Situating Multiethnic Identity: Contributions of Discourse Theory to the Study of Mixed Heritage Students

The article considers the contributions of Gee's Discourse theory to the study of multiethnic identity among mixed heritage students. By framing experience within social context, activity, and interaction, I argue that Discourse theory facilitates a conceptualization of ethnic identity as a situated phenomenon emerging at the intersection of the individual and the collective. Drawing on the life histories of a diverse group of mixed heritage students, the article details how Discourse theory provides a particularly powerful lens for exploring the social processes influencing identity development across contexts, such as those related to enculturation within multiple heritage communities.