Methods of research and disciplinary inquiry

Consequences of Cultural Conflicts After Immigrating to America

"Each Culture evolves it is own norms-rules for accepted and expected behavior" (Myers, 2010, p.154). The norms that define our culture and occasionally distinguish it from other cultures become ingrained at an early age through an almost unconscious process. The 'cultural wind' mentioned by Myers captures in a catch phrase the ease with which many of us transition through our social lives when we remain rooted in our culture of origin, because the cultural wind, which is made up of these norms, blows with us (2010, p. 154). Myers' suggests that when "… set adrift in a foreign land as a collectivist, you might experience a greater loss of identity" (2010, p. 156). This loss of identity would be a source of stress because the cultural winds would no longer be blowing with use, but against us.

The elements of cultural identity can consist of physical appearance, language, and behavioral norms, but immigrating to a new culture can, with time, erode these differences. What seems to emerge during the acculturation process is what Myers calls "… our shared human nature" (p. 133), which would be expected to depend significantly on our genetic programming. In contrast, the social aspects of culture or ethnicity would depend less on our genetic predispositions and more on environmental influences. For example, Myers (2010) suggests "sex indeed matters, but from a bio-psychosocial perspective, culture and the immediate situation matter, too" when it comes to determining culture-specific gender roles (p. 164). Such influences would be expected to have a formative impact on children growing up in their culture of origin, but be the source of stress after immigrating to a distinct culture.

Farver, Bhadha, B.R., & Narang, (2002 ) state that "overall, in most studies gender differences in acculturation have been attributed to the differential socialization of males and females across cultures." This has been a significant source of stress for foreign couples and therefore domestic violence. Farver, Bhadha, B.R., & Narang,(2002) cited in Dasgupta (1998), "Among Asian Indian immigrant families, traditional attitudes toward gender-typed behavior may be intensified by parental concern for the relatively permissive attitudes held towards adolescent girls in Western societies" (p.13). " & #8230;As society assigns each of us a gender, the social category of male or female, the inevitable result is our strong gender identity, our sense of being male or female" (Mayer, 2010, p. 165). The stress that distinct gender identity norms place on immigrant adolescents is only one source of concern. The collectivist tendency to be concerned about group identity and harmony can also be a significant source of stress.

Asian-American Immigration

Immigration from Asia to North America has contributed over 20 different ethnic groups and countless distinct dialects (O'Hare & Felt, 1995). By the year 2000 the American Asian population increased to over 10 million, a 48.3% increase during the prior 10-year period (Bhattacharya, 2002). Much of this population settled in urban areas along the West Coast, but even New York City is home to almost 800,000 Asian-Americans. During the same period immigration from India grew by 80.7%, a rate of increase almost double a far more rapid increase than for Chinese (53.4%), Filipinos (27.2%), and Japanese (34.5%) (U.S.Bureau of the Census, 2000). The increase of the Asian Indian Population marks a dramatic shift in U.S. society's cultural composition (p.175)

The Immigrant live in Social -- Cultural Boundary

Immigration has traditionally been considered a cultural and economic threat to the residents of host countries. This is especially true when the cultural and racial differences are dramatic. Economic exploitation is not uncommon and in the United States many consider the undocumented worker problem a specious argument because the U.S. benefits considerably from a cheap labor source.

Historically, the cultural norms that developed in Europe and America became distinct from the rest of the world. These cultures focused on creativity and a free market, leading to significant advances in the arts and sciences, agriculture, management, communications, literature, and complex social institutions. The result was a culture that valued individualistic progress over a collectivist ideal. Myers (2010) points out that "individualism's benefits can come at the cost of more loneliness, more divorce, more homicide, and more stress-related disease (Popenoe, 1993; Triandis et al., 1988)," but the tendency towards violence is not restricted to individualistic cultures. Domestic violence, for example, is not uncommon among couples emigrating to the U.S. from collectivist cultures that emphasize group consciousness or loyalty to the greater good. Applying for U.S. permanent residency can create conditions that favor the emergence of domestic violence because the wife is dependent on the husband for residency status. Erez, Salcido, and Adelman (as cited in Erez, E., Adelman, M., Gregory, C, 2009) stated:

"Covertures, in effect, identify the married couple as a single legal entity, within which the husband has control over the property and body of the wife and their children. Similarly, women who immigrate as wives of U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, diplomats, students, or workers are legally dependent on others to sponsor, pursue, and complete their visa petitions. This legal dependency intensifies gendered inequality, creates new ways for men to abuse and control their intimate partners, and entraps battered women." (p. 37).

Language problems can exacerbate a domestic violence situation because of the sense of increased isolation. The idea of seeking help from the police or other government agencies may seem impossible. Friction can also be created when the marriage is between individuals from different cultures and victims may become confused by their own norms and how they judge right and wrong. Since Asian cultures tend to be collectivist, marriages with native-born Americans can create significant problems as individualist norms clash with collectivist norms. If a language barrier still exists, this can only aggravate the sense of isolation, misunderstanding, and helplessness felt by everyone involved.