Youth Seek Integration Despite Discrimination
victoria-university-of-wellington
Wed Jan 10 2007 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Youth Seek Integration Despite Discrimination
Wednesday, 10 January 2007, 1:46 pm
Press Release: Victoria University of Wellington
Ethnic Youth Seek Integration Despite Discrimination
New Zealand’s ethnic and migrant young people strongly prefer integration—retaining their heritage culture while also adopting Kiwi culture—as a means of adapting to life in this country, according to research by Victoria University’s Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research.
However, the study of more than 1,500 New Zealand adolescents also found that Māori, Samoan, Korean, Indian and Chinese young people experience more discrimination than their Pākehā peers.
Centre Director, Professor Collen Ward, whose research is being conducted as part of her James Cook Fellowship in Social Science, says integration was also backed by Māori and Pākehā young people as the best strategy for migrants.
“Not only is integration preferred by ethnic and migrant youth, but it is associated with more positive psychological and social outcomes.”
Although integration is preferred, it is not always easily achieved. “Cultural differences can pose challenges for adolescents who are developing their identities,” she says. In her study 16 percent of Indian, 17 percent of British and 22 percent of Korean youth said they felt a sense of confusion over identity due to living in New Zealand.
“When members of ethnic and migrant groups feel that their cultures are positively evaluated by other New Zealanders, they are more comfortable with their emerging ethnic identity. On the other hand, perceived discrimination leads to identity conflict and is linked to more psychological symptoms and behavioural problems, poorer school adjustment and lower life satisfaction,” says Professor Ward.
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While migrant young experienced more discrimination, they did not lag behind in terms of psychological and social adjustment.
“In fact, in some cases, they fare better than their New Zealand European classmates. Chinese are better adjusted at school, and Chinese, Indians and Koreans have fewer behavioural problems. Despite the more frequent experience of discrimination, ethnic youth are remarkably resilient.”
Koreans reported more discrimination than any other group in the study. However, Professor Ward emphasised that Māori reported as much discrimination as Samoan, Indian, and Chinese youth and more discrimination than either Pākehā or recent British migrants.
“Perceived discrimination in New Zealand appears to have more to do with ethnicity than migration status,” says Professor Ward. She also noted the discrimination is linked to negative outcomes, including psychological symptoms, behavioural problems and conflict over cultural identity.
ENDS
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