Online Publication of Undergraduate Studies 2019, Volume 10, Issue 1
Acculturation and Immigrant Identity
Acculturative Stress and Hispanic Immigrant Adolescent Identity Alain Goulbourne
With global immigration rates on the rise, the immigrant population in the United States has increased by over 40 million people, accounting for 13% of the total American population (Lo, Hopson, Simpson, & Cheng, 2017; Oshri et al., 2014). In particular, there has been a substantial increase in both documented and undocumented Hispanic immigrants, making them the fastest growing minority group in the U.S. (Oshri et al., 2014; Sirin 2013). This increase in Hispanic immigrants has been perceived by some Americans as a threat to the dominance of the Caucasian cultural group in the U.S. (Schwartz, Unger, Baezconde-Garbanati, Zamboanga et al., 2015). This growth has also coincided with an increase in anti-immigrant rhetoric, which has fostered an unwelcoming social atmosphere for Hispanic immigrants (Oshri et al., 2014; Sirin, Ryce et al., 2013). Due to this unwelcoming climate and discrimination across everyday contexts, Hispanic immigrants are especially at risk of developing acculturative stress, defined as the psychological tension and emotional strain of navigating between one’s home and host culture (Cohen & Kassan, 2018; Grigsby et al., 2018; Lo et al., 2017; Sirin, Ryce et al., 2013). As such, immigration to the U.S. can be especially difficult for Hispanic adolescents, who must adjust to a new and often hostile environment while they go through the normative developmental stage of identity formation (Gonzales-Backen et al., 2018; Miller, 2013). Identity formation is characterized as the developmental stage in which adolescents develop a personal identity (i.e., a set of internalized beliefs and goals) and cultural identity (i.e., association to one’s cultural, ethnic, and racial group; Meca et al., 2017; Oshri et al., 2014). Healthy identity formation results in a coherent identity, or a meaningful conceptualization of the self that is stable across contexts (Erikson, 1968; Mercer, Crocetti, Branje, van Lier, & Meeus, 2017). Without the formation of a coherent identity, adolescents become uncertain of their role as individuals in social contexts, resulting in role confusion, defined as an uncertain sense of purpose and self (Erikson, 1968; Kroger, 2013; Meca et al., 2017; Mercer et al., 2017; Ragelienė, 2016). This confusion can lead to psychological maladjustment, which persists throughout adulthood unless identity formation is resolved (Erikson, 1968; Kroger, 2013; Mercer et al., 2017; Schwartz, Unger, BaezcondeGarbanati, Zamboanga, et al., 2015). To promote optimal identity formation and mental health in Hispanic immigrant adolescents, researchers have sought to understand the influence of acculturative stress on Hispanic immigrant adolescents (Gonzales-Backen et al., 2018;
Koneru, Weisman de Mamani, Flynn, & Betancourt, 2007; Szabo & Ward, 2015). For Hispanic immigrant adolescents, their personal and cultural identity is created using the home and host culture, but non-immigrant adolescents develop their identity within their home culture, and thus do not bear the stress of acculturation (Gonzales-Backen et al., 2018; Meca et al., 2017; Oshri et al., 2014). Consequently, this literature review explored the following research question: How does acculturative stress impact the identity formation of Hispanic immigrant adolescents in the United States? Hispanic Culture and Acculturative Stress As Hispanic immigrant adolescents are raised in predominantly interdependent cultures, they often face difficulties or acculturative stressors when immersing themselves in an unfamiliar, individualistic American culture (Miller, 2013; Schwartz, Unger, Baezconde-Garbanati, Benet, et al., 2015). While American culture places a high value on independence and individual desires, Hispanic culture emphasizes interdependence and the needs of the family unit over the individual (i.e., ‘familismo,’ or the strong affiliation to family; Crockett et al., 2007; Miller, 2013; Schwartz, Unger, Baezconde-Garbanati, Benet, et al., 2015). These cultural differences surrounding American and Hispanic parenting values can create both familial and internal conflict for the Hispanic immigrant adolescent (Koneru et al., 2007; Miller, 2013). Sources of cultural differences include the limited allocation of autonomy to Hispanic children, use of corporal punishment in Hispanic contexts, as well as traditional attachment and deference to family and elders (Miller, 2013). For the Hispanic immigrant adolescent, familial and internal conflict around identity arises when the adolescent behaves in accordance with American cultural values (e.g., demanding greater autonomy) while their parents seek to enforce Hispanic cultural values (e.g., imposing behavioral restrictions; Koneru et al., 2007; Miller, 2013). Difficulties with internalizing these differing values can complicate the identity formation of Hispanic immigrant adolescents, due to the risk of isolation and alienation from the cultural group with which the adolescent identifies (Cohen & Kassan, 2018; Grigsby et al., 2018; Meca et al., 2017; Miller, 2013; Sirin, Ryce, et al., 2013). In addition, another significant acculturative stressor is a lack of intercultural competence, or the effective use of language and cultural knowledge that enables communication between individuals with different cultural backgrounds Literature Review | 13
