Bicultural Competence Research Articles

A family stress model investigation of bicultural competence among U.S. Mexican-origin youth.

Objectives: We investigated the influence of parental exposure to family stressors on parents' ethnic socialization practices and adolescents' cultural competencies among U.S. Mexican-origin families. Method: The sample included 749 U.S. Mexican-origin families followed for 5 years (two-parent families = 579; single-mother families = 170). At the first wave, mean age was 35.9 years for mothers, 38.1 years for fathers, and 10.42 years for youths (49% female). Most youths were U.S.-born (70.3%). Most parents were Mexico-born (74.3% to 79.9%). On average, Mexico-born parents had resided in the U.S. for 12.57 to 14.58 years. Both parents reported about 10 years of education. Annual family incomes ranged from less than $5,000 to more than $95,000. We conducted longitudinal structural equation analyses to test a culturally expanded Family Stress Model. Results: Mothers' exposures to enculturative language stressors disrupted maternal ethnic socialization, and in turn, undermined adolescents' bicultural competence. Conclusions: This work advances understanding of the family processes that set into motion youth's bicultural competence development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Biculturalism and adjustment among U.S. Latinos: A review of four decades of empirical findings.

Incorporating both heritage (e.g., Latino) and national (e.g., American) cultural systems into our sense of self (i.e., bicultural identity) and developing the ability to successfully respond to demands associated with each of these systems (i.e., bicultural competence) have been theorized to be central to the development and positive adjustment of U.S. Latinos, a group that represents a large segment of the country's population. In this comprehensive review, we examined empirical research on biculturalism among U.S. Latinos spanning four decades (1980-2020), with a focus on synthesizing the field's understanding of antecedents and consequents associated with biculturalism and identifying directions for future research. Our review of 152 empirical articles revealed that this literature was characterized by multiple approaches to the conceptualization (i.e., dual-cultural adaptation, dual-cultural identity, bicultural identity integration, and bicultural competence) and subsequent operationalization of biculturalism. Although each conceptualization has different implications for the conclusions that can be drawn regarding an aspect or facet of biculturalism and potential influence on adjustment, a significant majority (78%) of studies, across conceptualizations, provided evidence supporting a positive association between biculturalism and Latinos' adjustment. In addition, a relatively small body of qualitative work was identified, and findings largely informed potential antecedents of biculturalism. We review this literature with attention to: the aspects of biculturalism that are associated with Latinos' adjustment (i.e., psychosocial and physical health), how sample characteristics may limit the generalizability of this work, and important directions for future research both in terms of conceptualization and study design.

The Effects of Acculturative Stress and Bicultural Competence on Creativity of Chinese Students in Korea

본 연구는 재한 중국인 유학생의 문화적응스트레스와 창의성의 관련성을 알아보기 위해 수행되었다. 특히 이중문화역량이 문화적응스트레스와 창의성의 관련성을 매개하는지 중점적으로 살펴보았다. 한국에서 유학 중인 중국인을 대상으로 온라인 설문을 통해 자료를 수집하였고 총 257부의 자료를 최종분석에 사용하였다. 자료 분석을 위해 t검증, 분산분석, 상관분석, 위계적 다중회귀분석을 실시하였다. 주요 연구 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 재한 중국인 유학생의 문화적응스트레스는 창의성 그리고 이중문화역량과 부적 관련성을 나타낸 반면, 이중문화역량은 창의성과 높은 정적 관련성을 보였다. 둘째, 이중문화역량의 각 하위요인은 문화적응 스트레스와 창의성의 관계를 모두 부분적으로 매개하는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구는 재한 중국인 유학생의 창의성에 영향을 미치는 요인을 탐색하고 그 과정을 구체적으로 알아봄으로써 그들의 창의성 증진에 필요한 기초 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

Supplemental Material for A Family Stress Model Investigation of Bicultural Competence Among U.S. Mexican-Origin Youth

Supplemental Material for A Family Stress Model Investigation of Bicultural Competence Among U.S. Mexican-Origin Youth

Family contextual influences on bicultural competence development among U.S. Mexican-origin youths.

This study investigated how parents' value-based enculturation and acculturation processes (i.e., Mexican American and mainstream American values trajectories across their youths' development from late childhood to middle adolescence) related to their youths' behavioral, affective, and cognitive components of bicultural competence in late adolescence. Our sample included 749 U.S. Mexican-origin youths (30% Mexico-born; 49% female), and their parents, followed for 7 years (Mage = 10.44 to 17.38 years). Linear latent growth analyses revealed that both parental enculturation and acculturation processes have important implications for U.S. Mexican-origin adolescents' bicultural competence. This work highlights parental promoting and inhibiting influences on the development of bicultural competence, a normative developmental competency among ethnic-racial minority and immigrant adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Fostering Bicultural Skills among East Asian American Youth: An Initial Investigation of the East West Connection Program

We examined the efficacy of the East West Connection (EWC) program for East Asian American youth (N = 51) using a quasi-experimental design. Participants were recruited from several churches. While our study showed that the participation in EWC did not significantly increase bicultural competence, the regression analyses did reveal that bicultural competence was a significant predictor of well-being. We discuss the implications of the results for future intervention development and provide recommendations for future research.

The better, the worse, and the bicultural: examining bicultural competence and bicultural liability in elite football teams

The better, the worse, and the bicultural: examining bicultural competence and bicultural liability in elite football teams

The better, the worse, and the bicultural: examining bicultural competence and bicultural liability in elite football teams

Researchers have argued that biculturals have performance and behavioural advantages over their mono-cultural peers within multi-cultural teams. We test this claim with performance data from 442 association football players that participated in the 2012-2013 English Premier League season. As expected, bicultural individuals were found to exhibit higher levels of creativity and manifest leadership behaviour more often than monoculturals did; however, biculturals were also found to exhibit higher levels of stress susceptibility and were regarded as less effective leaders by their teammates. We use these findings to develop the construct of bicultural liability and identify how biculturalism can affect individual skills.

Bicultural managers leading multicultural teams: a conceptual case study

Biculturals are recognised as an important segment of managers. However, organisational leaders have a gap in knowledge about this group's distinctive experiences. A conceptual case study design was followed through a literature review approach to present the present state of knowledge focused on current research findings on bicultural managers' boundary spanning competencies and multicultural team effectiveness. This study is framed by three key concepts of bicultural competence, boundary spanning, and leadership emergence in multicultural teams. This integrative literature review provides in-depth knowledge for understanding the management experiences of biculturals and the implications of their competencies and skills in leading multicultural teams. Bicultural managers possess an understanding of multiple cultures that can enhance team outcomes and complex team-level competencies associated with better performance. This integrative literature review can be utilised by future researchers as foundational material in studies to extend theoretical foundations and to extend the results of prior related studies.

Supplemental Material for Family Contextual Influences on Bicultural Competence Development Among U.S. Mexican-Origin Youths

Supplemental Material for Family Contextual Influences on Bicultural Competence Development Among U.S. Mexican-Origin Youths

Cultural Adjustment of Foreign Students in the Era of Globalization (A Case Study at Iiui-pakistan)

Studying at a higher education institution can be stressful, particularly for international students, who leave their homes to study in another country. Native students just have to do efforts for educational attainment but foreign students need to develop bicultural competence, as they maintain their values while adjusting to the practical, interpersonal, and emotional challenges encountered in the host country as well. This study explored the foreign students’ cultural adaptation for academic achievements at higher education level in Pakistan. The present study revealed the role of activities, interests, attitudes, knowledge, preferences and .diverse cultural personalities, which drive the foreigner to become a successful student in the non-native institute. The key objective of the study was to explore the pace of cultural adaptation of foreign students at the university level. It was a Purposeful qualitative study with descriptive narration style. The target population was all the foreign students studying in IIUI BS program in faculty of social sciences. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 55 foreign students for the study. The self-developed questionnaire used to collect the data from the foreign students. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS software. Pearson's correlation coefficient method was used to find out the relationship. Analysis of data revealed that the University environment has been marked supportive for cultural adaption by foreign students but university administration staff meaninglessly wastes their study time and make them worried about the least important things. It was found that foreign students were very much satisfied with the behavior of fellow students and most of the teaching staff. It was concluded that all institutions at higher education level generally and IIUI specifically have to do the work on the main objective of globalization. The teaching and administrative staff here has to be trained that how to help the foreign students to feel at home in their institution, how to reduce the fear and risk factors and increase the pace of cultural adaptation. It is recommended that the teachers, administration and, students of the institution must be made aware of the importance of cross-cultural adaptation and globalization as it is a gateway to attract more foreign students along with economic benefits for the institution.

A Survey of the Yemeni Translation Market Needs

Academic programs have changed to become learner-centered. As such, programs are based on the competences that learners should acquire. One major source for these competences is the market. The aim of this study was to identify the translation competences needed by the Yemeni market. Drawing on recent literature, the researcher developed a questionnaire, and a total number of 50 professional translators – working in Sana’a – filled the questionnaire. It included 35 items distributed to five categories: bilingual competence, cultural competence, translation competence, instrumental competence, and strategic competence, in addition to psycho-physiological components of translators. Results revealed that all translation competences were important and needed by the market; none was marked as unimportant. Specifically, 21 of them were highly important. The highest degrees of importance were for basic skills without which translation tasks can never be done: language competence, bicultural competence, problem solving procedures, and use of dictionaries and information mining. Meanwhile, the focus –though needed – was less on the competences of interpreting and modern translation technologies which can be attributed to the difficult times Yemen experiences currently that caused recession in the translation market.That was obvious in the lack of conferences and official activities, in additionto the lack of specialists in translation technology.

U.S. Mexican-origin adolescents' bicultural competence and mental health in context.

We examined the prospective association (from Mage = 15.84 to 17.38 years) between bicultural competence and mental health among U.S. Mexican-origin adolescents relative to multiple (a) developmental niches, (b) components of bicultural competence, and (c) indicators of mental health. Participants included 749 adolescents (49% female, 29.7% Mexico-born) recruited during late childhood and followed through late adolescence. We used latent profile analyses to identify adolescents' developmental niches based on sociocultural characteristics of the family, school, and neighborhood contexts and multiple-group structural equation modeling to examine whether these niches moderated the association between bicultural competence and mental health. We identified 5 distinct adolescents' developmental niches. We found no association between bicultural competence and internalizing symptoms across niches; bicultural facility predicted lower externalizing symptoms among adolescents developing in niches characterized by immigrant families and predominantly Latino schools and neighborhoods. The diversity found among U.S. Mexican-origin adolescents' niches underscores the need to assess context broadly by including a range of settings. Studying multiple components of bicultural competence across numerous cultural domains may provide a better understanding of any mental health benefits of biculturalism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

국내 외국인 유학생의 문화적응 스트레스와 우울의 관계에서 이중문화역량의 조절효과

국내 외국인 유학생의 문화적응 스트레스와 우울의 관계에서 이중문화역량의 조절효과

“Mi’jita, What for?” Exploring Bicultural Identity of Latina/Chicana Faculty and Implications for Supporting Latinx Students in Social Work

Latinx faculty have an opportunity to influence a growing population of incoming Latinx students. As Chicana/Latina social work faculty, we seek to raise consciousness about our biculturalism and demonstrate how it could play a role in educating students. To that end, we highlight issues related to language. The meaning of language is complex, manifesting personally and politically. It is unclear how the relationship between identity and language intersect for individuals working in higher education. Thus, we draw on a theoretical model of bicultural competence and testimonios or first-person narratives to explore these issues in-depth, extrapolate meaning from experience, and report implications for research, teaching, and practice.

The Structural Relationship among Parental Attitudes, Liberal Classroom Climate, Bicultural Competence, Academic Resilience, and Learning Flow of Middle School Students from Multicultural Families in Rural Area

The Structural Relationship among Parental Attitudes, Liberal Classroom Climate, Bicultural Competence, Academic Resilience, and Learning Flow of Middle School Students from Multicultural Families in Rural Area

Youth and Their Challenge to Promote a Fairer Multicultural Society: a Qualitative Study of African Immigrant Activists

Immigrants’ activism in associations has been identified as a stepping stone for their integration within a new society (Handy and Greenspan, Nonprofit Volunt Sect Q 38:956-982, 2009). Within a liberation psychology perspective (LP) (Garcia-Ramirez et al., Am J Community Psychol 47:86-97, 2011), the present study explores how being active in a national association (NA) or ethnic association (EA) can promote the integration of immigrants in social service associations. Sixteen interviews were conducted with young immigrants of African origin to investigate their motivations for activism, their perception of the Italian context, and the changes their activism promotes on the personal and community level. Thematic analysis suggests that young immigrants choose to become active in national and ethnic associations for the same reasons and are mainly driven by cultural motivation. The results also show that, on the individual level, (a) activism practiced in national associations tends to expand social networks with natives and develop a sense of agency, bicultural competency, and a positive social identity; (b) activism practiced in ethnic associations promotes the formation of political thinking and intercultural competence.

The influence of extramural access to mainstream culture social media on ethnic minority students’ motivation for language learning

AbstractThe educational potentials of social media both in the formal and informal learning contexts have been widely acknowledged. However, how social media use in the informal contexts might influence students’ learning in the formal contexts is still underexplored. Path analysis of 141 survey responses from secondary school ethnic minority students in Hong Kong revealed that voluntary access to Chinese social media in daily life influenced these students’ ideal L2 self and motivated efforts in learning Chinese both directly and indirectly via bicultural integration identity and bicultural competence. The findings confirmed that social media practices in the informal contexts may influence students’ motivated efforts in learning in the formal contexts. The study suggests promoting ethnic minorities’ extramural use of mainstream culture social media to influence their acculturation into the dominant culture and motivation in learning the dominant culture’s language. It further highlights the importance of equipping ethnic minority students with the necessary socio‐cultural and communication skills to facilitate positive intercultural engagement on these sites so as to safeguard the positive influences of informal social media use on students’ motivation for learning.

Are hafus ‘dirty’ or ‘special’? Negotiating mixed-race identities among Japanese-Indonesian youths in Indonesia

ABSTRACTThis is one of the first papers to examine the experiences of mixed-race individuals who have one Japanese parent, commonly referred to as ‘hafu’, living outside of Japan. Specifically, it analyzes the experiences of Japanese-Indonesians living in Indonesia who have attended an overseas Japanese school and an Indonesian or international school in Indonesia or elsewhere. Japan’s dual positioning – as inferior to the West and superior to the Rest – impacts upon the experiences of mixed-race individuals in varying ways depending on the predominant discourse operating at the school. At the Japanese school, the discourse of Japanese superiority, which draws on both the cultural legacy of Japanese imperialism and contemporary regional socio-economic hierarchy, deemed the hafus as inferior in relation to their Japanese peers for not being ‘pure’ Japanese. At the Indonesian school, the regional hierarchy deemed the hafus as superior in relation to their Indonesian peers. In these cases, mixed-race individuals find themselves on opposite ends of Japan’s dual positioning. Finally, at the English-medium international school, the cosmopolitan discourse that privileges mixedness (and western cultural capital) at times inverted the positionality of those who were of mixed descent in relation to their Japanese peers. The paper discusses the way hafus submit to, negotiate or challenge the prevailing discourses through the use of varying strategies (sometimes depending on gender) such as performing Japaneseness or bicultural competence, constructing social distance, or physically fighting. Furthermore, the paper extends the application of methodological transnationalism to analyze the way multiple regional and global discourses intersect to simultaneously and situationally affect hafu experiences.

On Compensation for Cultural Default in Literary Translation

Translation is a type of transformation both from language and cultural levels. Due to the cultural disparity between the source language and the target language, cultural default is inevitable to some extent. Cultural default is defined as the absence of relevant cultural background knowledge shared by the writer and his intended readers. Translation compensation is of great necessity to make up for the loss resulted from cultural default in an effort to allow the target readers to appreciate the original text as the source readers. A qualified translator is expected to possess corresponding bilingual and bicultural competence, identify the existence of cultural default and exercise appropriate compensation strategies so as to bridge the gap between the original author and the target readers. Based upon the analysis of some typical examples from literary translation, the study proposes some corresponding compensation strategies such as annotation, contextual amplification, adaptation and paraphrase to make up for cultural vacancy, aiming to expand the translator’s competence to compensate for cultural default and promote cultural transmission.