Second generation south Asians: Dating, mating and becoming American

The second generation assimilation experience reflects changing assumptions about what it means to be American. This study examines the ways in which one second generation group "becomes American" by analyzing their family experiences, dating and marriage choices and the ways in which they negotiate between the culture of their immigrant parents and mainstream expectations around individualism, autonomy and the navigation of mainstream gender norms. This dissertation focused on the experience of second generation South Asian Americans, and asked how they reconcile "American" ideas and norms around autonomy and egalitarianism with the "traditional" expectations of their families and ethnic communities? Using data from in-depth interviews of 60 male and female respondents between the ages of 21-40 and a life course approach, this study examined the adaptation and assimilation processes experienced by these second generation subjects, part of a largely middle and upper middle class cohort that is often described as the "children of 1965.";This study uses a focus on dating and marriage strategies and choices to reveal the complex dilemmas and negotiations, variability and autonomy in the second generation experience. Through the use of qualitative data from interviews and employing a life course approach emphasizing the subjective experience of life choices, three life pathways emerged, the traditional pathway, the independence pathway and the ethnic rebellion pathway, showing this complexity and variability. Each of these pathways revealed different types of autonomy and negotiations of gender expectations, demonstrating the influence of childhood socialization combined with social structural and personal forces in shaping the trajectories individuals take. The social class privilege, family and community resources and model minority status of this second generation cohort resulted both in enhanced career opportunities and a diversity of life choices. Thus, this study demonstrates that the experiences of the second generation show great variability and that the structural circumstances of immigrants influence not just their economic attainment but their personal life choices as well.