The psychometric properties of the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Marriage-Based Immigrant Women in Taiwan

Introduction Marriage-based immigrant women are increasing around the world. Although bi-dimensional acculturation is important for immigrant women’s health, the existing scales have mainly been developed for immigrant women in Western countries and hence some items may not be suitable for Asian contexts. Thus, we developed and evaluated the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Marriage-Based Immigrant Women (BAS-MBIW) in Taiwan. Methods The BAS-MBIW was developed based on a literature review and clinical observations. Bi-dimensional acculturation involves “adaptation to host culture (acculturation)” and “maintenance of heritage culture (enculturation).” The initial scale included two 24-item subscales. The validation samples were 310 marriage-based immigrant women who were pregnant for at least twelve weeks in Taiwan. The BAS-MBIW was assessed and modified by experts. Data analyses included factor analysis, Pearson’s correlation, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Results Expert reviews and factor analysis indicated that the scale had acceptable content and construct validity. The validated scale includes two 19-item subscales, encompassing six domains: language, media, food preference, cultural heritage, social interaction, and shopping and merchandise preference, with good internal consistencies (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient is 0.88 for acculturation and 0.83 for enculturation). Acculturation was positively related to local language ability and duration of immigration but negatively related to age at immigration, stress, and depression; whereas enculturation was positively related to age at immigration, stress, and depression but negatively related to duration of immigration, indicating convergent validity. Conclusions The BAS-MBIW offers reliable and valid assessments of pregnant immigrant women’s level of acculturation and enculturation in Taiwan. The BAS-MBIW could be used to assess bi-dimensional acculturation among marriage-based immigrant women.

Violence, Place, and Strengthened Space: A Review of Immigration Stress, Violence Exposure, and Intervention for Immigrant Latinx Youth and Families

Latinx immigrant families are greatly impacted by US policies and practices that limit immigrant families’ and children's rights. This article reviews the effects of such policies and the growing literature examining migration experiences. Latinx immigrant youth and parents may encounter multiple stressors across the stages of migration, including physical and structural violence, fear, poverty, and discrimination, which contribute to higher rates of mental health problems in this population. Despite significant trauma exposure, immigrants demonstrate incredible resilience within themselves, their families, and their communities and through movements and policies aimed at protecting their rights. Numerous culturally relevant universal, targeted, and intensive interventions were developed to magnify these protective factors to promote healing, advance immigration reform, and provide trauma-informed training and psychoeducation. Psychologistsplay a crucial role in implementing, evaluating, and advocating for accessible and collaborative approaches to care so that Latinx immigrant families have the resources to combat the harmful sequelae of immigration stress.

Immigration stress among refugees resettled in the United States

Background: Immigration stress includes acculturation stress and the stress related to language barriers, discrimination, occupational challenges, and feelings of isolation from society and a sense of newness or loss. Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine immigration stress among refugees resettled in the United States. Methods: A self-administered or interviewer-administered survey was collected from individuals with a refugee background in Utah from summer through fall in 2017 ( N = 190). Results: Older age was associated with higher levels of financial stress and homesickness. Poorer levels of self-rated health and fewer somatic symptoms were related to higher levels of homesickness and language barriers. Higher educational attainment was associated with higher levels of financial stress. Conclusion: Refugees are a vulnerable population due to being displaced to a foreign country and having to quickly learn a new language and different culture. It is imperative to gain more knowledge on diverse refugee groups and ways in which they can maintain optimum quality of life through and after the resettlement process.

Maria Dorothea Ziegenbalg, the First German Lutheran Female Missionary to the Tamil People in South India

The life of Maria Dorothea Ziegenbalg (c. 1693–1722) constitutes an important aspect of Tamil Lutheranism, which has been forgotten on the Tamil side. Available works on her short life among the Tamil in the Danish colony of Tranquebar in South Eastern India from August 1716 to January 1720 highlight her missionary work; this essay, by contrast, provides a fuller picture of her life and work from the perspective of social dislocation and immigration stress. After examining the nature and interpretations of both primary and secondary sources, it explores the role of Maria Dorothea within the changing contexts of her life. Her relationships to her parents and husband remained important. Her travel from Germany to Tranquebar and life in Tranquebar demonstrate a strange mixture of joys and sorrows. Eventually, she succumbed to emotional stress. Yet her sons lived on to help other missionaries who came to serve not only in Tranquebar, but also in Serampore.