Immigration, Gender, and Psychosocial Adjustment: A Study of 150 Immigrant Couples in Israel

Research on gender differences in the process of psychosocial adjustment of recent immigrants is scant. This study was designed to assess occupational, social, and personal/psychological aspects of adjustment to life in Israel among 150 heterosexual couples that immigrated together from the former Soviet Union after 1990. The mean age of participants was 46, over 60% had postsecondary education, and have lived in Israel for the average of 9 years. The study included a structured survey and in-depth interviews with 15 couples. The results suggest that overall levels of adjustment and well-being reported by men and women are rather similar, although they take somewhat different paths toward social integration. Men were doing better in the economic/occupational domain, whereas women were more active in the social domain (e.g., building their personal networks, exploring new lifestyles). Both men and women had experienced occupational downgrading in Israel, but more women worked in physically-demanding jobs such as geriatric nursing and cleaning. Women suffered a more dramatic occupational downgrading than men, as well as lower job security and under/unemployment. Yet, they showed more flexibility and tolerance of their new work roles. No tangible gender differences have been found in the general indicators of psychosocial well-being and overall satisfaction with life in Israel. Processes of social adjustment among immigrants from the former Soviet Union may be less gendered than in other immigrant communities, reflecting more egalitarian gender relations in the Russian/Soviet culture.     

“Back Home,People Say America is Heaven”: Pre-Migration Expectations and Post-Migration Adjustment for Liberians in Pittsburgh

The African-born population in the United States is now the immigrant group growing at the fastest rate, yet African immigrants are often overlooked in studies of immigrant incorporation and social adjustment. One factor negatively impacting immigrant adjustment is a lack of congruence between pre-migration expectations and post-migration realities. Existing academic literature on this topic largely overlooks African immigrants with the exception of refugees, and current studies of Liberians in the United States also focus overwhelmingly on refugees. This article reorients the discussion of African immigrant incorporation by exploring such issues with a sample of Liberian immigrants in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area who arrived with a range of visa types. Using the results of five focus groups (N?=?31), I outline shared unrealistic expectations of abundant wealth and development, an easier life, and Americans having extensive knowledge about Africa. I also examine often unanticipated challenges such as communication issues, negative interactions (including racism and African origin prejudice), cultural differences, problems finding jobs and adjusting to American work culture, and high expectations from home, including remittances. The results suggest that non-refugee immigrants face many of the same challenges as refugees and can benefit from information and resources fostering more successful integration.     

Acculturation and adaptation of immigrant adolescents in Greek urban schools

The purpose of this study was to examine the acculturation, psychological well-being, and school adjustment of Pontian adolescents from the former Soviet Union (FSU-Pontians), who are immigrants of the diaspora living in Greece, compared with an immigrant group from Albania and native Greek classmates. The sample included 165 FSU-Pontian immigrants, 272 immigrants from Albania, and their 525 Greek classmates (mean age = 13.7 years). School adjustment data were obtained using multiple methods and informants. Students also reported their subjective well-being and acculturation via multiple measures. Findings indicated that FSU-Pontian adolescents, although they are Greek citizens, had a stronger ethnic and a lower host-national orientation than did Albanian students. Both immigrant groups experienced similar difficulties in school adjustment. Involvement in Greek culture was a salient predictor of school adjustment, while involvement in one's ethnic culture was related to subjective well-being. Findings suggest that the acculturation expectations of host country members may be related to immigrants' acculturation orientations.     

Immigration and Occupational Mobility of Native Workers in Spain. A Gender Perspective

This paper studies the economic effect of immigration on native working conditions, focusing on the impact of the inflow of immigrant labour on occupational mobility among native workers. Basing on a gender-segmented labour market, we propose an extension of the model presented by Peri and Sparber American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1(3), 135-169, (2009). The model controls for gender and time in order to check for potential differences in immigration effects associated with gender or immigrant length of residence. This research reveals the existence of such differences, by showing that female immigrant inflow has a greater positive short-term impact on occupational mobility among female unskilled native workers. In addition, the long-term study discloses a slight occupational assimilation of male immigrants towards employment patterns of male native workers and a permanent confinement of female immigrants in a few “niche jobs”.     

Professional re-entry for foreign-trained immigrants

Existing studies have elaborated on personal and structural factors that shape the prevalent reality of occupational dislocation, underemployment, and unemployment among foreign-trained immigrant professionals. Complementing the current literature, this study explores how some immigrants manage to re-establish themselves as professionals in Canada. Drawing on in-depth interviews with six immigrant professionals from various immigrant cohorts, countries of origin, professions, and of both sexes, this study examines the professional re-entry process and describes how immigrant professionals address pre-migration preparation, postmigration individual challenges, and post-migration structural challenges. It further elaborates on factors that influence the efforts of immigrant professionals to reestablish themselves professionally in Canada. The theoretical and service and policy implications are also examined.     

The Relations of Immigrant‐Specific and Immigrant‐Nonspecific Daily Hassles to Distress Controlling for Psychological Adjustment and Cultural Competence1

In separating immigrant‐specific daily hassles (out‐group, family, and in‐group) from immigrant‐nonspecific general hassles, the relations of hassles to depression and physical symptoms were examined. The respondents were 79 female and 85 male Iranian immigrants to Canada. In Block 1 of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, the experience of out‐group hassles and of general hassles both contributed to the prediction of depression. In Block 2, psychological adjustment and perceived cultural competence in the host society, along with out‐group hassles, predicted depression. General hassles were the only predictor of physical symptoms. Psychological adjustment, as a buffer, interacted with hassles in enhancing the prediction of distress. The importance of distinguishing and accounting for both immigrant‐specific and immigrant‐nonspecific hassles in predicting outcome measures was considered, as was the importance of assessing dispositional variables in this context.     

The longitudinal association between internalizing symptoms and academic achievement among immigrant and non‐immigrant children in Norway

The aim of this study was to explore the longitudinal relation between internalizing symptoms and academic achievement, as two processes of children and youth development, among children in Norway, and whether having an immigrant background moderated this association. Data collected from 4,458 students in Norway in four waves over three years were analyzed with multi‐group latent growth curve modeling (LGM ). Results showed that internalizing symptoms level remained unchanged over time both for immigrant and non‐immigrant children, while levels of academic achievement increased only for children of immigrants with both parents born outside of Norway. Further analyses supported a reciprocal relation between internalizing symptoms and academic achievement and revealed that the initial level of academic achievement predicted the rate of change in internalizing symptoms over time, but not vice versa. Moreover, immigrant background did not moderate the associations in the model, however, children of immigrants with both parents born abroad initially had lower levels of academic achievement, but showed an increase in academic achievement, compared to their non‐immigrant peers as well as to peers with one native‐born parent after controlling for gender and their grade at the first observation. The implications for policy and practice were discussed.     

Suicide ideation among recent immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union: an epidemiological survey of prevalence and risk factors

This paper reports results of a national community survey of self-reported suicide ideation and attempts and their relation to psychological distress, depression, social support, and adjustment difficulties in a sample of recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU) to Israel. Using a door-to-door sampling procedure, a sample of 788 Russian-born Jewish immigrants, ages 18-74 years, was selected to match the age and sex structure of the total immigrant population. An indigenous sample of Jews in Russia (n = 411) was matched with the immigrants for comparison. Parameters of interest were measured with the Demographic Inventory, Talbieh Brief Distress Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. The 1-month prevalence rate of suicide ideation in the immigrant sample (15.1%) was found to be significantly higher than that in Russian controls (6.6%). A total of 5.5% of immigrants but only 0.5% of controls had made a suicide attempt at some time in their lives. Risk factors for suicide ideation included younger age, living without a spouse, low level of social support, being a physician or teacher, a history of immigration from the Baltic countries or Moscow, or duration of stay in Israel from 2 to 3 years. The strongest risk factors were higher level of psychological distress and symptoms such as depression, hostility, and paranoid ideation. These findings can be used as a point of departure for the development of community-based suicide prevention programs for recent immigrants.     

Injury risk among children of low-income U.S.-born and immigrant mothers.

The number of immigrants in the United States is at an all time high, yet psychologists have largely ignored the domain of immigrant health. This article considers 1 aspect of immigrant health, risk for pediatric injury. A sample of over 5,000 5-year-old children from impoverished families was studied; approximately 13% had immigrant mothers. Children of immigrants had a significantly lower rate of injury in the prior year. This was particularly true of non-White children of immigrants. Three possible mediators for this finding--assistance with parenting, parenting style, and health care accessibility--were considered, but none explained the difference. The need for further research on the topic and implications of results for injury prevention are discussed.     

Family and Neighborhood Fit or Misfit and the Adaptation of Mexican Americans

In this study, a person-environment fit model was used to understand the independent and combined roles of family and neighborhood characteristics on the adjustment of adults and children in a sample of 750 Mexican American families. Latent class analysis was used to identify six qualitatively distinct family types and three quantitatively distinct neighborhood types using socioeconomic and cultural indicators at each level. The results showed that members of single-parent Mexican American families may be particularly at-risk, members of the lowest-income immigrant families reported fewer adaptation problems if they lived in low-income neighborhoods dominated by immigrants, members of economically successful immigrant families may be more at-risk in integrated middle class neighborhoods than in low-income neighborhoods dominated by immigrants, and members of two-parent immigrant families appear to be rather resilient in most settings despite their low socioeconomic status.     

Counselling adolescents of immigrant parents: A transcultural approach

Adolescence is a difficult time for most children, but even more complex for the adolescents coming from immigrant families. Immigrant is a vague, broad concept and is difficult to define. Not all immigrants experience financial, psychological and social adjustment in the same way. In this paper it refers to the ones who experience ‘cultural misunderstanding’ characterized by social isolation, social confusion and deep general uncertainty. The paper focuses on some of the general aspects of the lack of appropriate support that the offspring of immigrant parents experience. A brief outline is given to show the attempt made by the Intercultural Therapy Centre (NAFSIYAT) to provide a transcultural therapeutic milieu for the adolescents from immigrant parents.     

Closing the wage gap: Economic assimilation of Canadian immigrants reconsidered

This article investigates the wage growth of immigrants in Canada. A wage gap between newly landed immigrants and native-born Canadians may be quite natural for a variety of reasons, but do immigrants narrow this wage gap as they become more attuned to local market conditions? One measure of economic assimilation by immigrants is their wage growth relative to that of other Canadians. Also, to what extent is current understanding of economic assimilation derived from cross-sectional data altered by examining panel data? This article employs the master file of the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) panel to reconsider the labour market performance of immigrants, particularly with regard to adjustment questions such as wagegrowth. We review the major Canadian econometric studies on immigrant assimilation, discuss the differences arising from cross-sectional studies and models that employ panel data, and present results estimated using the SLID panel.     

Integrating Immigrants into the Life of Canadian Urban Christian Congregations: Findings from a National Survey

In just one generation the cultural face of Canadian society has been transformed. The relative level of immigration has increased rapidly as has diversity among those immigrants. This article reports on the findings of a national survey that offers a baseline of how and to what extent local Canadian Christian congregations are responding to this cultural diversity. In particular, it explores how churches are integrating immigrants within the life of their local congregations. This article uses a systems change perspective to frame immigrant integration. This perspective emphasizes three requirements for change: vision, structure and processes that promote immigrant integration. Data was collected using an online survey of urban congregations in the nine urban Canadian communities having an immigrant population above the national average (20% foreign-born). Using these data this article explores the full range of immigrant integration efforts from the initial welcome to inclusion into congregational life. It describes the present status of immigrant integration, details reported successes and challenges and notes respondent suggestions for better integration. Results of this survey provide first-time baseline insights into how a range of urban Christian congregations from across Canada are presently responding to the Canadian immigrant reality.     

Labour market outcomes of immigrant and racial minority university graduates in Canada

Between 1986 and 1996 there has been a significant increase in the racial minority and immigrant populations of Canada and a very significant proportion of racial minorities are of immigrant origin. With the aging of the Canadian population and its persistently low fertility rates the success of the Knowledge Based Economy (KBE) is expected to depend on the economic integration of immigrant racial minorities. In this paper, we frame the discussion of economic integration from a social inequality perspective, and examine how fields of study (FOS) and education credentials impact the earnings of immigrant racial minorities. Our analysis indicates that, in all fields of study, the earnings of immigrant visible minorities, especially those who migrated at an older age to Canada with foreign credentials, are not commensurate with their education level. This suggests that the adjustment mechanisms that have been introduced to recognize the credentials of young adult racial minority immigrants and smooth their entry into the work force have been inadequate and/or ineffective.     

Socioeconomic Adaptation of Post-1991 Eastern European Immigrants in the USA

Very little is known about new Eastern European immigrants in the USA, despite the rapid growth of this immigrant population. In particular, their socioeconomic adaptation to American life has not been systematically studied. Extending previous research on post-1965 immigration to the USA, this study examines the socioeconomic adaptation of post-1991 Eastern European immigrants by focusing on their educational attainment, occupational status, and income. We test our hypotheses using data from the pooled 2006–2010 American Community Surveys and ordinary least squares regression and logistic regression. The results show that new Eastern European immigrants tend to be highly educated and professional, but their income is surprisingly low. The results of regression models indicate that the individual characteristics of immigrants largely explain their socioeconomic adaptation. In addition, such conditions in the countries of origin as gross domestic product and political and personal freedom also influence their socioeconomic performance to some extent. The implications of findings are discussed.     

COMMUNICATION DIVERSITY AND INFORMATION ACQUISITION AMONG KOREAN IMMIGRANTS IN HAWAII

The general purpose of the study was to construct a precise explanation of the communication patterns of Korean immigrants in Hawaii and the subsequent impact of these communication patterns on their level of information. A general pattern of communication diversity was conceptualized on two levels: (1) whether an immigrant uses diverse channels of communication rather than depending upon one dominant channel, and (2) whether his communication behavior cuts across ethnic boundaries rather than remaining restricted to just one ethnic group. It was hypothesized that for immigrants to be engaged in diverse communication patterns requires both a greater social capacity and a greater cognitive capacity. The cognitive structure with which immigrants process information from their new environment, and their perceived locus of control over the environment, were used as measures of cognitive capacity. Education, occupational status, length of residence in the United States, and English fluency were used as measures of social capacity. All of the hypothesized relationships were tested and supported by face-to-face interviews in a sample survey of 401 randomly selected Korean immigrants in Hawaii.     

Occupational injury among immigrants

The growth in immigrant populations demands an understandign of determinants of their health, including occupational health. The study reported here involved a survey of a non-probability non-clinical sample of immigrants. The results indicate that length of stay, a proxy for acculturation, had no relationship to injury, but working in a language other than English and professing Buddhism did; thus, lack of congruence between individual level culture and workplace culture affects rates of injury. The conclusion is that looking for individual level explanations of differences in workplace injury will do little to advance the field of occupational health promotion.     

Evaluating the Character of People Who Insult the Nation: Implications for Immigrant Integration

We examine immigrant integration by analyzing how natives evaluate immigrants' character. Most literature examines how natives distinguish between immigrants with different levels of assimilation, which is best suited to identifying integration boundaries between different types of immigrants. We shift the analysis and examine the boundary between immigrants and natives, which measures integration by the extent to which immigrant status is relevant for character evaluations. We compare how natives respond to national insults that come from immigrants as opposed to natives. We focus on insulting the nation because it highlights the salience of national identity and clarifies the importance of group boundaries. We measure responses to national insults with vignette experiments from three original surveys in the United States. Our results are consistent with situationist theories of interpersonal interactions because they suggest that character evaluations are more dependent on the situational distinction between people who do and do not insult the nation than the demographic distinction between whether the insult comes from a native or immigrant. These findings have multiple implications for our understanding of national identity, immigrant integration, and immigrant‐native boundaries.     

A Life Domains Perspective on Acculturation and Psychological Adjustment: A Study of Refugees from the Former Soviet Union

The study articulates a contextual approach to research on acculturation of immigrants, suggesting that the relationship between acculturation and adjustment is dependent on the cultural demands of the life domains considered. Specifically, the study investigated the mediating effects of adjustment in occupational and social life domains on the relationship between acculturation and psychological adjustment for 391 refugees from the former Soviet Union. The study used bilinear measures of acculturation to the host (American) and heritage (Russian) cultures. Using Structural Equation Modeling, the study confirmed the hypothesized relationships, such that the positive effects of American acculturation on psychological adjustment were mediated by occupational adjustment, and the effects of Russian acculturation on psychological adjustment were mediated by satisfaction with co-ethnic social support. Psychological adjustment was measured in two ways, as psychological well-being, using a measure of life satisfaction, and as symptoms of depression and anxiety, using the Hopkins symptom checklist (HSCL). Life satisfaction served as a mediator between adjustment in occupational and social domains and HSCL, suggesting that it may be an intervening variable through which environmental stress associated with immigration contributes to the development of symptoms of mental disorder.     

Development of a mentoring program for Chinese immigrant adolescents' cultural adjustment

The development and evaluation of a peer mentoring program for Chinese immigrant adolescents' cultural adjustment is described. Twenty-three high school students who recently immigrated from Mainland China participated in the year-long program and 4 high school students served as their peer mentors. Data analyses revealed that the students who participated in the mentoring program had significantly higher peer attachment-trust and need for closeness scores at post-test than at pre-test. Implications for working with adolescent immigrants are discussed.