Abstract
This study compares Latino host, Latino immigrant, Asian-American host, Asian-American immigrant and European-American host groups of adolescents with respect to four acculturation-related variables: ethnic identity exploration, ethnic identity affirmation/belonging, outgroup orientation, and American identity. Using the five ethno-generational categories as a grouping variable, we conducted analyses of 313 survey responses to the acculturation items at two time periods, 9 weeks apart. Results showed that differences among the three host racial/ethnic groups can best be explained by a group dominance perspective, whereby the two racial/ethnic minority groups are more similar to each other than they are to the European-American group. Furthermore, the relationship between American identity and ethnic identity components is stronger among the three host groups, as compared to the immigrant groups. Implications for future research with adolescent members of the host group whose heritage culture is non-European are drawn.
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Acknowledgments
The early phase of this research was supported in part by National Institutes of Health Grant (GM MBRS SCORE 5 S06GM48680-11) and the later phase was supported in part by NIH (GM MBRS SCORE 2S06GM48680-12A), both to the second author. We thank Andrew Ainsworth for data cleaning.
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When describing the group membership of our participants we use the term “racial/ethnic.” This is not because we believe that the terms “racial” and “ethnic” are interchangeable. Indeed, we are aware that there is controversy about the legitimacy of the term “race” and that there is not widespread agreement about the meaning of the term “ethnic.” The five groups that compose our grouping variable include both racial groups and ethnic groups, as these terms are commonly used. Given all these considerations, we decided that a compound term was best.
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Hsiao, J., Wittig, M.A. Acculturation Among Three Racial/Ethnic Groups of Host and Immigrant Adolescents. Am J Community Psychol 42, 286–297 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-008-9205-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-008-9205-9