Ethnic identity among Ukrainians in the United States: intergenerational and community influences

The purpose of this research was to understand the complex ways in which family and community interact to sustain Ukrainian identity across generations. In this work, there is particular focus on identifying the influence of parent ethnic identity and parenting styles on offspring identity in conjunction with community variables. 414 participants (207 adult parent-offspring dyads) were recruited from Ukrainian-American community centres. The analyses indicated both intrafamilial and extrafamilial determinants of strength of Ukrainian ethnic identity in adult offspring. Parental ethnic identity and related language use, as well as ritualism each uniquely contributed to offspring identity. Additionally, community variables increased in importance in determining offspring identity when parental Ukrainian ethnic identity was low. These results provide a conceptualization of the multifaceted nature of Ukrainian and Ukrainian-American identities and point to critical processes that may help to sustain ethnic identities in acculturating communities.