ABSTRACT
In this paper, we argue that the shift from understanding “culture as a variable” to thinking of “culture as belonging” requires shifts in disciplinary thinking as well as a rethinking of the meaning of the term “culture” in psychology. Thinking of “culture as belonging” challenges us to be attentive to the ways in which race and specific cultural practices in transnational migrant communities shape the diverse experiences of human development. We problematize the concept of “culture” in cross-cultural psychology by demonstrating how various histories of colonization, stratification and categorization based on phenotypic features both in “home” and “host” countries impact identity negotiation of multigenerational migrant communities. We draw on our ethnographic studies on Indian-American and second generation Black-Canadians to highlight the heterogeneous discourses of racial identity involved in processes of migrant identity formation. We briefly provide alternative conceptualizations of “culture” and “race” by drawing on theoretical frameworks from cultural psychology and discourse analysis.
