Conceptions of History in Immigrant Populations and the Effect of Ethnic, National, and Dual Identity on Historical Memory

Abstract

Between courses we take in school, popular films and novels, museums and other monuments, "history" has become a word that most of us take for granted. What exactly is "history?" Malcolm X defines history as "a peoples' memory." However, it cannot be disputed that memory is a fragile and often fallible thing. Social psychologists define history in a similar way using the concept of collective memory, or the constructions of a nation's history. The study of collective memory examines the construct of history through a critical lens, placing emphasis on the role of individuals, society, and institutions in determining which past events deserve a place in our memories, and which events are slated to be forgotten. Previous research on collective memory has sought to investigate whose history gets remembered, what gets forgotten, and why certain events make it into the future and others stay in the past. Generally, research has found that people are motivated to perceive their ingroups as being good and moral. Thus, positive ingroup narratives, such as victory and overcoming hardships, get passed down in formal settings (KurtiÅŸ et al., 2017; Rotella & Richeson, 2013). However, although this is generally true, it has also been shown that collective memory can be altered as a function of cultural shifts, media representation, celebrations and ceremonies, and personal identity (Hakim & Adams, 2017; KurtiÅŸ et al., 2017; Rotella & Richeson, 2013; Sahdra & Ross, 2007). In particular, identity and group affiliation have been studied in depth as they pertain to historical memory. The following sections discuss the current research on this topic.