Exploring the Acculturation and Quality of Life Between Bangladeshi Immigrants and Their Adult Children

Abstract

Acculturation is the powerful transitional process that occurs when any ethnic or culture relocates to a new and significant location that has the potential opportunity for that culture or population to thrive within a larger cultural context. The immigration of Bengalis to the United States provides the purpose of this study. There have been multiple studies done on the acculturation and quality of life of immigrants from Southeast Asia in the U.S. However, there is a large gap in the literature when studying these factors specifically among Bangladeshi immigrants. The present study used a cross-sectional design utilizing survey methodology measuring the differences of acculturation and quality of life between first-generation and-second generation Bangladeshis living in the U.S. The first hypothesis for the present study was first-generation Bengalis had low levels of acculturation compared to second generations. Additionally, the second hypothesis was that second-generation had a lower quality of life score compared to the first generation. The study consisted of 102 participants across the United States. The results showed that second-generation had higher levels of acculturation than the first generation. However, there were no significant differences found regarding the quality of life between the generations. These results indicated that both generations are similar in their quality of life and are consistent with previous findings in acculturation. Similar levels of quality of life and acculturation challenges among the first generations in this study suggest the need for further research and implications for mental health interventions within the Bengali community across the United States.