Ethnic Identity and Empathy: A Study of Second-Generation Armenian-Americans

Ethnic identity provides both affective and rational sense of belonging to a cultural group. In 1915, the Armenian race survived an attempted ethnic cleansing by the Ottoman Turks, which has an impact on the way Armenians conceptualize themselves ethnically today. Past research has failed to consider the role of affective empathy in ethnic identity. This study sought to explore the relationship between ethnic identity and empathy in second-generation Armenian-Americans. A convenience sample of fifty Armenian-American adults born in the United States participated in the study. Quantitative measures and qualitative, open-ended questions were utilized to gather data. Phinney’s (1992) Multi Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) was utilized to assess ethnic identity, and Spreng’s (2009) Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) was utilized to measure empathy. Statistical analyses comparing the relationship between levels of ethnic identity and empathy did not yield significant results. Content analysis of qualitative data revealed themes of Armenian ethnic identity providing feelings of strength and pride, as well as it being a rational concept rather than affective. Additionally, themes revealed a desire to assimilate to the host country