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The experiences of five Chinese immigrant adolescents who became participatory action researchers (PAR) (Fine et al., 2002) through a school-based internship program in the United States are analyzed and presented. Evaluation of the project was conducted using content analysis of student researchers' journal entries. Discovery Oriented Approach analysis (Mahrer & Boulet, 1999; Mahrer 1988) was implemented and revealed the following main domains: Learning and Growth, Program Evaluation, Adjustment and Coping, Identity Development and Social Role, Pride, Social Support, Empathy, and Group Process. Implications for conducting PAR with ethnic minority populations are discussed in the context of the participants' experiences with cultural adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When immigrant youth come to the United States, they must learn to interact with dominant and cultural groups as part of the adjustment process. The current study investigated whether the association between Chinese immigrant high school students' (N = 286) English fluency, academic and career/college help-seeking, multidimensional acculturation, family responsibilities, and social support, predicted their intercultural competence concerns (their interactions across dominant and cultural groups). Results indicate that this was the case. Implications for research and practice with immigrant youth in a high school context are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interviews were conducted with eight Japanese immigrant youth about their experiences with respect to adjusting to life in the United States, dealing with discrimination, and coping with cultural challenges. They were also questioned about their mental health and family and peer relations. Results indicate that participants managed to maintain bicultural identities and to cope with the problems that they encountered. Nevertheless, they experienced the following difficulties: racism and prejudice, language barriers, and conflict regarding identity and values. In terms of coping, participants mostly relied on friends for support; only one had sought the help of a professional counselor. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of working with immigrant youth from Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated 130 Black and Latino college students regarding their concerns, attitudes toward professional counseling, sources of support, and coping activities. We found that the Black and Latino cultural emphasis on interdependence influenced attitudes toward using professional resources such as a counselor. We also found a significant two-way interaction between gender and race for attitudes toward professional counseling: Black males had less favorable attitudes in comparison to Black females, while Latino males had more favorable attitudes than did Latino females. Both Black and Latino college students had favorable attitudes toward informal support networks. Differences between Black and Latino college students were found for reported concerns and coping sources. Implications for counseling theory, practice, and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current theories of ethnic identity oversimplify the development process by failing to recognize the malleability of identity within its social context, a conceptualization of self that is particularly relevant for Asian-Americans. Further, these theories tend to view identity in static, deterministic terms, despite social psychology data suggesting that identity is a dynamic ongoing process. Data were analyzed from a sample of 87 Asian-American undergraduates, using the Ethnic Identity Development Exercise (EIDE). While many theories suggest that ethnic identity development is predominantly an internal, intro-psychic process, our data indicate that Asian-Americans are largely influenced by relationships and external forces. In addition, the avoidance of shame was found to be a strong motivating factor in determining their ethnic identification. Thus, ethnic identification theories must acknowledge the malleable and collectivistic nature of ethnic identity development among Asian-Americans. Three theoretical frameworks of research on ethnic identity are reviewed and summarized: identity formation, social identity, and acculturation.