Acculturation of Iraqi Refugee High School Students: Risk and Protective Factors

• In Event: 14.044 - Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: 14.044-2 - Democratizing Access: Factors Supporting Success Among Immigrant Students

Abstract

Working with Iraqi refugee public high school students and their parents in the Detroit Metropolitan area, we explored risk factors such as educational gaps in transit and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), protective factors such as resilience and self-esteem, and how these factors relate to acculturation (integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization). Using a concurrent mixed method, we conducted canonical correlations (CCA) analysis, interviews, and focus groups. The CCA results showed that integration, assimilation, and separation are positively related to protective factors and that separation and marginalization are positively related to risk factors. Interview data also supported that PTSD and educational gaps boost acculturation stresses and hinder positive acculturation. Finally, family (parents) is a strong source for resilience and self-esteem.

Authors

• Hyeyoung Bang, Bowling Green State University

• Bruce Anthony Collet, Bowling Green State University