Resilience among immigrant youth: The role of culture, development and acculturation

Abstract

The resilient adaptation of immigrant youth in host societies is consequential for their wellbeing and for the prosperity of society. Significant diversity is observed in their adaptation. The key question of this article is “Who among immigrant youth does well and why?”. The adaptation of immigrant youth is examined in a developmental context, through the lens of culture, integrating acculturation and social psychological variables. Culture has been largely neglected in the study of resilience. However, both the definition of positive adaptation and the resources promoting it are to a large extent culture-bound. This argument becomes particularly relevant in the context of migration. Immigrant youth have to navigate between the often-conflicting values and developmental goals of their home and host cultures, in a discriminatory context. This review suggests that culture, development and acculturation are highly intertwined. A cultural developmental science approach would contribute to a better understanding of immigrant youth resilience.