Abstract
Acculturation is a process that occurs when two or more cultures interact together. This opening chapter discusses the evolution of the definition of acculturation and identifies scales used to measure acculturation through behavior, values, or a combination of both. The chapter then provides a detailed review of the research literature on the effect of acculturation on Asian Americans, specifically as it pertains to physical health, mental health, school performance, choice of careers, and attitudes toward counseling and therapy.
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Notes
- 1.
The term acculturation is sometimes used in writings to refer to the process, but also at times to the outcome of the process. Hence, “acculturation” might be used to refer to the outcome whereby an individual adopts the behaviors and values of the host culture as a result of exposure to that culture. On the other hand, “unacculturated” might be used to refer to an individual who retains the behaviors or values of the country of origin.
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Suinn, R.M. (2009). Acculturation: Measurements and Review of Findings. In: Trinh, NH., Rho, Y.C., Lu, F.G., Sanders, K.M. (eds) Handbook of Mental Health and Acculturation in Asian American Families. Current Clinical Psychiatry. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-437-1_1
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