Acculturative Stress and Specific Coping Strategies among Immigrant and Later Generation College Students

TLDR

The study examined how acculturative stress relates to self‑esteem, locus of control, and loyalty to American culture. A self‑administered questionnaire assessed acculturative stress, loyalty to American culture, locus of control, and self‑esteem among 214 multicultural college undergraduates divided into early immigrant, late immigrant, second‑generation, and third‑generation groups. Late‑immigrant students reported higher acculturative stress and tended to cope with direct, planned actions, whereas second‑ and third‑generation students preferred social‑network coping, and early immigrants used both strategies.

Abstract

Acculturative stress and specific coping strategies were assessed in a group of 214 multicultural college undergraduates of both sexes who were divided into four generational status groups: early immigrants (immigrated before 12 years of age) and late immigrants (immigrated after age 12), second-generation and third-generation. Also explored was the relationship of acculturative stress to self-esteem, locus of control and loyalty to American culture. The self-administered questionnaire contained the short version of the Padilla SAFE Acculturative Stress Measure, a loyalty toward American culture scale, Rotter's Internal/External Locus of Control scale, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Findings revealed that late immigrant students experienced greater acculturative stress than the other groups. Also, late immigrants coped with stress more frequently by taking a direct, planned action (individualistic) approach, while secondand third-generation groups more often coped by talking to others about the problem (social network). Early immigrants employed both coping strategies.