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The Impacts Of Acculturation Patterns And Processes On Immigrants' Success In Higher Education: A Multiple Case Study Of 1.25-Generation Third-Wave Iranian Immigrants To The United States, Fereshteh Rezaeian

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States of America is inherently a pluralistic society composed of various groups of immigrants. As scholars (Camarota & Zeigler, 2016; Gibson, 1998) state, the number of immigrant children accounts for 20% of the total number of school-age children. Despite all attempts to provide the best education to such a great number of immigrant students, the achievement gap between immigrant and non-immigrant students still exists (Baum & Flores, 2011; Rong & Preissle, 2008). Some scholars (e.g., Ramos & Sanchez, 1995) have proposed that the key factor for immigrants to be successful in the United States is to adapt to …

An Exploratory Study Of Acculturation Experiences Of Graduate Student Immigrants At The University Of San Francisco, Courtney Lamar

Master's Theses

This study explores the shared challenges during the acculturation process of graduate student immigrants pursuing higher education in the United States. 13 graduate student immigrants at the University of San Francisco discuss their experiences of cultural adjustment into U.S. culture. Through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, this study seeks to understand the acculturation experiences of graduate student immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. This analysis is based on the individual-level experience examining attitudes and acculturation strategies in the dominant society. Analysis, possibly policy implication for institutions of higher education, and possible directions for future research …

Acculturation And Internalizing Problems Among Latino Youth: A Meta-Analytic Review, Juventino Hernandez Rodriguez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Some studies have found acculturation to be a positive predictor of internalizing problems (i.e., anxiety and depression) in Latino youth (Gonzales et al., 2002), whereas other studies have revealed no relation or a negative relation between acculturation and internalizing problems (Smokowski, Buchanan, & Bacallao, 2009). Narrative reviews of this literature exist (Gonzales et al., 2002; Gonzales et al., 2009) but a quantitative synthesis of the literature has not been conducted. After a systematic literature search that identified 38 studies meeting inclusionary criteria, a meta-analysis was performed to estimate the size and direction of the relation between acculturation and internalizing problems. …

The Intergenerational Transmission Of Parental Practices That Influence The Educational Outcome Of Latinxs In The United States, Ana E. Kemple Reeves

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parental involvement practices in education have traditionally referred to overt forms of involvement such as attending school meetings, parent teacher conferences, and volunteering at the school. Research suggests that Latinx parents do not utilize these approaches as much as they do subtler practices. These practices are manifested in parents’ communication with their children, their parenting styles, and the academic expectations they place on their children. The current study intended to recognize the parental practices used by Latinx parents that contribute to educational attainment and combat fixed beliefs regarding their lack of involvement in their children’s education. The data collection was …

Navigating A New Culture: Analyzing Variables That Influence Intensive English Program Students' Cultural Adjustment Process, Sherie Lyn Kwok

Theses and Dissertations

Research has documented cultural adjustment as an important issue influencing international students and other sojourners in their success abroad (Foster, 1962; Lysgaard, 1955; Oberg, 1960; Smalley, 1963). Few studies, however, have investigated particular variables influencing the cultural adjustment process of ESL learners enrolled in intensive English programs (IEPs). This mixed method study was designed to better understand the individual complexity of IEP learners' cultural adjustment by looking for patterns of variables that aid or hinder these students' experiences. Using the Culture Shock Questionnaire (CSQ), Index of Social Sojourners Support Survey (ISSS), and language-specific focus groups, this study investigated the individual …

A Study Of Acculturative And Linguistic Experiences Of Syrian Refugees In The United States From 2011 – 2018, Amany Habib

Dissertations

Research examining the acculturation and linguistic processes of Syrian refugees resettling in the United States from 2011 – 2018 is limited. In order to learn about the acculturative and linguistic experiences of this unique group of refugees, the current study sought to collect data related to these two experiences within the resettled Syrian refugee population living in the U.S.A. since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

Acquiring the language of a host country is necessary but language-learning experiences vary depending on a number of factors. This research attempted to elucidate the challenges of Syrian refugees in their …

How Can Developmental Transformations Address Culture Shock To Those Moving From Collectivist Societies Into Individualistic Ones, Such As, Chinese Immigrants Into The United States?, Fabiola Valdivia

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Immigration has always existed, and lately with the heyday of social networks and media, we have witnessed high rates of immigration due to different social and political contexts that have forced people to leave their homes looking for a better situation. Many of these individuals have emigrated and continue to emigrate to the United States of America, in search of, what in some cases they believe will be, the American dream.

This document explores the implementation of developmental transformations (DvT), originally a drama therapy approach, with an immigrant population coming from a collective society such as the Asian into an …

Dialectical Thinking And Smoking Outcomes In Asian Americans, Amber Pham

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Cigarette smoking is the leading health problem in the United States. Recent literature has discussed risk perception and acculturation as possible protective factors against this risky health behavior. However, there is little research regarding dialectical thinking as a potential barrier for smoking cessation. The current study examined smoking outcomes, which include expectancies, attitudes, and intentions in Asian American males. Specifically, we examined acculturation and dialectical thinking as major factors influencing smoking outcomes. We hypothesized that dialectical thinking mediates the relationship between acculturation and smoking outcomes. We also hypothesized that Asian Americans who were primed to think dialectically would hold more …

Investigations Of The Role Of Acculturation In Cancer Screening And Phthalates In Breast Cancer Risk And Weight And Body Mass Index Change, Mary V. Diaz Santana

Doctoral Dissertations

INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ROLE OF ACCULTURATION IN CANCER SCREENING AND PHTHALATES IN BREAST CANCER RISK AND WEIGHT AND BODY MASS INDEX CHANGE MAY 2018 MARY V. DIAZ SANTANA, B.S., UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO RIO PIEDRAS CAMPUS M.S., UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MEDICAL SCIENCE CAMPUS Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Katherine Reeves Phthalates, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, are hypothesized to increase obesity and, as a result, risk of obesity-related cancers, such as breast cancer. However, findings are not consistent across studies. Identifying whether phthalates impact obesity is critical for understanding the pathways by which phthalates may affect cancer risk. Experimental …

Family Functioning In Latino Families Of Children With Adhd: The Role Of Parental Gender And Acculturation, Anne Malkoff

Master's Theses (2009 -)

It has been well established that parents of children with ADHD report significantly higher levels of parenting stress (Heath, Curtis, Fan, & McPherson, 2015) and chaos in the home (Wirth et al., 2017) than parents of children without ADHD. Parents of children with ADHD also report feeling less efficacious in their parenting abilities compared to parents of children without ADHD (Primack et al., 2012). To date, a majority of the literature on ADHD has focused on European American children and families, resulting in a paucity of research and clinical practice with ethnic minority families of youth with ADHD, specifically among …

Miles Apart: A Comparative Case Study Analysis Of The Acculturation And Socioeconomic Status Of Former Colonized Populations In Post-Imperialist States, Mariea Melanie Sekijima

Senior Theses

This undergraduate thesis assesses the impact of government policies and acculturation strategies on the current socioeconomic status of former colonized populations living in their respective post-imperialist states. Despite a shared colonial history, the current positioning of Zainichi Koreans in Japan and British Hindu Indians in the UK is vastly different. I argue that this can be linked to two factors—the government strategy in response to these populations and the existence of other minorities within the same state. Using a case study approach to analyze these contrasting experiences, this thesis contributes to a wider conversation on the continual legacies of imperialism …

Promoting Cultural Identity Through Dance/Movement Therapy With Immigrant Children, Karen Alejandra Salazar

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The present research project focuses on exploring how culture influences identity and how the development of a bicultural identity affects bicultural individuals. Having a multicultural or multiethnic identity could be a source of strength and/or confusion, bicultural individuals may have difficulties in identifying and sorting their group membership status and their cultural attitudes, values, perspectives, and behaviors (Navarrete & Jenkins, 2011). The present research proposes that dance movement therapy and the Expressive Therapies could serve as a means to allow individuals to explore and strengthen their cultural identity. A cultural identity workshop was implemented with second grade, English language learner, …

A Handbook For Teaching English To Afghan Women Refugees, Deborah De Lambert

Master's Projects and Capstones

There are now millions of refugees worldwide, people forced from their homes seeking refuge from violence or persecution in other countries. These people face different challenges to resettlement and acculturation than voluntary immigrants. They may arrive after witnessing or experiencing horrific events and they carry that trauma with them. Moreover, as involuntary immigrants they still long for a home they can no longer return to. To make matters worse, many of these refugees find themselves the target of hatred or hostility in their new homes. Helping them to achieve a successful adjustment to their new homes and new lives is …

Empowering Students To Develop L2 Identity - Supplemental Online Lessons, Laura Espino

Master's Projects and Capstones

As an immigrant, learning English is part of acculturating to the new culture. From this process, a new identity emerges in the context of the new language and culture. Currently, identity issues and intercultural competence are explicit objectives in language learning. The implications of neglecting identity formation in second language acquisition include vulnerability to culture shock, mental health issues, and the inability to thrive. The unique set of needs, motivations, and strengths of immigrant English language learners should inform language instruction design in order to achieve sustainable and equitable successful language learning and acculturation. Explicitly designing instruction that incorporates issues …

Congolese Refugee Students In Higher Education: Equity And Opportunity, Refik Sadiković

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore Congolese refugee students’ experiences in higher education in the United States. In order to understand the challenges Congolese students face in higher education, this study used narrative inquiry methodology to investigate Congolese students’ lived experiences that affected their educational endeavors before and after resettlement to the United States. The study examined personal stories of 10 Congolese students in the Pacific Northwest using semi-structured in-depth interviews, one-on-one follow-up interviews, field notes and two focus group interviews. Using narrative analysis five reoccurring themes were identified and discussed in the findings. The study findings indicate …

Differences In The Role Of Acculturation On The Correlates Of Suicidal Ideation Among Asian Subgroups, Khadijah Ahmad

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Ethnic and racial differences have been acknowledged in the relationship between culture and psychopathology, and acculturation has been associated with risk for suicidal ideation. The present paper examined the relation between acculturation and the correlates of suicide (i.e., hopelessness, depression) among Asian subgroups. Because an emphasis on Asians as a homogenous group obfuscates important ethnic differences that may influence risk for suicide, the present paper sought to highlight differences in risk for suicide among different Asian subgroups. This paper is divided into seven sections that address the role of acculturation and cultural values, norms, and beliefs on the correlates of …

Examining Latino Family Participation In Treatment For Childhood Adhd: The Role Of Cultural Factors And Perceptions, Theresa Lauer Kapke

Dissertations (1934 -)

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common mental health disorder in childhood, and efficacious treatments have been identified. Unfortunately, ethnic minority individuals, including Latino youth and their families, are at increased risk of failing to receive proper treatment and often exhibit poor treatment outcomes. Various factors likely contribute to these existing disparities. Thus, the current study aimed to improve current understanding of the way in which child characteristics and parental cultural factors and perceptions regarding treatment impact Latino family participation in a psychosocial intervention for childhood ADHD, including attendance, retention, engagement, and treatment response outcomes. Sixty-one Latino families participated in the …

The Influence Of The Heritage Language On The Cultural Integration Of Second-Generation Hispanic Adolescents: A Phenomenological Study, Camille Schuler

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the influence of the heritage language on the cultural integration of 10 second-generation Hispanic adolescents, ages 15-19. Data were collected using in-depth interviews that asked participants to share their experiences with their heritage language, and in what situations they found themselves feeling more Hispanic, more American, and more bicultural, when speaking their heritage language. Participants also shared the formal course of language study they chose, such as Spanish, Heritage Spanish, and AP Spanish Language, why they chose it, and how that choice influenced their perceptions of the heritage language and their cultural integration. Berry’s (2005) Acculturation …

The Impact Of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program And Acculturation On Obesity Among Adult Immigrant Groups In The United States, Sashoy Patterson

Public Health Theses

INTRODUCTION:

Obesity is a dangerous, costly and common condition that has more than doubled worldwide since 1980 and affects greater than one-third (~37%) of adults in the United States. Studies have shown that minority groups have disproportionately high rates of obesity and that there is an overall positive association between immigrant length of residency in the U.S. and obesity. Immigrant families are incredibly likely to experience poverty in their new host environment—limiting them to low-cost high-density foods. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was implemented to promote behaviors that can reduce the impact of obesity and improve nutrition levels among …

Factors That Contribute To Acculturative Stress Of Chinese International Students, Fei Xue

Major Papers

Chinese international students in English-speaking countries experience an array of culturally-based stressors while adjusting to different pedagogical styles and cultural environments. Consequently, Chinese international students experience substantial levels of acculturative stress. Because this is a relatively new phenomenon, at least with respect to scale, insufficient research has been done on developing effective programs to address this issue. Thus, the current study conducts a literature review on Chinese international students’ experiences and challenges to determine the possible causes of the acculturative stress. Based on this research, it is clear that the acculturative stress is often a result of insufficient English, cultural …

An Examination Of The Relationships Between Attributional Style, Reappraisal, And Depression Risk In Arab Americans, Khadeja Najjar

ETD Archive

While depression is a cross-cultural phenomenon, much of the literature that examines risk factors and mechanisms for its occurrence is examined from a Western perspective. As cultural background and level of acculturation to the host culture is known to shape the expression of depressive disorders, as well as their risk factors, this study examined whether cultural factors influence the relationship between two cognitive emotion regulation processes and depression symptoms. Specifically, this study examined whether the relationship between internal, stable, and global causal attributions for negative events (negative attributional style) and depression is mediated by one’s tendency to reframe the meaning …

The Acculturation Gap: Investigating The Relationship Between Inter-Partner Acculturation Discrepancy And Parenting Quality, Casiana Warfield

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Parenting and relational factors have been investigated thoroughly in previous literature. However, considering the proliferation of multiracial individuals in the United States, it is concerning that many cultural components of American families have been neglected, including the impact of acculturation on parenting negotiation. In particular, the acculturation gap describes differences in acculturation and enculturation levels between family members. The acculturation-gap-distress model postulates that when members within a family context acculturate at different rates, to different degrees, or in different ways than other members, this discrepancy results in conflict. The present study evaluated the relationship between inter-partner acculturation discrepancy and perceptions …

A Study Of Factors Contributing To Acculturation Stress For International Graduate Students In A Small Non-Profit Graduate School, Nkenge Friday

Theses and Dissertations

The increase of international students studying in universities and colleges in the United States has led to the need for additional programming and resources on campuses that support the transitioning needs related to campus and community culture. Given the diverse cultural needs of international students and the metropolitan culture of Washington, DC, acculturation stress can be a common occurrence while attending the intensive graduate program.

In this study, international students attending a small graduate school in Washington, DC were interviewed while resources provided for transitioning and ongoing support for the students were examined. Factors related to areas of programming and …

Acculturative Stress And Identity Negotiation: A Dyadic Experience, Ana X. De La Serna

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Institutions of higher education in the United States have long been attractors for international students from all over the world. The number of international students had been constantly growing until the past couple of years. This is a concerning issue because international students play several important roles in higher education institutions. International students bring different points of view that enhance other students’ learning and institutions gain financial benefits from the presence of international students. Thus, it is important to understand how to improve the experience of international students. For the present study I used a phenomenological approach to explore the …

An Examination Of Cardiovascular Health Among Afro-Caribbean Immigrants In New York City, Sabena C Thomas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

No abstract provided.

Acculturation And Belongingness: The Keys To International Student Satisfaction, Semehar Ghebrekidan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to explore if acculturation in conjunction with belongingness, affected international student satisfaction. With the changes in immigration, the political climate as a whole and college campus demographics, it was important to evaluate what stress factors international students faced while being undergraduate students at a Midwestern University. In addition to using secondary research, primary research was conducted in the form of 4 interviews and 59 electronic surveys. The independent variables that were measured were reorganized into 2 categories: the students’ religious beliefs and the country where the student is from. Themes that came across throughout …

Coping, Meaning-Making And Well-Being Amongst Immigrants Of Non-European Descent, Jem Powell

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined experiences with immigration and being immigrants in the United States for 1 mother-daughter family unit. Given the challenges of navigating acculturation, this study aimed to broaden the scope of current research to understand linked individual and family experiences of immigration with an emphasis on resiliency and meaning-making. A qualitative research design was used to complete 1 family interview and 2 individual interviews of an immigrant family who had scored high on psychological wellbeing. The focus of this study was to illuminate ways that immigrants make meaning from and make sense of their immigration-related experience, as well as …

Marianismo Beliefs, Ethnic Identity Commitment, And Acculturative Stress Among Recent Latina Young Adult Immigrants, Lauren E. Dasen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Because young adult, Latina/o immigrants encompass a rapidly growing minority group in the U.S., there is need for empirical literature focusing on their mental health and the ways in which it relates with identity and culture. The primary aim of the present study was to examine the relations among dimensions of marianismo beliefs and indices of acculturative stress as moderated by ethnic identity commitment among recent Latina young adult immigrants.

Ethnic Identity Development Among 1.5 And 2nd Generation Immigrants Across Ten Years : A Discriminant Analysis, Hirah Mir

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ethnic identity is a major component of the psychological development and well-being of adolescents and adults. In the United States, immigrants are often tasked with balancing their minority culture and a dominant White American culture. This study used the two-dimensional Racial/Cultural Identity Development (R/CID) Model to illustrate progression toward an integrated ethnic identity, in which individuals identify with and integrate their minority ethnic group and the dominant group. An integrated identity is achieved at the Integrative Awareness status of the R/CID Model. Individuals at this status are found to possess more psychological resources to cope with psychosocial crises as compared …

The Effect Of Neighborhood Characteristics And Acculturation On Vegetable Intake Among U.S. Hispanics, Anna Victoria Mesa

Theses and Dissertations

The growing prevalence of chronic disease among the U.S. Hispanic population has drawn increasing attention to modifiable behaviors such as diet in an effort to curb the burden of disease among this population. While factors affecting dietary intake among U.S. Hispanics have been largely studied, this study broadens the scope of existing analyses from examining the role of individual-level factors, including acculturation, to also include environmental factors such as neighborhood ethnic composition. Multilevel mixed modeling was employed to test the interaction of individual acculturation with neighborhood ethnic composition to predict vegetable intake among a sample of U.S. Hispanics. Individuals who …