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Acculturation and Self-esteem Among Indian Immigrants in Portugal

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Abstract

The goal of this research was to analyze the process of acculturation and psychological adaptation among Indian immigrants living in Portugal. The sample included 206 Indian immigrants (46% females) with an average age of 36 years. Participants completed measures of acculturation strategies, security, perceived discrimination, attitudes toward ethnocultural groups, ethnic identity, self-esteem, and demographics. Integration was the dominant acculturation strategy for this sample, and integration predicted higher self-esteem. Support for the multiculturalism hypothesis was found, and ethnic identity appeared as a significant predictor of positive feelings about themselves. Furthermore, the extent to which ethnic identity and integration affected immigrants’ self-esteem was analyzed. A path model evidenced that integration mediated the effect of ethnic identity on self-esteem. Ethnic identity experienced by Indian immigrants in Portugal and integration strategy play an essential role in their psychological adaptation. The findings are discussed in terms of the conceptional context.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center in Business Sciences and Tourism of Consuelo Vieira da Costa Foundation (CICET-FCVC), Porto, Portugal

    Joana Neto

  2. Faculdade de Psicologia E Ciências da Educação da Universidade Do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal

    Félix Neto

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  1. Joana Neto
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  2. Félix Neto
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The authors contributed equally to the study conception, design, and analysis. The authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Félix Neto.

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Neto, J., Neto, F. Acculturation and Self-esteem Among Indian Immigrants in Portugal. Int. Migration & Integration 24, 385–402 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-022-00954-1

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