Second-Generation Immigrants and Queer Identity

Abstract

The population of openly queer second-generation immigrants is rising and its increasingly necessary to understand their experiences and identity formation processes. Though several studies offer theories about second-generation immigrants or queer young adults, this intersection of identities is less understood, especially in more recent contexts. Thus, it is critical to examine how queer second-generation immigrants interact with competing and cross-border cultural frameworks now, given recent cultural and political shifts in U.S. culture. In this study, I ask: how do queer second generation immigrants navigate their sexuality or gender identity within the context of their immigrant families? Further, how does this cultural negotiation influence the processes and timing of acceptance of identity and coming out? To understand these questions, I completed 25 in-depth interviews with 14 queer Mexican second-generation immigrants and 11 queer non-second-generation immigrant participants for a comparison group. My study reveals three key themes that exemplify the competing tensions participants experience: 1) national political and cultural landscape; 2) nuclear family dynamics; and 3) the role of extended family. Ultimately, these findings indicate a certain level of cultural transnationalism among participants, and emphasize the need for social resources during young adulthood that are attuned to these cultural distinctions.