Negotiating dual identities: The impact of group‐based rejection on identification and acculturation

Abstract

We propose that to understand how rejection perceptions affect immigrants' acculturation orientations, we need to take account of perceptions of rejection and group identification with both the host society and the country of origin. In line with previous work, we found among Romanians and Moroccan immigrants in France that perceived French rejection directly affected French identification and acculturation orientations. In addition, perceived rejection by the country of origin (Romanians and Moroccans in the country of origin) negatively affected immigrants' identification with this group. In turn, identification with the country of origin positively predicted endorsement of integration and separation orientations, and negatively predicted endorsement of assimilation. Overall, results suggest that identification with the country of origin is an additional important factor in determining acculturation decisions.

Rejection-(dis)identification and ethnic political engagement among first-generation Latino immigrants to the United States.

“…Furthermore, these and similar items have been associated with ethnic and national (dis)identification in the past (e.g., Armenta & Hunt, 2009;Badea et al, 2011;Barlow et al, 2012;Cronin et al, 2012;Wiley, 2012).…”

Ageing well in a foreign land as a process of successful social identity change

“…Migration is often a challenging experience because new opportunities and new life experiences go hand in hand with difficulties associated with cross-cultural adaptation and exclusion (Badea, Jetten, Iyer, & Er-rafiy, 2011). These challenges are magnified for older migrants, who not only have to adjust to the changes that ageing itself imposes, but do so in a country that is foreign.…”

Ethnic in-group evaluation and adhesion to acculturation ideologies: The case of Moroccan immigrants in France

“…Most of them are Muslim and like other Muslims, they are the target of anti-immigrant sentiment in France (Badea et al, 2011). Many works of research show that Moroccans score high on positive attitudes towards their ethnic group (Badea et al, 2011;Sabatier, 2008) and their attitudes against Moroccans and French people are negatively correlated (Sabatier, 2008). It is possible for this group to show various patterns of group evaluation in line with their adhesion to acculturation ideologies.…”

“…The Moroccan community accounts for more than one million immigrants, living in the Paris region and around other big towns such as Clermont-Ferrand and Marseille. Most of them are Muslim and like other Muslims, they are the target of anti-immigrant sentiment in France (Badea et al, 2011). Many works of research show that Moroccans score high on positive attitudes towards their ethnic group (Badea et al, 2011;Sabatier, 2008) and their attitudes against Moroccans and French people are negatively correlated (Sabatier, 2008).…”

“…Immigrants' evaluation of the ethnic in-group plays an important role in their identification with the group (Ellemers, Spears, & Doosje, 2002), which in turn influences their acculturation (Badea, Jetten, Iyer, & Er-rafiy, 2011). The acculturation process takes place in an ideological context which more or less valorizes the ethnic culture of immigrants.…”