Unpacking Conceptions of Being American in Relation to Identity and Mental Health Among Emerging Adults of Color

This study sought to examine how U.S. young adults of color understand American identity in the context of heightened sociopolitical tensions and how these understandings relate to measures of cultural identity and mental health. We used qualitative methods to identify themes in open-ended responses about American identity from 450 young adults of color during the first administration of Donald Trump. Quantitative methods were then used to examine themes in relation to cultural identity and mental health outcomes. Extending past work, we identified themes characterizing what it means to be American, ways youth felt American, and ways youth felt not American. Themes related with measures of cultural identity and mental health and varied based on race/ethnicity, gender, and nativity, revealing diversity in how American identity is experienced. Findings underscore the complexity of national identity among young adults of color who are navigating what it means to be American amid rising sociopolitical conflict.