Language acculturation among older Vietnamese refugee adults

There were two significant waves of Vietnamese emigration to US; the first was in 1975, and the second was in 1978. The first group integrated much more fully, and was more educated than the second group. To better understand the problems of the second group, 327 adult Vietnamese immigrants (since 1978) aged 40 years and over were studied. About 60 percent of the sample were men, and about half of the sample were uneducated. The majority came from urban areas in Vietnam, and about 75 percent had been in the US for three years or more. Twenty-nine percent reported that they had some health problems when they first arrived. Subjects were given a questionnaire in Vietnamese and were interviewed in their native language as well. Demographics were obtained along with measures of how well each subject had learned English. It was found that older age was associated with poorer knowledge of English, and men had better language skills than women. Those arriving with an illness had a poorer knowledge of English than those who were healthy. Older adults were less likely to practice English or to attend English as a second language (ESL) classes, and males were more likely to attend ESL classes than females. Those with more education were less likely to attend ESL classes, but more likely to practice language skills with Americans. Results also indicated that language was the primary reason why some Vietnamese could not function well in American society. Implications are discussed for policy regarding services for new immigrants. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)