Date of Award
Spring 6-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Forensic Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Veronica E. Johnson
Second Reader
Philip T. Yanos
Third Advisor
Shuki Cohen
Abstract
Acculturation has been defined as “changes that take place as a result of contact with culturally dissimilar people, groups, and social influences” (Gibson, 2001). This experience can cause stress for those experiencing it, especially when the individual is having a hard time adjusting to a new culture (Kim, 2019). One’s nativity, a person’s native-born status in their environment, and racial/ethnic group can also contribute to their experience of acculturation due to personal differences that these demographic variables create (Bondy et al., 2017; Hall & Carter, 2006). Studying race, nativity, perceived discrimination, and acculturation are essential for understanding the experiences of people of color (POC; i.e., Asian American, African American, Latinx, Native Americans). The current study examined the relationships between perceived discrimination and acculturation stress. Two hundred forty individuals participated in the study, consisting of major POC racial/ethnic groups in the United States: Latinx, Non-Hispanic Black, and Asian Americans. The study aimed to explore the relationship between perceived discrimination and acculturation, and to explore if racial/ethnic group and nativity were significant factors in that relationship. It was hypothesized that higher levels of perceived discrimination would account for a significant amount of variance in acculturation stress, indicating that perceived discrimination may influence the level of stress experienced. Additionally, it was hypothesized that acculturation would be further affected by racial/ethnic groups and nativity status (i.e., foreign- vs. U.S-born). The results found that race and sex were significant demographic variables, and that race and discrimination stress significantly contributed to the experience of different types of acculturation stress.
Recommended Citation
Henderson, Simone N., "Relationship Between Race, United States Nativity, Perceived Discrimination, and Acculturation Stress" (2021). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/186
