Acculturation and its influence on the social relationships, identity, and sense of well-being in middle school immigrant adolescents : a descriptive single case study.
Acculturation is important as it influences the social relationships, identity, and sense of well-being of newly arrived immigrant adolescents. Although there is literature that discusses acculturation, few studies explore how it influences Hispanic immigrant adolescents' social relationships with their peers and family, identity, and sense of well-being. Additional research is needed to explore how acculturation and choosing an acculturative strategy influences one's social and personal experiences while adjusting in the host country. This single-case study explores the experience of acculturation of four participants attending a local middle school in the Duluth, GA, area. The purpose of this study was to examine how acculturation and choosing an acculturative strategy influenced the participants' social relationships with their peers and family, as well as their sense of identity and well-being using Berry's (2005, 2019) acculturation model as the theoretical framework. Data collection consisted of two semi-structured interviews and two observations of each participant in their classes. The data analysis found five themes: entering a new country; adjusting to the language barrier and learning a new language; maintaining family relationships; school relationships influenced acculturation; the overall acculturative experience influenced a sense of well-being and identity; students who integrated or assimilated experienced better acculturation; and students who marginalized or separated experienced lower-than-expected acculturation. Findings from the study indicated that all the participants were impacted by acculturation and adjusting in their host country. Their overall acculturative experience in their host country was contingent upon which of Berry's (2005, 2019) acculturative strategies they chose. Participants who chose to integrate or assimilate experienced positive social relationships and had a positive sense of well-being and identity. Alternatively, those who chose to separate or marginalize experienced poor social relationships and had a poor sense of identity and well-being. This study is critical because it sheds light on how schools can improve students' acculturative experience and provide support as needed.
Middle school students., Acculturation., Immigrant adolescents.
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