An Analysis of Spoken Interaction Exemplifying the Negotiation and Co-construction of Ethnolinguistic Identity

College of Foreign Languages,Xinjiang University,Xinjiang,China Email:jhuamei2019@yeah.net

[Abstract]This paper focuses on the talk of five Chinese-American girls in which they negotiated and co-constructed their ethnolinguistic identity.Discourse analysis was carried out to demonstrate the negotiation of Chinese-American ethnolinguistic identity and how it was reflected in the social interaction among five Chinese-American girls.Interactional devices include using lexical choices(pronouns),Chinese characters in English speech as well as turn-taking and discourse markers to co-construct ethnolinguistic identity and produce a feeling of belonging.Through analyzing the interactive discourse of five Chinese-American individuals,it can be concluded that they negotiated and co-constructed their Chinese-American ethnolinguistic identity through communication.

[Keywords]Ethnolinguistic Identity;Chinese-Americans;Language;Culture

Introduction

This paper focuses on the talk of five Chinese-American girls in which they negotiated and co-constructed their ethnolinguistic identity.In this study,‘identification’and‘identity construction’are used interchangeably because of referring to the formation of identity as a process of‘becoming’.Discourse analysis was carried out to demonstrate the negotiation of Chinese-American ethnolinguistic identity and how it was reflected in the social interaction among five Chinese-American girls.Besides,the focus is on the participants’experiences of being second-generation Chinese Americans,especially their experiences of Chinese cultures,such as cultural values,family relationships,heritage language learning,and encounters in society(stereotype/discrimination).Language and identity are considered to be dynamic notions.Interactional devices include using lexical choices(pronouns),Chinese characters in English speech as well as turn-taking and discourse markers to co-construct ethnolinguistic identity and produce a feeling of belonging.

This paper raises the following research questions:How do language and culture affect the negotiation and construction of the ethnolinguistic identity of Chinese Americans? How was the ethnolinguistic identity of Chinese-American immigrants negotiated and co-constructed in this interactive discussion?

The next sections make an overview of key definitions and notions pertinent to this essay,followed by an introduction of the data analysis approach.The findings section explores how specific aspects of the ethnolinguistic identity of Chinese Americans are made throughout their interaction in the video.Through this interaction,the ethnolinguistic identity of Chinese Americans is constructed and the sense of belonging to Chinese culture is built.In addition,an analysis is carried out on the roles of language,culture,and ethnicity in the construction of their ethnolinguistic identity.

Overview

This paper focuses on the interactional construction of ethnolinguistic identity intersecting the dimensions of Chinese culture and language.This section summarises the concept of ethnolinguistic identity and the roles of language and culture in identity construction.

Ethnolinguistic identity

Studying the life experience of a group,ethnolinguistics was approached in a variety of ways because of being organized and expressed through the language tools of the group as a science aimed at examining the relationships between a language and society on the one hand and culture on the other hand(Alvarez-Pereyre,1981,cited in Riley,2007),whose main fields included the language-culture relationship,communicative practices as well as cognitive models of language and thought(Riley,2007).

In social contexts involving the contact between culture and language,both are of particular importance when defining social identity.From this perspective,Giles and Johnson(1987)formulated the theory of ethnolinguistic identity stating that language and identity were related very strongly and reciprocally,and language was of crucial significance to define identity through its use while identity had an influence on the use of language and attitudes towards both language and linguistic groups.

The concept of ethnolinguistic strength or vitality is the core of the ethnolinguistic identity theory.Ethnolinguistic vitality was defined(Giles,1977)to‘enable a group to possibly behave as a proactive and distinctive collective in intergroup relationships’.The vitality of an ethnolinguistic group is attributed to status-related factors,including social,economic,political,linguistic and socio-historical categories.In particular,language status meant the regard in which the language of the group was held both in and out of the group(Giles,1977).Demographic factors are divided into two categories,namely group distribution and numbers.The degree of the strength of each factor is considered to affect the vitality of the community.The greater the number of factors is demonstrated by a group,the more vitality/strength it will possess.The stronger the vitality is,the greater identification group members will have with the group and the more likely outgroup members will be to recognise the group as a distinctive ethnolinguistic entity.

Ethnolinguistic identity was unstable and able to change in a situation of linguistic and cultural contact(Bourhis et al.,1981).

Roles of language and culture in identity construction

Language,culture and identity have an interesting relationship.Culture is closely associated with language.In the absence of language,it is impossible to completely acquire,effectively express and transmit culture.In the absence of culture,language is non-existent.The interconnection of language and culture led to the difficulty in defining their parameters and whether language affected culture,or vice versa(Kim,2003).

The social identity of an individual might be created by language use which created and signalled that social group membership(LePage & Tabouret Keller,1985).‘In the case of social obstacles,language and identity issues appear to be the most prominent.As a consequence,the issue of linguistic identity becomes the most urgent when involving group contact’(Edwards,1985).Among a number of options available to individuals in the declaration of their identities,language was especially powerful because of being adopted or discarded by individuals more easily than more permanent markers such as race,age and sex(Edwards,1985).Thus,the relationship between language and identity was particularly salient in language contact.Fishman(1977)distinguished three tasks fulfilled by language in relation to ethnicity.First,language expresses the ethnic inheritance or paternity of a group.Second,it symbolises and expresses the identity of a group or its patrimony.Third,it functions to express the phenomenology of a group or its own paternity and patrimony.

In particular,language use among immigrants was apt to change more rapidly than ethnic identity.Eastman(1984)stated that‘When we cease using the language of our ethnic group,changes only take place in the language use of our ethnic identity.We remain the original primordial sense of who we are and what group we belong to for the remainder’.

Belonging

As a core aspect of immigrant integration,belonging was better measured and conceptualised by differentiating between immigrants’feelings of being attached and accepted(Bilodeau et al.,2018).The feeling of being attached captures the desires of immigrants to belong to a community,while the feeling of being accepted captures the perception that they are expected by the community to belong.The feeling of being accepted highlights the role of the host community in facilitating or impeding the integration of immigrants.The host community signals the extent to which immigrants are welcomed in their new community,which in turn may shape the extent to which immigrants feel that they belong.Feeling attached and accepted appears to be of equal importance to assess the integration level of immigrants.Only when both conditions of feeling attached and accepted were met,could immigrants start to engage in the host community as full members(Bilodeau et al.,2018).

It is believed that the sense of belonging is a decisive factor for physical and psychological well-being.It was found that belonging to a social community enhanced individuals’sense of meaning in life.

This study uses the word‘belonging’which means the flexible,subjective and ongoing sense of attachment of immigrants to a country or place in which they regard themselves as in-group members.It is worth mentioning that a strong sense of belonging to the host country might be compatible with a perception of affiliation to the source country(Hou et al.,2018).

Data

The data presented in this essay was obtained from a YouTube video in which five Chinese-American girls discussed their Chinese-American identity celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.They talked about their Chinese-American‘tag’from the perspectives of culture,ethnicity and language,whose names are Sandy,Beth,Michelle,Glenna and Jenn.They have a lot in common because of belonging to second-generation immigrants and holding American nationalities.In this video,they discussed eight questions as follows:

1.What is your ethnicity?

2.Which generation do you belong to?

3.What is your first experience in which you felt your difference?/What is your first experience in which you felt the demarcation of being different or a minority?

4.Do you always take pride in your heritage or have you ever rejected it?

5.What are some stereotypes you strive to overcome?

6.Are you able to speak a native language?

7.Did the identity as a Chinese American have an impact on your relationship with your parents?

8.What is your current opinion on your heritage?Do you identify with it now?

Generally,‘Speakers need to take turns to talk in a conversation,which is managed in a special way.Typically,only one speaker is allowed to speak at a time’(Cameron,2001).In this video,Sandy held and read questions,and then all the girls expressed their viewpoints one by one.This paper aims to attend to the interactional texts represented in the data.

Data analysis approach

This paper adopts the approach of poststructuralist identity‘considering identity not to be something fixed for life,but an ongoing life project where individuals constantly make an attempt at maintaining a sense of balance’(Block,2006).In addition,this passage uses the Foucault-inspired discourse analysis of spoken interaction,drawing on the performativity of the fluid and negotiable construct of cultural identity(Foucault,1972).A significant theme in spoken discourse and research involves considering the speech event to be designed and produced for a particular context where it occurs.That is to say,speakers in interaction actively participate in constructing their stances and identities instead of simply imparting knowledge passively.In any interaction,two or more parties affect and react to each other by talking to each other.Due to the multiple and flexible views of identity,discourse analysis is an appropriate form of extract analysis.Identity construction can be linked to the language if seen as an interactional achievement.

Findings and discussions

The following extracts were taken from the interview among Sandy,Beth,Michelle,Glenna,and Jenn.Chinese characters were followed by their English translations(The full transcription was attached in the appendix).

Extract 1:‘Which generation do you belong to?’

1 S:Okay(.)so next question is(:)which generation are you(?)

2 So my dad is from Shanghai China and my mom was born in Vietnam but she's

3 also Chinese and they both immigrated to the States in their 20s from their

4 respective countries(.)My mom actually lived in Hong Kong for a little bit

5 before she came here(.)So I think that makes me first-generation born in America

6 and I grew up in the bay area of California and the city of San Jose area code

7 408 in case you guys are wondering.

8 J:I know(,)I am also first generation but that is based on my definition of it I don't

9 actually know if this is the right definition(.)Basically my parents were born in

10 China and then they came to America and then my brother and I were the first

11 that were born in America so we're first gen(.)

12 B:Me too(.)I also thought of myself as first generation because I am the first

13 person in my family to be born in the States but then someone told me that

14 that's technically second generation because I'm the second generation to live in

15 the U.S.I don't know(,)I consider myself first generation(.)Other people will

16 probably say second generation(.)

17 M:I thought we are 1st generations(.)But like you mentioned(,)maybe we’re

18 second generation(?)I’m not sure(,)but in my case(,)my parents were both

19 from Hong Kong and they came here when they were young(.)But I was like

20 the only one born here(.)

21 G:Me too(,)me and my sister were the first people that were actually born in

22 the States in our family and unlike my parents(,)me and my sister was being

23 English way better than we do Chinese(,)so I would consider myself to be

24 first-generation(.)

In the first extract,Jenn stated that she was the‘first generation’(line 5)and introduced the postcode of her family to the rest of the girls,reflecting the warm and friendly atmosphere of their discussion.Then,Jenn aligned herself with Sandy by showing understanding(‘I know’in line 8)and presenting her understanding of the question,which could be seen as a sign of cooperation where positioning changed and Jenn was in the position of relating her own experiences.However,Beth mentioned(line 14)that they should be the‘second generation’technically,reflecting their negotiation of identity as they were trying to find out who they were.Then,Michelle doubtfully said,‘Maybe we are the second generation?’She used a questioning intonation because of having no idea whether she was right about this definition.Then,she continued to align herself with the rest of the girls,and also considered herself as the‘first generation’.Notably,she used the pronoun‘we’(line 17)in her speech,which was seen as a significant way to co-construct identity(De Fina et al.,2006)and appeal to their common roots.Finally,Glenna stated that she should be the‘first generation’since she and her sister were‘being English way better’than they were Chinese(line 23).A variety of reasons can affect the identity construction of a person.Here,Glenna’s words indicated that she and her sister felt more like‘Americans’as a young generation of immigrants.She failed to make a further explanation for this.It could be speculated that she was exposed to a lot of American cultures and possibly affected by it to a large extent because of being born in the US,suggesting the close relationship among culture,language and identity construction.

In this extract,they discussed their knowledge of their generation,but they were uncertain which generation they belonged to.Jenn and Sandy considered themselves as the first generation because of being the first generation born in the US.However,Beth later brought new information to the discussion,reflecting their negotiation and co-construct of their identity.

In fact,the second generation exclusively meant people born in the US(Rumbaut,2004).Hence,they belong to the second generation.

Extract 2:‘What are some stereotypes you strive to overcome?’

25 S:For me(,)I think there are kind of two that I really struggled with

26 Beth:Let me guess(,)(math)!

27 Sandy:Exactly(,)they thought we're all great at math and science(.)I hate that

28 stereotype(.)

29 B:I know(,)Michelle(.)

30 B:How about you(?)

31 M:My stereotype experience is like the math thing she just mentioned(.)

32 I called it as the motto stereotype(!)It's literally people saying the reason why

33 you achieve these goals is because of your race(,)the reason why you got this

34 because you're Asian(!)

35 G:That’s exactly what I’m gonna say(!)You know(,)one stereotype that I struggle

36 with is the model minority myth(,)which is basically that all Asians are

37 amazing(.)

38 J:The typical one I had is that they assume that we don't know English and that

39 we're from like China and it just gets really annoying because they treat you

40 differently and they just aren't open to talking to you(.)That's an annoying

41 thing(.)Another one is thinking that we're like conceited and from like old

42 money so like thinking we're like the rich(,)like the crazy rich Asians

43 basically so yeah(,)it's like pretty annoying and they just don't believe that we

44 are from America they just like think and truly believe that we're from China

45 even though we say that we are from America like I’m from California(.)We

46 are quite American otherwise no stereotypes(.)

In line 25,Sandy was about to introduce her stereotype experience,but Beth interrupted her by guessing the content of the talk,which showed their close social distance(Cameron,2001)since it is impolite to interrupt others.People would not do this to a stranger.In addition,it indicated that they had the same experience.Then,Sandy replied with‘exactly’(line 27),showing that Sandy was happy to be understood by others.She kept saying that she‘hated’stereotypes.In order to comfort Sandy and change the atmosphere of the discussion,Beth agreed with the stereotype experience of Sandy by saying‘I know’(line 29).Then,she threw the question to Michelle by asking‘How about you?’,which was the turn-allocation mechanism(Cameron,2001).In this case,more information about their stereotype experiences could be collected,thus contributing to the construction of their identity.Michelle replied that she had the same experience just like‘She(Sandy)mentioned’.The use of the pronoun‘she’embodied their close social distance(Cameron,2001).By using this,Michelle could continue the topic of Sandy,which also reflected their mutual understanding of stereotypes.

The use of discourse makers‘You know’in line 35 was an agreement with the intention of building positive rapport with the listener(Cameron,2001).As mentioned before,they were the second generation of immigrants and faced the same stereotypes in this context,showing a mutual understanding and empathy for their respective experiences.Finally,Jenn brought new stereotypes to the discussion and frequently used‘we’and‘they’(line 39)when talking about stereotypes.In this context,‘we’represented the five girls or all Chinese-American immigrants,while‘they’referred to people from the host country.By use of‘we’,she actually showed alignment with her cultural identity.Compared with individualistic values,Chinese people always emphasize‘us’or‘we’since Chinese culture attaches importance to‘collectivism’.Additionally,Jenn mentioned that people from the host country thought they‘don’t know English’and treated them differently,which annoyed her.This was a negative stereotype,which however indicated the importance of language in identity identification and construction.

Overall,the identity of a person was shaped by how immigrants were viewed by the members of the host country and viewed themselves,namely self-categorisation and categorisation by others,especially the dominant group(Barth,1966).Different views from the host society and immigrants themselves are of great importance to construct the identity of immigrants.Stereotypes are always put on immigrants by others.In this context,misunderstanding and misinterpretation resulting from stereotypes caused the negotiation of language choice and identity construction.

Extract 3:‘What is your favourite thing about being an Asian American/your heritage?’

47 S:I like obviously(,)the food is freaking amazing(,)I love Chinese food now(,)

48 before I think I would deny it so much(,)but now(,)I freaking love Chinese food(,)

49 Have you tried Kung Pao Chicken(Chinese cuisine)(?)It's so good(!)

50 J:宫爆鸡丁（Chinese character for Kung Pao Chicken）(.)

51 S:Haha(,)that’s what I mean(.)I know I still have a lot to learn when it comes

52 to my heritage and my culture but just recognizing that is a great starting point

53 for me(.)

54 M:Can’t agree more(.)Apart from the food(,)um I think my favorite reason is

55 I can experience both cultures of like American and the Chinese culture(.)So

56 when I'm in America(,)people look at me(,)and they don't look at me as an

57 American(.)Oh she's Asian(,)When I go to China(,)people are like(,)oh she's an

58 American(,)and you're kind just stuck between Asian and American(,)it's great(!)

59 G:Yes(,)the culture here in the US are different from China(.)China is a

60 country with thousands of history and a lot of crazy stuff going on(.)

61 The US also has a bunch of crazy stuff(,)obviously(,)but the US is a newer

62 country and its very different(,)and I'm happy that I get to be part of both

63 worlds(.)

64 J:Definitely the traditions and cultures(.)I think they're just so interesting and

65 every family has a different tradition and I just love that and another thing that I

66 really love is just the emphasis on family(.)

67 B:I have the same feeling,food and culture(.)I love the food(,)because it's

68 freaking amazing(.)Number two is just Family Values either that's from being

69 Chinese or from growing up in America(,)my family really values honesty I

70 feel like Americans white people they don't get it what I'm like(.)My family is

71 also really big on education(.)

72 Rest of the girls:yes(!)

73 J:like that always comes first growing up(,)I did not do any chores which

74 sounds like such a spoiled brat(,)I promise you I do lots of chores now but as a

75 kid I didn't do any because my parents my grandparents were like the only thing

76 yet you need to do is study(.)

77 M:Right(,)get good grades go to high school(,)go to college(,)like nothing

78 else like you don't owe anything except good grades(.)

79 B:Yeah(,)like a good education can open so many doors and can teach you so

80 much more about the world and yourself(.)So that's always been a priority for us(.)

Sandy expressed her love for Chinese food in line 47 and talked about Kung Pao Chicken(line 49).Then,Jenn said the original Chinese name of the dish immediately.Sandy laughed and said,‘That’s what I mean’(line 51),which indicated that Sandy and Jenn could understand each other(both English and Chinese).This code switch by alternating English in Chinese in her speech could be seen as an interactive strategy to convey communicative meaning,which also indicated that they aligned themselves with Chinese food culture.A number of scholars wrote about the significance of cuisines in specific ethnic communities,making note of how both particular types of food and rituals of eating food served to perpetuate and regulate the notions of ethnic identity(Buckser,1999).

Apart from discussing food,these girls talked about affection to their culture.In line 59,Glenna made a comparison between Chinese and American cultures,showing her in-depth understanding of the two countries.In Glenna’s words,she embraced not only American customs but also her Chinese heritage and mentioned that she was happy to be part of both worlds in line 62,indicating her sense of belonging to both cultures.Giles(1977)indicated that‘The history and prestige value of a language and the degree of its standardisation may result in the shame or pride of members in a linguistic community,which thus may again promote or suppress the vitality of a specific ethnolinguistic group’(p.312).In this extract,they expressed their love and pride in their heritage culture,which further stimulated their alignment to their heritage culture and identity.

Then,Jenn mentioned another important value of Chinese culture,namely an emphasis on family(line 66).She stated that she really liked this value,showing her understanding and alignment with Chinese identity.In addition,Beth talked about values and said that her family valued honesty(line 69)and‘Americans white people they don’t get it(line 70)’,indicating that Beth valued her Chinese identity,truly loved Chinese values and culture and took pride in being Chinese.Then,they talked about family values and education in China.In line 71,Beth stated that her family emphasised the role of education.In line 72,the rest of the girls immediately responded to Beth by saying‘yes’,indicating that they had the same experience with Beth.Then,Michelle used a parallel sentence in line 77 to express her complaints about the overemphasis of her family on education.Traditional Chinese society is deeply affected by the confucianism of respecting elders,uniting family and community and emphasizing education.Growing up as Chinese Americans,they are likely to experience stereotypes caused by different cultural norms.The intrinsic differences between Chinese and American could cause cultural conflicts,increasing the difficulty in identity formation(Florsheim,1997).

Extract 4:‘Are you able to speak native language?’

81 S:I can speak Cantonese and a little bit of Mandarin(.)My understanding in

82 Mandarin is definitely better than what I can speak but I didn't speak Cantonese

83 or Mandarin for a really long time(,)and then I was like older(,)I realized like

84 I'm gonna completely lose it if I don't start speaking it again(.)

85 M:The same(,)I can speak Cantonese and Mandarin(.)I communicate when I

86 come in obviously community(.)I speak Cantonese in Hong Kong and I go to

87 like Beijing or Hunan or whatever I would speak mainly Mandarin so try to

88 attempt to(.)

89 B:I speak Mandarin(,)I don't speak Cantonese and I can understand a bit of my

90 mom's family dialect(.)

91 G:I can speak my language(,)I can speak Mandarin Chinese(.)I speak English

92 with my parents so I don't get to practice Mandarin that often unless my

93 grandparents are at home(.)

94 J:I think I am fluent in Cantonese although my brother recently brought up the

95 fact that maybe I'm not fluent because I can't read or write Chinese but you

96 know what I'm still gonna say I'm fluent(.)I've grown up around Mandarin

97 speakers so honestly I can understand a lot of Mandarin which I'm very proud

98 of(.)

In this extract,they talked about their heritage language.According to Sandy,she could speak her hometown dialect-Cantonese(line 81)better than Mandarin,showing that she might use the dialect frequently with her family.However,she gradually changed her attitude and realised the importance of both Mandarin and Cantonese as she grew older.In line 84,Sandy showed her concerns about her proficiency in the heritage language and was afraid of losing the ability to speak the language if not using it.Then,Michelle expressed the same concern by saying‘the same’,showing their attitudes towards heritage language learning and the contribution of language to the identity construction of individuals.It is interesting that Michelle spoke Cantonese in Hong Kong(line 86)and Mandarin in Beijing.She used different languages in different communities,demonstrating the language shift among immigrant communities.Such a shift in different situations defined her relationship with people and sense of confidence in linguistics and culture.In line 93,Glenna stated that she practised Mandarin unless her grandparents were at home,showing her close bond with her grandparents.In general,old people maintain a deeper bond with their heritage and identity.In this case,Glenna’s grandparents might have an influence on her heritage language learning and identity construction.

Speaking of heritage language,it is strongly related to ethnic group identification.Attitudes towards an ethnic group and people using its language are associated with individuals’language competence and interest in retaining their heritage language.

It can be concluded from the extract that English was the dominant language in their life,but they also made efforts to speak Chinese with their families.All girls in the video could speak Mandarin and believe in the importance of learning their heritage language.

Extract 5:‘Did the identity as an Asian American have an impact on your relationship with your parents?’

99.S:with my dad growing up(,)because he could speak English(,)it was just

100.much easier to communicate with him and there was better understanding(.)

101.101 With my mom(,)it was very difficult for sure because we would get into fights 102 all the time and misunderstand each other(.)Miss communicate and she would

103 just get to a point where I would scream like why can't you learn English(,)

104 you're in America(!)My mom would say like well why can't you learn

105Chinese(,)you're Chinese(!)

106 J:wow,mine situation is different.I have always been really close with my

107 parents,which is something that I love.And(,)like I'm so happy about(,)and I 108think a large part of that is because I know how to speak Cantonese(.)that’s

109what I speak to my grandma's with(.)And like my aunts and my uncles(,)I

110 already speak English with my brother when I'm at home or like with our

111 cousins(.)

112 Otherwise it's all in Cantonese(,)and I think that helped a lot with our

113 relationship just because it's how we communicate obviously(,)and like if I

114 didn't know Cantonese that well or if I refused to learn it(,)I feel like we

115 wouldn't be as close as we are now(.)

Intergenerational relations can affect the identification and perception of affiliation of Chinese young people.If maintaining a good relationship with parents,children are more likely to identify with the ethnic origins of their parents.Intergenerational relationships are affected by a number of factors.In particular,the intergenerational relations between young people and their parents are usually considered as a state of conflict on the basis of language and cultural values.

In this extract,Sandy characterised her conflicts with her mother mainly as language conflicts caused by the language barrier.Language exerted an impact on the relationship between Sandy and her mother.In line 105,her mother said,‘Why can’t you learn Chinese,you are Chinese!’,and Sandy replied with‘Why can’t you learn English,you are in America’(line 104).In this context,her mother believed that Sandy should speak Chinese because of their heritage and identity,but Sandy believed that her mother should use English because of being‘in’(line 104)America,which placed an emphasis on geographical location.Their arguments reflected the negotiation of their identity construction.What her mother said indicated her alignment with her heritage and identity.She also wanted her daughter to speak Chinese,thus feeling more connected with their heritage and identity.For Sandy,her words reflected her sense of belonging to the host country.She expected her mother to learn English to adapt to the host country.

The language(English and Mandarin)proficiency of both Sandy and her mother is understandable.First-generation immigrants coming to the US mainly speak their native language and just learn simple English for daily communication.However,the second generation of students encounters prevalent American discourses on language,identity and ethnicity in their American neighbourhoods,schools,and after-class assignments.Hence,language differences surely exist between different generations of immigrants,thereby affecting the construction of their identity.

Compared with Sandy,Jenn was in a different situation.By saying‘wow’(line 106),she expressed her astonishment at the experience of Sandy that indicated the importance of mastering heritage language.To be exact,the identification of Chinese immigrants is strongly bound up with their fluency in Chinese which is exercised by communicating with their immigrant parents and other family members.Home was generally considered to be the most important place for the descendants of immigrants to maintain a close connection with their ethnic culture and develop an ethnic identity(Gans,1997).

In lines 114 and 115,she mentioned that her good relationship with her family resulted from her good command of Cantonese.Hence,it was concluded that heritage language was of importance for the second generation.In particular,it is conducive to maintaining the bond between individuals and their families and communities.As a result,mastering heritage languages is crucial for constructing and maintaining the identity of the second generation.

Extract 6:‘What is your current opinion on your heritage and do you identify with it now?’

116 S:I'm definitely proud of being an Asian-American(.)I definitely identify with

117 being Asian-American but specifically my own heritage of being Chinese(.)

118 M:Yes(!)um I feel great with my heritage I am a proud Chinese-American(.)

119 I'm so proud to say that now because before I could never say that(,)but now

120 looking back(,)it's like the personal growth so yeah(.)

121 G:I'm definitely proud to be Chinese-American(,)yes I consider myself to be

122 Chinese-American(.)I am both Chinese and I am American(.)I can speak both

123 languages(,)I am involved in both cultures there things in Chinese culture that

124 I love and hate but there are things in American culture that I love and hate(.)

125 J:True(,)I mean I don't know if you can tell but like I love it(!)And I truly

126 love being Chinese and being an Asian-American(,)and I do identify with it(.)

127 I identify with a lot of it(.)

In this extract,they displayed alignment to their Chinese-American identity,and expressed that they were proud of‘being Chinese Americans’.In line 116,Sandy‘definitely’identified with her Chinese-American identity,especially her heritage of being Chinese,indicating her alignment to her Chinese identity.In line 118,Michelle said‘yes’to show her agreement with Sandy,indicating that they felt proud of being Chinese Americans.In lines 119 and 120,Michelle mentioned the change of her attitude towards her identity.According to her,she had‘personal growth’and was‘proud’to say this now,which she would not do in the past.This indicated the change of her attitude towards her Chinese-American identity,suggesting that identity was not fixed.

In line 122,Glenna subsequently said she was‘both Chinese and American’because of being able to speak‘both languages’,and objectively expressed her emotions(‘hate’and‘love’)towards both cultures,indicating her sense of belonging to both countries and cultures.In line 125,Jenn said‘true’to show her support for Glenna,and used repetition(lines 126 and 127)to demonstrate her perception of affiliation to Chinese-American identity.To be precise,she said,‘I identify with“a lot of”it’,reflecting her alignment to her identity.

Previous interactions achieved successful alignment,particularly negotiated and constructed the ethnolinguistic identities of these five girls.Besides,a discussion was held on the roles of language and culture in constructing their ethnolinguistic identity.

Discussion and conclusion

The present study considers how language and culture had an influence on the negotiation and construction of the ethnolinguistic identity of Chinese Americans,and an analysis was carried out on the co-construction of identity in the interaction of the video.Through analysing the interactive discourse of five Chinese-American individuals,it can be concluded that they negotiated and co-constructed their Chinese-American ethnolinguistic identity through communication.

Communication and identification are not a one-dimensional routine,which requires the interlocutor to believe in the enacted identity of the person and work together in some way.Their discussion indicated the bond and intimacy between these speakers.For instance,they used a number of pronouns like‘we’and‘she'while discussing.In addition,the atmosphere was warm and friendly,where they often smiled and nodded their heads to show their understanding and support for each other.

Identity is unfixed,whose development and re-construction are completed under social,cultural,economic and political conditions.In particular,the identity of immigrants is even more interactive and dynamic.From the interaction among these Chinese-American girls and their interactions with their family members,it can also be concluded that language,culture,and ethnic identity were all of importance to construct their ethnolinguistic identity.

With regard to language,it was not indispensable but very important and useful for ethnic identification(Heller,2013).According to the data analysis,these girls all tried hard to learn Chinese and basically used heritage language to communicate with their families,strengthening their alignment with their Chinese ethnicity identity.Otherwise,Chinese youth will stand a good chance of being affected in terms of their identity identification if failing to well master Chinese.

As for culture,all of them shared their love for Chinese culture and actually felt connected to both cultures.In spite of experiencing typical stereotypes,they embraced and identified with their Chinese-American identity on the whole.In particular,Sandy mentioned that she especially identified with her own heritage of being Chinese,and loved Chinese customs and values.

In the current study,these immigrant girls had a sense of belonging to the cultures of both home and host countries.In other words,they felt that they belonged to the city where they lived,and maintained a strong feeling of belonging to their ethnic group.A lot of research indicated that immigrants did not simply give up their past identities or cultural affinity with their original countries.Instead,these were utilised as templates or interpretive tools for constructing their personal and collective identities in the new society(Lerner et al.,2007).

The data analysis showed that these girls took great pride in being a group and felt the importance of learning Chinese.Their discussion exhibited great ethnolinguistic vitality.In terms of ethnolinguistic identity,the more vitality an ethnolinguistic group was considered to have,the greater probability it would have of surviving as a group with a unique identity within a multicultural setting(Giles,1977).If language was valued as a‘core aspect’or essential symbol of the group,these perceptions of greater strength were likely to result in the maintenance of its ethnic language(Giles&Johnson,1987).

To sum up,ethnolinguistic identity demonstrates numerous aspects of the life experiences of an individual on the basis of language,culture,and ethnicity as an umbrella term.It is not fixed and can change in a situation of linguistic and cultural contact.