Comparative Acculturation of Southeast Asian and Hispanic Immigrants and Sojourners

Abstract

The research compared the acculturation of two ethnic groups residing in Oklahoma as a function of their cultural background, permanent status, and other pre-and postmigratory factors. Four groups, Southeast Asian refugees, Hispanic immigrants, Southeast Asian sojourners, and Hispanic sojourners were administered the Multicultural Acculturation Scale. The Hispanic immigrants tended to be more assimilated than the Southeast Asian immigrants, who tended to maintain a strong ethnic orientation. Both Hispanic and Southeast Asian sojourners were biculturally oriented. All groups were more assimilated in their work and place of residence than in their friendships, daily activities, and self-identification. Ethnic networks seemed to play an important role in reducing assimilation. Hispanic sojourners seemed to be most satisfactorily adapted, and Southeast Asian immigrants, least so. For all groups, biculturalism appeared to be the most satisfactory form of acculturation, followed by assimilation and then separation.