Ethnic Identity, Resettlement Stress and Depressive Affect Among Southeast Asia Refugees in Canada

by Morton Beiser and Feng Hou
University of Toronto and Business and Labour Market Analysis Division
Social Science & Medicine. 63 (1): 137–150. 2006.

Context

Resettling in a new country creates psychological challenges. Immigrants and refugees face a choice between enduring commitment to one's ethnic identity (a decision which may invoke and perpetuate minority status), abandoning this heritage in the hope of achieving full membership in the receiving society, or creating compromises between the old and the new. Challenged on the same issue, receiving societies debate the relative merits of a "melting pot" policy that encourages forgetting the old in favour of the new, versus "multiculturalism," a policy fostering ethno-cultural retention.

Objective(s)

This study explores direct relationships between ethnic identification and depressive affect, as well as the proposition that strongly held ethnic identification buffers the stresses of unemployment, language difficulties and discrimination.

Findings

Context helped determine the relationship between ethnic identification and depressive affect. When the Southeast Asians encountered racial discrimination or unemployment, ethnic identity attachment amplified the risk of depressive affect. By contrast, a strongly held ethnic identity provided a psychological advantage for individuals experiencing difficulties with the dominant language.

Data source(s)

This study uses data from the Refugee Resettlement Project (RRP).

---

You need to use the free Adobe Reader to view PDF documents. To view (open) these files, simply click on the link. To download (save) them, right-click on the link. Note that if you are using Internet Explorer or AOL, PDF documents sometimes do not open properly. See Troubleshooting PDFs. PDF documents may not be accessible by some devices. For more information, visit the Adobe website or contact us for assistance.