second-generation immigrants
Definition
Second-generation immigrants refers to individuals with immigrant backgrounds who were born in or raised in their parents' country of settlement, representing a distinct generation in the immigration experience. Research examining second-generation immigrants' collective psychological ownership of their country of residence reveals that they claim ownership through different mechanisms than majority populations, particularly emphasizing collective control and active agency rather than historical knowledge or intimate familiarity with national narratives. Among second-generation immigrants in Finland, collective investment emerged as the strongest predictor of both territorial and epistemic ownership, while collective control—rather than intimate knowledge—significantly predicted ownership perceptions, highlighting minority groups' focus on active participation and influence. Importantly, second-generation immigrants' ownership claims are primarily oriented toward gaining legitimate civic participation and perceived rights rather than collective responsibility, contrasting sharply with majority group patterns.
Sources: Szebeni et al. (2025)
Related Terms
Applications
Second-generation Immigrants and Collective Psychological Ownership
Second-generation immigrants construct collective psychological ownership of their country along two distinct dimensions: territorial ownership (ownership over physical land and borders) and epistemic ownership (ownership over national narratives and symbolic borders). The pathways through which second-generation immigrants develop these ownership claims differ from majority populations, with collective control and collective investment serving as primary activators rather than intimate knowledge.
Sources: Szebeni et al. (2025)
Second-generation Immigrants and Civic Participation Rights
For second-generation immigrants, both territorial and epistemic ownership dimensions are significantly associated with claiming perceived rights and legitimate civic participation in national decision-making. However, these ownership claims show no significant association with perceived collective responsibility toward the country, suggesting that minority groups' psychological ownership is fundamentally oriented toward gaining voice and influence in matters affecting them rather than stewardship obligations.
Sources: Szebeni et al. (2025)
