Ethnic Identity in the Emigrant's Psyche

Abstract

Having psychological, psychiatrical, biological, anthropological, sociological and philosophical data, the author attemps to develop the structure of an individual identity, and to come up with a definition which would answer the question: who am I?

Different descriptions of identity found in American authors have been presented in this article. The author takes advantage of them in order to give her own complete holistic definition of identity. She delineates four elements present in the identity of every individual:

1) genetically inherited characteristies;
2) characteristies acquired through family socialization;
3) characteristies acquired through re-socialization;
4) self-evaluation reganding one's own status, role, potential, priorities of values, obligations, abilities, group solidarity, nationality, religion and ethnic belonging.

The author regards the ethnic identity as an integral element of the individual's identity which is especially active in his or her psyche on account of emigration. The article introduces and explains among others the notion of psychical immunology. It allows to analyse the process of emigrant's acceptance or rejection of the culture of the new environment. This notion provides for a better understanding of the processes which take place in emigrant's psyche and lead to changes of his or her identity and to the development of a "third value".

In her conclusion the author states that she regards ethnic identity as a special "colouring" of the emigrant's identity. She considers it also as an element which deeply infiltrates the whole psychical structure of an emigrant and the creative processes which take place in it.