Ethnic Media and Acculturation

Abstract

The process through which immigrants become incorporated into the social fabric of their communities of settlement has been called many things, including acculturation. This lengthy process shapes immigrants' life prospects, but also their social and cultural identity, at both an individual and collective level. Ethnic media—that is, media produced by and for (a) immigrant, (b) ethnic, racial, and linguistic minorities, as well as (c) indigenous populations—play three key functions in the lives of immigrant populations, thereby shaping the acculturation process and the outcomes individuals experience in their everyday lives. Empirical research indicates that ethnic media can facilitate the successful social integration of immigrants in their communities of settlement, but there are three sets of factors that can enable or constrain their ability to play this role.