Newcomer Immigrant Adolescents and Ambiguous Discrimination

Abstract

Cognitive appraisal has been shown to mediate the relationship between stressors and internalizing symptoms, but not among newcomer immigrant youth facing ambiguous discrimination. Using a mixed-methods design with a sample of newcomer adolescents from African, Arab, Asian, Caribbean, European, and Latin American countries, this study measured the perceived occurrence of discrimination (attribution to discrimination) and its perceived degree of severity (cognitive appraisal) in relation to internalizing symptoms and academic achievement. Attribution to discrimination predicted greater internalizing symptoms, and appraisal mediated this relationship. The mediation effect was found for younger, but not older adolescents. Quantitative results suggest that perceiving discrimination to be threatening, not just that it occurred, relates to psychological health. Qualitative results suggest that for newcomer adolescents, discrimination is a highly prevalent and complex stressor with multiple psychosocial ramifications.

Discrimination and Mental Health in a Representative Sample of African-American and Afro-Caribbean Youth

“…Such appraisals are in turn related to numerous factors, including perception of attribution. A study of immigrant minority youth, including Caribbean youth, demonstrated that cognitive appraisal mediated the relationship between attribution to discrimination and internalizing conditions 49 . There may be difference among Afro Caribbean and African American youth in discrimination attribution and cognitive appraisal of events based on differences in context as well as differences in styles of ethnic and racial socialization—the way youth are taught attitudes and approaches to living in a socially stratified society where discrimination is a reality 50 .…”

Challenges and Coping: Perspectives of Syrian and Iraqi Refugee Youth in Germany

“…In a recent large-scale panel study on discrimination in Germany, more than a third of participants, aged 14 and above, reported encountering discrimination based on factors such as their ethnic origin, gender, disability, religion or world view, age, or sexual identity (Beigang et al, 2016). Exposure to discrimination, both experienced and perceived, has been identified as a risk factor to the well-being of refugee youth in studies in Europe, North America, and Australia (Brough et al, 2003;Ellis et al, 2008Ellis et al, , 2010Fazel et al, 2012;Hassan et al, 2016;Montgomery & Foldspang, 2008;Patel et al, 2014;Shakya et al, 2010). A study in Denmark found that middle Eastern refugee youth reported on average 1.8 experiences of discrimination since having arrived in the country up to 3 years before (Montgomery & Foldspang, 2008).…”

From Monocultural to Multicultural

“…This body of work has focused on the role of family relationships (Kosner, Roer-Strier, & Kurman, 2014; Qin, Chang, Han, & Chee, 2012; Schachner et al, 2014), peers (Fandrem, Ertesvag, Strohmeier, & Roland, 2010; Qin, Way, & Mukherjee, 2008; Walsh, Harel-Fisch, & Fogel-Grinvald, 2010), parents and teacher (Walsh et al, 2010), perceived discrimination (J. Li, 2009; Patel, Tabb, Strambler, & Eltareb, 2015; Vedder, Sam, & Liebkind, 2007), peer victimization (McKenney, Pepler, Craig, & Connolly, 2006), differing expectations between home and school (J. Li, 2009; Qin, 2009), happiness (Neto & Pinto, 2010), gender (Kwak & Rudmin, 2014; Qin, 2006; Suárez-Orozco & Qin, 2006), age (Kwak & Rudmin, 2014), meaning of life (Pan, Wong, Chan, & Joubert, 2008), lifestyle and values of the host culture (Montaruli, Bourhis, Azurmendi, & Larranaga, 2011), ethnic identity and language proficiency (Pfafferott & Brown, 2006; Vedder & Virta, 2005), and social contact and friendship (Zhang & Brunton, 2007) on immigrant adolescents’ adaptation (Kosner et al, 2014; Patel et al, 2015).…”

“…Li, 2009; Patel, Tabb, Strambler, & Eltareb, 2015; Vedder, Sam, & Liebkind, 2007), peer victimization (McKenney, Pepler, Craig, & Connolly, 2006), differing expectations between home and school (J. Li, 2009; Qin, 2009), happiness (Neto & Pinto, 2010), gender (Kwak & Rudmin, 2014; Qin, 2006; Suárez-Orozco & Qin, 2006), age (Kwak & Rudmin, 2014), meaning of life (Pan, Wong, Chan, & Joubert, 2008), lifestyle and values of the host culture (Montaruli, Bourhis, Azurmendi, & Larranaga, 2011), ethnic identity and language proficiency (Pfafferott & Brown, 2006; Vedder & Virta, 2005), and social contact and friendship (Zhang & Brunton, 2007) on immigrant adolescents’ adaptation (Kosner et al, 2014; Patel et al, 2015). In addition, research on immigrants has also explored strategies for academic achievement (Liebkind, Jasinskaja-Lahti, & Solheim, 2004; Suárez-Orozco et al, 2010; Suárez-Orozco, Rhodes, & Milburn, 2009), life satisfaction (Abu-Laban & Abu-Laban, 1999; Oppedal, Røysamb, & Sam, 2004; Paterson & Hakim-Larson, 2012), sociocultural, psychological (Abu-Rayya, 2014; Tong, 2014; Vedder et al, 2007; Yeh et al, 2005), cross-cultural (Kuo & Roysircar, 2006), and successful adaptation strategies (Dimitrova, Chasiotisa, Bendera, & van de Vijvera, 2014; Lara, 2014; Mancini & Bottura, 2014; Schiefer, Möllering, & Daniel, 2012).…”