How Do I Say That in “English”? Exploring Acculturative Dissonance in the Context of Immigration and Adolescent Development

Background: Immigration has changed the ethnic and social composition of our country. About 23% (17 million) of children 17 and younger now live with an immigrant parent in the U.S. (Passel & Taylor, 2010). Immigrants and their children will account for 82% of the population growth through 2050 (Passel & Cohn, 2008). Cultural adjustment, intergenerational acculturation gaps, ethnic identity formation, acculturative stress, language barriers, parent’s legal status (Lynch, 1992; Sodowsky & Lai, 1997; Jang & Chiriboga, 2010) are unique stressors that have an effect on the mental health, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, parent-child relationship, and adjustment in school for youth (Gonzales, Deardorff, Formoso, Barr, & Barrera Jr, 2006; Sodowsky & Lai, 1997; Jang & Chiriboga, 2010). The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the psychological adaptation, development, and mental health of youth from immigrant families.

Methods: Phase I of a community-based participatory research was used to explore how youth from immigrant families understand acculturative dissonance as it relates to their lived experiences. Nineteen youth, ages 14 to 18, were recruited from two different communities to participate in one of two Youth Boards. Students represented distinct nationalities and a total of 20 focus group sessions were conducted over 5 months. The focus group sessions were developmentally appropriate using social media and art-based activities to facilitate discussions among adolescents about cultural identity, cultural differences, self-awareness, and handling conflict. Focus groups were audio recorded and averaged 60 minutes. Audio files were transcribed and analyzed using Dedoose. Thematic analysis was applied.

Results: There were 11 and 8 youth that enrolled in the Youth Boards, respectively. Youth were male (53%), 15 (79%) were born in the U.S. and more than a third (37%) were in the tenth grade. Youths’ parents represented 12 different countries and spoke over 6 different languages. Analysis of the focus group data indicated youth experienced inter-cultural dissonance across their social environments; indicated intra-cultural dissonance in the context of the developmental phase; and discussed protective factors to cope with acculturative dissonance. Themes contributing to acculturative dissonance discussed by youth included discrimination, racism, multi-cultural families, immigration, and lifestyle.

Implications:

Implications for social work practice include developing youth-based practice models that facilitate ways for adolescents from immigrant families to learn about acculturative dissonance, and also develop skills to articulate dissonance they experience day-to-day.  Research is needed to further explore how adolescents’ develop coping skills to handle acculturative dissonance when navigating hostile social environments affecting their social and psychological experiences.