Journal of Community Psychology
Volume 37, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 88-105

Neighborhood immigrant concentration, acculturation, and cultural alienation in former Soviet immigrant women (Article)

Miller A.M. , Birman D. , Zenk S. , Wang E. , Sorokin O. , Connor J.
  • a University of Illinois, Chicago, United States, 845 South Damen, Chicago, IL, United States
  • b University of Illinois, Chicago, United States
  • c University of Illinois, Chicago, United States
  • d University of Illinois, Chicago, United States
  • e University of Illinois, Chicago, United States
  • f University of Illinois, Chicago, United States

Abstract

Several acculturation theories note the importance of surrounding context, but few studies describe neighborhood influences on immigrant adaptation. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among neighborhood immigrant concentration, acculturation, and alienation for 151 women aged 44-80 from the former Soviet Union who lived in the US fewer than 13 years. Participants resided in 65 census tracts in the Chicago area with varying concentrations of Russian-speaking and diverse immigrants. Results from self-report questionnaires suggest that the effect of acculturation on alienation varies depending on neighborhood characteristics. The study also demonstrates the complexity of individual and contextual influences on immigrant adoption. Understanding these relationships is important for developing community-based and neighborhood-level interventions to enhance the mental health of immigrants. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-61349148589&doi=10.1002%2fjcop.20272&partnerID=40&md5=44ac8a5575b05537a82704ea553efe27
DOI: 10.1002/jcop.20272
ISSN: 00904392
Cited by: 33
Original Language: English