Biculturalism dynamics: A daily diary study of bicultural identity and psychosocial functioning

Seth J Schwartz,Alan Meca,Colleen Ward,Ágnes Szabó,Verónica Benet-Martínez,Elma I Lorenzo-Blanco,Gillian Albert Sznitman,Cory L Cobb,José Szapocznik,Jennifer B Unger,Miguel Ángel Cano,Jaimee Stuart,Byron L Zamboanga

doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2018.12.007

Abstract

We examined two conceptualizations of bicultural identity – the Bicultural Identity Integration (BII) framework (cultural identity blendedness-distance and harmony-conflict) and cultural hybridizing and alternating (mixing one's two cultural identities and/or switching between them). Utilizing data from a 12-day diary study with 873 Hispanic college students, we examined three research questions: (1) cross-sectional and longitudinal intercorrelations among these biculturalism components, (2) links among daily variability in these biculturalism components, and (3) how this daily variability predicts well-being and mental health outcomes over time. Bicultural hybridizing was positively related to, and longitudinally predicted by, both BII blendedness and harmony. Daily fluctuation scores for BII blendedness, BII harmony, and bicultural hybridizing were strongly interrelated. Well-being was negatively predicted by fluctuations in hybridizing, whereas internalizing symptoms were positively predicted by fluctuations in blendedness. These results are discussed in terms of what biculturalism is and how best to promote it.

Highlights

Differences between heritage and destination cultures generally require, on the part of immigrants, some degree of acculturation – cultural adaptation that results in including various heritage-cultural and destination-cultural attitudes, values, behaviors and identifications within one’s cultural behavioral and value repertoire, and one’s sense of self (Berry, 2009; see Berry, 2017, for a recent review)
To examine the final research question regarding effects of instability in the biculturalism components on well-being and internalizing outcomes on Day 12, we used structural equation modeling to ascertain the effects of fluctuations in the four biculturalism indices on final-day (Day 12) well-being, controlling for well-being at baseline
We conducted the present study to expand our understanding of bicultural identity dynamics by empirically integrating two models of biculturalism – the bicultural identity integration (BII)

Summary

Introduction

Differences between heritage and destination cultures generally require, on the part of immigrants, some degree of acculturation – cultural adaptation that results in including (or not including) various heritage-cultural and destination-cultural attitudes, values, behaviors and identifications within one’s cultural behavioral and value repertoire, and one’s sense of self (Berry, 2009; see Berry, 2017, for a recent review). Whereas the United States ranks as the most individualistic (i.e., prioritizing the needs of the person over the needs of the family or other social group) country in the world, the five least individualistic countries (and eight of the 13 least individualistic countries) are in Latin America (Hofstede, 2015). Given these contrasts between Hispanic and “mainstream” U.S cultural streams, and because the majority of Hispanic youth in the United States are from immigrant families (Pew Research Center, 2017), mastering both heritage and U.S cultures represents an important challenge for Hispanic youth (Schwartz, Meca, Cano, Lorenzo-Blanco, & Unger, 2018). Young adults are no longer enrolled in compulsory education and have not entered into full-time work – thereby presenting them with opportunities to engage in thoughtful consideration of how their lives are unfolding

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