiences
    • What it Means to be Mexican American
    • What it Means to be European American
    • Conclusions
    • Strengths of Study
    • Limitations of Study
    • Recommendations for future research
• REFERENCES
• APPENDICES
  • A. TABLE ONE
  • B. EMAILS FOR RECRUITMENT
  • C. CONSENT FORM
  • D. ETHNICITY SURVEY
  • E. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL INTERVIEW PROBE

Read the entire thesis here.