What does it mean to be "Mexican?" - Social construction of an ethnic identity

To better understand the impact of ethnic identity, it is important to exam ine people's social construction, or definition, of that identity. In this study, the social construction of ethnic identity of predominantly low-accu lturated, first- and second-generation U.S. Mexicans and Mexican Americans was examined by asking focus group participants to talk about what it meant to them to be members of their ethnic groups. These open-ended responses t hen were coded along Phinney's aspects of ethnicity. Several interesting pa tterns emerged, some of which have not been emphasized in previous literatu re, such as conflict with African Americans and Chicanas/Chicanos. Discussi on centers on the value of listening to people's social constructions of th eir ethnic identity to better understand their social realities.