The American Identity Measure: Development and Validation across Ethnic Group and Immigrant Generation

Converging identities: Dimensions of acculturation and personal identity status among immigrant college students.

“…As an index of construct validity, U.S. identity scores were moderately and Converging Identities 12 significantly correlated (r = .56, p < .001) with scores on U.S. cultural practices. Schwartz et al (2012) found that the factor structure of the adapted MEIM items was consistent across ethnicity and immigrant generation.…”

“…To assess American identity, we adapted the MEIM so that "the U.S." was inserted into each item in place of "my ethnic group" (Schwartz et al, 2012). This adapted measure was highly internally consistent (α = .90).…”

Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) Expansion: Measuring Racial, Religious, and National Aspects of Sense of Ethnic Identity Within the United Kingdom

“…Phinney and Ong (2007) noted that national identity is distinct from other types of ethnic identity. Indeed, Schwartz and colleagues (e.g., Schwartz et al, 2012) have adapted Phinney's MEIM (R. Roberts et al, 1999) (Howard, 2000).…”

Ethnic and American Identity Development: A Developmental Systems Approach

“…This concern has been focused not just on citizenship and other demographic indicators, but also with psychological dimensions including thoughtful consideration of what being part of the United States means to individuals, and pride in and attachment to the country and the national group (Schwartz et al, 2012a). Thus, American Identity can be conceptualized like ethnic identity, as both an individual construction and a collective identification Consistent with Phinney's (1989) conceptualization of ethnic identity, American identity has been divided into two processes -American identity exploration and American identity commitment and affirmation (Schwartz et al, 2012a). While commitment and affirmation is more consistent with the concept of American identity, just as with ethnic identity, individuals must first consider what their identification with the United States signifies to them (exploration) before they can commit to and internalize a specific identification with the nation (Schwartz et al, 2012a).…”

“…As a result of the September 11 attack and the continuing increase in ethnic diversity in the United States, both scholars and the general public have been concerned with what an American identity is and how strongly immigrants identify with being an American (Schildkraut, 2005(Schildkraut, , 2007Schwartz et al, 2012a). This concern has been focused not just on citizenship and other demographic indicators, but also with psychological dimensions including thoughtful consideration of what being part of the United States means to individuals, and pride in and attachment to the country and the national group (Schwartz et al, 2012a).…”