Acculturation and identity in an Asian context: The case of ethnic minority youth in Hong Kong

Context: Despite the growing number of ethnic minority population in Hong Kong little is known about their acculturation experiences and associated impacts on their psychosocial adjustment and identity. This presentation explores acculturation and identity of a group of ethnic minority youth in Hong Kong. Theory and methodology: Drawing on Berry’s (2003) acculturation framework ethnic minority youths’ experiences were examined in the face of intercultural contacts wherein a socioecological model (e.g. García Coll & Marks, 2012) helped understand their experiences in multiple contexts such as home, school and community. Further, Masten’s (2001) resilience framework was used to identify individual’s capacity to dealing with problems in difficult circumstances. Combining all provides a comprehensive lens to understand the full picture. The study employed qualitative research method in which in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 ethnic minority youths from Pakistani, Indian, Nepalese, Bangladeshi and Filipino heritages living in Hong Kong. The analytic strategies included coding data and creating salient themes to answer questions under investigation. Results and conclusions: The study found ethnic minority youths’ experiences in four major domains including: (a) connection with family, intra-ethnic community and heritage culture; (b) connection with pan-ethnic and interethnic community; (c) acculturative stress; and (d) coping strategies. Participants’ accounts highlight that acculturation experiences exert influence on their psychosocial well-being and identity development. The findings have important implications for culturally responsive policy, practice, intervention, and research. Copyright © 2018 CiCe Association Conference.