Acculturation-Related Stressors and Individual Adjustment in Asian American Families

Abstract

As one of the largest and fastest growing immigrant populations, Asian Americans face various acculturative stressors (e.g., discrimination, perpetual foreigner stereotype, and intergenerational acculturation gap). This chapter discusses implications of these acculturative stressors on individual adjustment and family processes in Asian American families. Asian American individuals’ experiences of acculturative stressors can influence their own adjustment directly, as well as other family members’ adjustment indirectly, through family processes. Moreover, the association between acculturative stressors and individual adjustment can be moderated by demographic variables, personal attributes, and social resources. To provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relation between acculturative stressors and individual adjustment in Asian Americans, future studies can (a) incorporate a family systems approach, (b) examine the role of parental ethnic-racial socialization, (c) consider reciprocal relationships between stressors and individual outcomes, (d) explore potential positive changes associated with acculturative stressors, and (e) use a longitudinal design.