Korean immigrant older adults residing in Non-Korean ethnic enclaves: Acculturation strategies and psychosocial adaptation

ABSTRACT

Based on Berry’s bi-dimensional model of acculturation, this study examined acculturation strategies among first-generation Korean immigrant older adults residing in areas without a well-established Korean ethnic enclave and how their acculturation strategies are associated with psychosocial adaptation and acculturative stressors. Cluster analysis (N = 108) identified three acculturation strategies such as separated, moderately bicultural, and fully bicultural, indicating that the sample did not exhibit all four acculturation strategies of Berry’s model. The moderately bicultural group of the sample was the most dominant in size, which indicated strong adherence to Korean culture. The fully bicultural group reported less acculturative stress and depressive symptoms than the separated group, which indicated that biculturalism is strongly associated with a better psychosocial adaptation. A factor analysis showed that the separated group perceived stressors such as limited English proficiency and social isolation as more stressful than the other groups. The findings suggest that even though a strong adherence to ethnic culture might be a first-generation Korean immigrant older adults’ dominant acculturation strategy, it may make them more vulnerable to lingual and cultural barriers in a mono-cultural community without Korean ethnic enclaves. Implications for social work practice are explored.

KEYWORDS:

• Acculturation strategies
• psychosocial adaptation
• acculturative stressors
• ethnic enclaves
• Korean immigrant older adults

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank Dr. David Royse of the College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, and other reviewers for their comments. The author would also like to express her deepest gratitude to Korean immigrant older adults who participated in this study.

Declaration of Interest

This article has not been published or submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or non-for-profit sectors.