IDENTITY, ACCULTURATION ANDIDENTITY, ACCULTURATION AND

ADAPTATION IN FIRST AND SECOND ADAPTATION IN FIRST AND SECOND

GENERATION SAMOAN YOUTHGENERATION SAMOAN YOUTH

Colleen Ward and Matthew Colleen Ward and Matthew ViliamuViliamu

Centre for Applied CrossCentre for Applied Cross--cultural Research cultural Research

Victoria University of WellingtonVictoria University of Wellington

Research funded by Royal Society of New Zealand,

James Cook Fellowship

RESEARCH QUESTIONSRESEARCH QUESTIONS

•• How do immigrant youth live within and How do immigrant youth live within and between two cultures?between two cultures?

•• What is the relationship between HOW youth What is the relationship between HOW youth engage in intercultural relations and HOW engage in intercultural relations and HOW WELL they adapt?WELL they adapt?

•• How do these intercultural and adaptationHow do these intercultural and adaptationprocesses vary over generations?processes vary over generations?

•• How does immigrant adaptation compare to How does immigrant adaptation compare to the adaptation of national youth?the adaptation of national youth?

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTRESEARCH INSTRUMENT

•• Demographic factorsDemographic factors-- e.g., gender, ethnicity, e.g., gender, ethnicity, birthplace, citizenshipbirthplace, citizenship

•• Intercultural factorsIntercultural factors-- e.g., language use and e.g., language use and proficiency, national and ethnic identity, peer proficiency, national and ethnic identity, peer contacts, acculturation preferences, family valuescontacts, acculturation preferences, family values

•• Adaptation indicatorsAdaptation indicators-- e.g., school adjustment, e.g., school adjustment, behavioural behavioural problems, psychological symptoms,problems, psychological symptoms,

life satisfactionlife satisfaction

RESEARCH SAMPLERESEARCH SAMPLE

��250 Samoan youth250 Samoan youth•• 46.2% female46.2% female

•• 1212--19 years (M = 15.5)19 years (M = 15.5)

•• 57.2% NZ born57.2% NZ born

•• Overseas born Overseas born -- residence in NZ: M = 9.78 yearsresidence in NZ: M = 9.78 years

•• 78% NZ citizens78% NZ citizens

��510 national youth510 national youth•• 396 NZE and 114 Maori396 NZE and 114 Maori

•• 50% female50% female

•• 1212--19 years (M = 14.9)19 years (M = 14.9)

•• 98% New Zealand born98% New Zealand born

KEY FINDINGS

GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES

IN IDENTITY AND CULTURAL

MAINTENANCE

SAMOAN AND NZ IDENTITYSAMOAN AND NZ IDENTITY

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Samoan NZ

1st gen

2nd gen

F (1, 203)= 43.85, p< .001

SAMOAN AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE SAMOAN AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE

USE AND PROFICIENCYUSE AND PROFICIENCY

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Samoan English Samoan English

1st Gen

2nd Gen

Use Proficiency

F (1, 199) = 75.22, p< .001F (1, 187) = 60.23 p< .001

PEER CONTACTSPEER CONTACTS

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Samoan Maori NZE

1st Gen

2nd Gen

F (2, 406) = 7.82, p<. 001

FAMILY VALUESFAMILY VALUES

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

Children's

Rights

Parental

Obligations

1st gen

2nd gen

F (1, 202)= 85.37, p< .001

HOW DO MIGRANT YOUTH

LIVE WITHIN AND BETWEEN

TWO CULTURES?

FOUR ACCULTURATION PROFILESFOUR ACCULTURATION PROFILES

•• (Moderately) Multicultural(Moderately) Multicultural

•• EthnicEthnic

•• NationalNational

•• DiffuseDiffuse

(MODERATELY) MULTICULTURAL(MODERATELY) MULTICULTURAL

•• Moderately strong ethnic andModerately strong ethnic and

national identitynational identity

•• Good English proficiency Good English proficiency

•• Strong Maori peer contactsStrong Maori peer contacts

MULTICULTURAL PROFILEMULTICULTURAL PROFILE

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5Integration

Ethnic identity

National Identity

Samoan proficiency

Samoan Use

English proficiency

English use

Samoan friends

NZE friends

Maori friends

Obligations

Rights

NATIONALNATIONAL

•• Moderately strong national identity Moderately strong national identity

•• Good proficiency in and frequentGood proficiency in and frequent

use of Englishuse of English

•• Poor ethnic language proficiencyPoor ethnic language proficiency

and infrequent use of ethnic languageand infrequent use of ethnic language

•• Strong national peer contacts andStrong national peer contacts and

weak ethnic peer contactsweak ethnic peer contacts

•• Rejection of parental obligationsRejection of parental obligations

NATIONAL PROFILENATIONAL PROFILE

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5Integration

Ethnic identity

National Identity

Samoan proficiency

Samoan Use

English proficiency

English use

Samoan friends

NZE friends

Maori friends

Obligations

Rights

ETHNICETHNIC

•• Moderately strong ethnic identityModerately strong ethnic identity

and endorsement of integrationand endorsement of integration

•• Weak national identity and fewWeak national identity and few

national peer contactsnational peer contacts

•• Very good proficiency in and frequentVery good proficiency in and frequent

use of ethnic languageuse of ethnic language

•• Poor English proficiency and infrequentPoor English proficiency and infrequent

useuse

•• Strong endorsement of parentalStrong endorsement of parental

obligations and low support forobligations and low support for

childrenchildren’’s rightss rights

ETHNIC PROFILEETHNIC PROFILE

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5Integration

Ethnic identity

National Identity

Samoan proficiency

Samoan Use

English proficiency

English use

Samoan friends

NZE friends

Maori friends

Obligations

Rights

DIFFUSEDIFFUSE

•• Weak ethnic identity and veryWeak ethnic identity and very

weak national identity weak national identity

•• Little peer contact from ethnic orLittle peer contact from ethnic or

national groups national groups

•• Rejection of integrationRejection of integration

•• Moderately poor English proficiencyModerately poor English proficiency

DIFFUSE PROFILEDIFFUSE PROFILE

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5Integration

Ethnic identity

National Identity

Samoan proficiency

Samoan Use

English proficiency

English use

Samoan friends

NZE friends

Maori friends

Obligations

Rights

ACCULTURATION PROFILESACCULTURATION PROFILES

2.92.918.218.2DiffuseDiffuse

7.67.652.352.3EthnicEthnic

40404.54.5NationalNational

49.549.52525MulticulturalMulticultural

NZNZ--bornbornSamoan bornSamoan bornProfileProfile

%

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN HOW MIGRANT YOUTH

ENGAGE IN INTERCULTURAL

RELATIONS AND HOW WELL

THEY ADAPT?

LIFE SATISFACTIONLIFE SATISFACTION

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

Ethnic Nat Multi Diff

F (3, 182) = 2.52, p <. 059

PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMSPSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

2

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.7

2.8

Ethnic Nat Multi Diff

F (3, 183) = 0.41, ns

SCHOOL ADJUSTMENTSCHOOL ADJUSTMENT

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

Ethnic Nat Multi Diff

F (3, 125) = 5.37, p <.002

BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMSBEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Ethnic Nat Multi Diff

F (3, 181) = 2.86, p < .04

ADAPTATION IN IMMIGRANT

AND NATIONAL YOUTH

LIFE SATISFACTIONLIFE SATISFACTION

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

1st Gen 2nd Gen Maori NZE

F (3, 669) = 3.64, p<.002

PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMSPSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

2

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.7

1st Gen 2nd Gen Maori NZE

F (3, 682) = 0.71, ns

SCHOOL ADJUSTMENTSCHOOL ADJUSTMENT

3.4

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

1st Gen 2nd Gen Maori NZE

F (3, 641) = 20.94, p <.001.

BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMSBEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS

1.5

1.6

1.7

1.8

1.9

2

2.1

2.2

1st Gen 2nd Gen Maori NZE

F (3, 679) = 5.73, p<.001

DISCRIMINATIONDISCRIMINATION

1.8

1.9

2

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.7

2.8

1st Gen 2nd Gen Maori NZE

F (3, 681) = 36.28, p <.001

SUMMARY SUMMARY

•• Overall, Samoan youth value cultural and language Overall, Samoan youth value cultural and language maintenancemaintenance

•• Samoan identity and peer contacts remain strong across Samoan identity and peer contacts remain strong across generations, but language loss occurs generations, but language loss occurs

•• NZ identity and English use and proficiency increase in NZ identity and English use and proficiency increase in second generation youthsecond generation youth

•• Overall Samoan youth adapt well and of the four Overall Samoan youth adapt well and of the four acculturation profiles acculturation profiles ““EthnicEthnic”” youth tend to have the youth tend to have the best outcomesbest outcomes

•• Adaptation is achieved despite discriminationAdaptation is achieved despite discrimination

POLICY IMPLICATIONSPOLICY IMPLICATIONS

Promote policies and practices that Promote policies and practices that encourage maintenance of traditional encourage maintenance of traditional language and culturelanguage and culture

For further information

contact:

Colleen.Ward@vuw.ac.nz

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