Immigration and Acculturation in Adolescence

Adolescents need to develop a socially-approved identity to ensure a healthy transition to adult life. This task is particularly challenging for immigrant youth growing into a social world where their home and host cultures differ considerably in terms of models of a healthy and acceptable identity. Immigrant adolescents need to acquire bicultural competence and flexibility as part of a secure and balanced identity and to function effectively in their multicultural world. 1 Psychological acculturation research is aimed to uncover factors that facilitate or complicate bicultural development and healthy adjustment in immigrant adolescents.