When the Personal is Political: Ethnic Identity, Ally Identity, and Political Engagement Among Indigenous People and People of Color

Objectives: During an increasingly hostile social and political climate for ethnic-racial minorities, psychologists have begun to question the extent to which Indigenous People and People of Color (IPPOC) see one another as in the same boat (Rivas-Drake & Bañales, 2018). Consequently, the present mixed-methods study examines allyship as a potential politicized collective identity and its associations with ethnic identity, personality traits, and political engagement among IPPOC. Method: The present study was conducted across two samples in August 2016 (n = 256) and 2017 (n = 305). Participants were administered a questionnaire including measures of ally identity, ethnic identity, personality traits, and quantitative and qualitative measures of political engagement. Results: EFA and CFA findings suggest a two- factor solution for ally identity (ally beliefs and behaviors). For Sample 1, findings from the path analysis suggest 1) ethnic identity exploration predicts ally beliefs and behaviors (Model 1), 2) extraversion predicts ally behaviors, while agreeableness and neuroticism predicts ally beliefs (Model 2), and 3) ally beliefs and behaviors predict awareness, while ethnic identity exploration predicts involvement in political action (Model 3), even when personality traits are considered (Model 4). For Sample 2, findings were similar with some notable variations. Thematic analysis findings suggest IPPOC are politically engaged through social media, individual actions, protests, and civic engagement. Conclusions: There is no one pathway to sociopolitical engagement, as elements of ethnic and ally identity provide different paths to sociopolitical awareness and involvement, with ethnic identity exploration being a particularly powerful mechanism for allyship and sociopolitical action.

Aspiring Social Justice Ally Identity Development: A Conceptual Model

Individuals who are supportive of social justice efforts are not always effective in their anti-oppression efforts. Some who genuinely aspire to act as social justice allies are harmful, ultimately, despite their best intentions, perpetuating the system of oppression they seek to change. Different underlying motivations of those who aspire to be allies can lead to differences in effectiveness, consistency, outcome, and sustainability. The conceptual model presented here, using underlying motivation to frame the different issues and challenges facing those who are aspiring allies, is offered as a tool for student affairs professionals’ self-reflection and developing students as allies for social justice.