When the personal is political: Ethnic identity, ally identity, and political engagement among Indigenous people and people of color.

Objectives: The present mixed-methods study examines allyship as a politicized collective identity and its associations with ethnic identity, personality traits, and sociopolitical engagement among IPPOC. Method: Participants in two samples in 2016 (n = 256) and 2017 (n = 305) completed measures of ally identity, ethnic identity, personality traits, and political engagement. Results: Results indicate two factors of ally identity (ally beliefs and behaviors). Quantitative findings suggest a) ethnic identity exploration predicts ally beliefs and behaviors, b) extraversion predicts ally behaviors, while agreeableness and neuroticism predicts ally beliefs, and c) ally beliefs and behaviors predict awareness, while ethnic identity exploration predicts involvement in political action, even when personality traits are considered. Thematic analysis findings suggest IPPOC allies are politically engaged through social media, individual actions, protests, and civic engagement. Conclusions: Ethnic and ally identity provide different paths to sociopolitical awareness and involvement.