Negotiating ambivalent identities in geopolitical contexts: second-generation youth of Chinese immigrant mothers in Taiwan

Abstract

Recent studies on the second generation have investigated the influence of transnationalism while overlooking the impact of geopolitics. Immigrant parents’ countries of origin, with varying geopolitical relations to the host nation, shape and limit the second generation’s identity formation. In the context of Taiwan's evolving geopolitical multiculturalism, Southeast Asian second-generation youths are increasingly able to claim a bicultural identity, but the offspring of PRC Chinese immigrants face conflicting identities in the shadow of cross-strait geopolitics. This research explores how Chinese second-generation individuals manage their ambivalent identities at the intersection of geopolitical stigma and multicultural dividends. Three strategies of identity work are identified: (1) emphasizing cultural authenticity and loyalty to Taiwan to conceal PRC ties, (2) rescaling their Chinese identity down to the levels of city and province or up to achieve a cosmopolitan image, and (3) reshaping local and group identities through community engagement and networking with second-generation peers.

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