Biculturalism as a protective factor: An exploratory study on resilience and the bicultural level of acculturation among Southeast Asian American youth who have witnessed domestic violence.

Abstract

There is growing evidence of a high prevalence of domestic violence (DV) in Southeast Asian families living in the United States. Southeast Asian children and adolescents who witness DV are at great risk of developing psychological and behavioral problems. Despite these risks, many Southeast Asian youth show resilience and positive adaptation. Being bicultural has been associated with several positive outcomes among this population. This study hypothesized that Southeast Asian youth who have witnessed DV (n = 59) were less resilient than those who have not (n = 23). In addition, among those who have witnessed DV, bicultural youth were likely to be more resilient than highly Asian or highly westernized youth. This study used regression and t test analyses. The preliminary results confirmed both hypotheses. The conclusion of this study discussed clinical implications, limitations, and recommendations for future studies.

An Integrated Conceptual Framework for the Development of Asian American Children and Youth

“…Empirical research with Asian American children and youth that is designed to examine biculturalism (Sirikantraporn, ), acculturation and enculturation (Dinh, Weinstein, Tein, & Roosa, ), and bicultural integration (Huynh, Nguyen, & Benet‐Martinez, ) illustrates the centrality of interpretive processes in development as Asian American youth navigate, integrate, fuse, hybridize, mute, or otherwise transform multiple selves to create coherence. Furthermore, the relevance of these organizing and meaning‐making processes to developmental outcomes is examined in different areas of psychological adjustment among specific Asian ethnic groups.…”

“…Youth who maintained a Cambodian orientation perceived less of an acculturation gap with their parents and were less likely to report internalizing behaviors such as depression. Similarly, Sirikantraporn () documented biculturalism as a moderator of resilience among youth of Southeast Asian descent who had witnessed domestic violence. Specifically, among those Southeast Asian youth who had witnessed domestic violence, bicultural youth were likely to be more resilient than those with high Asian orientation or those with a high westernized orientation.…”

Biculturalism amongst ethnic minorities: Its impact for individuals and intergroup relations

“…This finding might explain why bicultural identification is associated with greater resilience against adversity and discrimination (Huynh, Devos, & Goldberg, ). For example, in one study examining the negative impact of being a witness to domestic violence in a group of South‐East Asian youths living in The United States, it was found that those who were more strongly identified with both their ethnic and national identity were more resilient in comparison to youth who only identified with one cultural identity (Sirikantraporn, ).…”

Taking Stock and Moving Forward: Research on Asian American Child Development

“…In ethnic identity research, for example, adolescents are influenced not only by the ways others define them but also by their own interpretations (Kiang & Fuligni, ; Kiang & Luu, ). Moreover, ethnic identity is not simply a developmental outcome; rather, it is a process by which children and adolescents organize their sense of selves and make meaning of their ethnic socialization and discrimination experiences (Dinh, Weinstein, Tein, & Roosa, ; Greene, Way, & Pahl, ; Sirikantraporn, ).…”