Student Research Articles The Bicultural I: A Social and Cognitive Approach for Understanding the Psychology of Acculturation

This paper investigates the processes and challenges of creating a socially integrated, empowered immigrant identity by exploring the concepts acculturation model. The author examines the psychology of acculturation and the processes for creating a socially integrated bicultural self for immigrants who retain cultural tradi-tions while adapting to new social norms and practices. The complexity of this process embraces principles from both social and cultural psychological paradigms and emphasizes a non-dual approach for creating meaning for a bicultural individual acculturating into a new society. The experience of moving to another town or across the country is stressful. There is discomfort of not knowing neighbors, being a new student at school, having no mental map of the surrounding communities, and wondering if other residents are multiculturally competent. However, what is the psychological process like for immigrants moving to another country, immers-ing themselves into a new culture, language and sociopolitical ecology? The additional pressures of learning a new language and culture, while possibly dealing with oppression, racism, and marginalization enforced by xenophobic policies can be overwhelming for immigrants without institutional support (Berry