The Acculturation of Children
- Nathen Niyen (Iowa State University)
Abstract
Migration can be a large shift in a child's life affecting their mental psyche. Acculturation is when immigrants from one country try to integrate into another by taking on that country's characteristics. The child's parent may impact how the child acculturates, depending on which characteristics the parent takes from the parenting model. The way a child acculturates will influence the child's well-being. This research hypothesizes that parenting style affects a child's acculturation, which in turn affects a child's well-being. Another area we examine is how cultural intelligence and empathy affect how a child acculturates, which can also affect a child's well-being. We hypothesized that cultural intelligence and empathy would affect how much a person acculturates, leading to their well-being. These hypotheses were tested using a set of questionnaires. The target demographic is people over 18 who moved to the United States before 14 years old. As the world becomes increasingly connected, this research will contribute to understanding the experiences of children who migrate.