Proximal and Remote Acculturation: Adolescents’ Perspectives of Biculturalism in Two Contexts

Abstract

Immigration and globalization are at historic highs, making biculturalism, whether by way of immigration-based proximal acculturation or globalization-based remote acculturation, increasingly commonplace for adolescents. Using focus group interviews, this qualitative study explored Latinx adolescents’ ( n = 19, 13-19 years) views of proximal biculturalism in the United States, and Jamaican adolescents’ ( n = 15, 13-18 years) views of remote biculturalism in Jamaica in terms of the existence, adaptive value, and challenges of biculturalism. Findings of thematic analyses revealed that both groups of adolescents viewed biculturalism as possible in their respective contexts although differences in processes and mechanisms were evident. In addition, youth in both contexts saw biculturalism as beneficial for social and practical reasons. Finally, both groups acknowledged challenges related to biculturalism; however, internal conflicts based on physical appearance was a theme of discussion only among U.S. Latinxs, whereas problems fitting in were primary concerns for Jamaicans. Studying the similarities (and differences) between proximal and remote biculturalism can enrich biculturalism theory, and doing so from the adolescent point of view has important practical value by providing a fuller understanding of the experience of biculturalism among youth who are developing ethnic/cultural identities and planning their futures in diversifying cultural environments.

Remote Acculturation 101: A Primer on Research, Implications, and Illustrations from Classrooms Around the World

“…In RA, contact with the remote culture is indirect (not face to face, e.g., contact with foreign media) or intermittent (not constant/continuous, e.g., contact with tourists) or both (Ferguson, 2013). If exposure to a remote culture later becomes direct and continuous, as in the case of a remotely acculturating pre-migrant who later moves to live in that remote culture, then the acculturation transitions from remote to proximal acculturation (Ferguson, Iturbide, et al, 2019). Additionally, remote cultures can be ethnic (e.g., a university student in Zambia who internalizes U.K. culture through media, food, and contact with a friend who moved there) or non-ethnic (e.g., a teenager in Ghana who identifies with U.S. LGBTQ culture through online affinity groups and other media) (see .…”

“…For example, discrimination (Celenk & van de Vijver, 2011) and culture shock (Ward et al, 2001) are much less prominent in RA. Empirical research directly comparing remote and proximal acculturation is a fruitful new direction of work just beginning (e.g., Ferguson, Iturbide, et al, 2019).…”

“…Remote acculturation also impacts the expectations placed on children in school. Youth in Northern Thailand (McKenzie, 2019), youth in Jamaica, and Latinx youth in the United States (Ferguson, Iturbide, et al, 2019) report experiences of switching between different cultural frames at home, in school, and with their peers. In Northern Thailand, both educators and parents have been found to suppress children's use of local languages, fearing these languages will disrupt children's acquisition of Standard Thai, English, or Mandarin (Howard, 2009;McKenzie, 2019).…”

Intergenerational food-focused media literacy in Jamaica

“…The heavy presence of U.S. culture on the island through several vehicles including U.S. media has given rise to a new "Americanized Jamaican" or "Jahmerican" bicultural identity for some Jamaicans by way of a process called "remote acculturation" (e.g., Ferguson et al, 2019a;Ferguson & Bornstein, 2015). In other words, some youths and parents in Jamaica have developed a strong affinity for U.S. culture, including entertainment and media and have even come to feel part-American.…”

Behavioral and Academic Adjustment of Remotely Acculturating Adolescents in Urban Jamaica

“…On the other hand, RA has also been associated with positive youth adjustment in other studies. Jamaican adolescents in CFLS focus groups perceived academic benefits to speaking standard English (Ferguson, Iturbide, & Raffaelli, ), as did northern Himalayan Indian adolescents (Ozer, Bertelsen, Singla, & Schwartz, ). Similarly, in her qualitative interviews with urban Thai adolescents, McKenzie () found that they engaged in speaking English to promote their current and future school performance.…”