Immigration, acculturation and the paradox of adaptation in Europe

Abstract

Drawing from the International Comparative Study of Ethnocultural Youth (ICSEY) dataset, this paper examines the immigrant paradox phenomenon among a group of immigrant youth in five European countries. The sample consisted of over 2700 immigrant and 1400 national youth (age range 13 – 18 years) living in Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. At the core of the immigrant paradox is the counterintuitive finding that immigrants often show better adaptation outcomes than their national peers in spite of poorer socioeconomic status. However, the paper argues for a more conservative position based on three criteria for concluding the existence of the paradox. On the bases of these criteria, the paper found mixed support for the immigrant paradox. Whereas the pattern of socio-cultural adaptation for first- and second-generation immigrants resembled the immigrant paradox, results for psychological adaptation were opposite to the paradox. Reasons for the mixed findings are discussed.

Keywords:

• Acculturation
• Immigrant youth
• (Immigrant) health paradox
• Psychological adaptation
• Sociocultural adaptation

Acknowledgments

The findings reported in this paper come from the International Comparative Study of Ethnocultural Youth (ICSEY), carried out in thirteen countries. Members of the project group are (in alphabetical order of countries) C. Leung, R. Rooney, & D. Sang (Australia): J. W. Berry & K. Kwak (Canada); K. Liebkind (Finland); C. Sabatier (France); P. Schmitz (Germany); G. Horenczyk (Israel); P. Vedder & F. van de Vijver (The Netherlands); C. Ward (New Zealand); D. L. Sam (Norway); F. Neto (Portugal); E. Virta & C. Westin (Sweden); L. Robinson (United Kingdom) and J. S. Phinney (United States). An account of the ICSEY study can be found in: J. W. Berry, J. S. Phinney, D. L. Sam, & P. Vedder (Eds.). (2006). Immigrant youth in cultural transition: Acculturation, identity and adaptation across national context. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Other papers based on the project are listed on the project website http://www.ceifo.su.se/icsey/icsey.html.

Notes

¹The researchers in charge were (in alphabetical order of countries) K. Liebkind (Finland); C. Sabatier (France); P. Schmitz (Germany); P. Vedder (The Netherlands); D. L. Sam (Norway); and E. Virta and C. Westin (Sweden).