Chinese Acculturation Measurement
Abstract
In 2001, the Chinese were the largest visible minority group in Canada, with over one million individuals identifying themselves as Chinese. There is a growing concern about the extent to which the Chinese and other minority members can adjust to and become assimilated into the majority society. However, there is currently no instrument available that can be used to measure the acculturation levels of Chinese residing in Canada. This paper develops an acculturation measure specifically designed for Chinese in Canada. The measure consists of seven dimensions: social interactions, language preference, self-construal, ethnic identity, gift giving and holiday celebration, food and community preference, and filial piety. The measure demonstrates content, discriminant, and predictive validity, as well as high overall reliability. Research limitations and future research needs are also discussed.
Notes
Community organizations
NA
Key recommendations
NA
Gaps identified
No acculturation measurement for Chinese immigrants
Key populations
Chinese immigrants
Key findings
There has been a growing concern that Chinese and other minority group members in Canada have experienced different levels of difficulties during the adjustment process. On the one hand, they hope to retain their own cultural traits and identity. On the other hand, they hope to enjoy the same lifestyle as the dominant group, which requires assimilation. Based on the absolute classification method, mainland Chinese tended to maintain their own cultural traits to a large extent.
Location
Edmonton, Alberta
Integration timeline
At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?
Chinese participants’ length of residence in Canada ranged from a few months to 50 years, with the average length of residency being 9.5 years
Open-access – No