Transculturals: Identifying the Invisible Minority

Abstract

Transculturals spend their formative years in countries other than their country of origin. Specific issues addressed in this article are unique characteristics, prevalence rates, and developmental outcomes of transculturals. The author provides a culturally sensitive treatment model for transculturals, based on G. Roysircar's (2009) Multicultural Relationship Model. Los individuos transculturales pasan sus años formativos en un país distinto a su país de origen. Los asuntos específicos tratados en este artículo son sus características únicas, índices de prevalencia, y resultados de su desarrollo. El autor proporciona un modelo de tratamiento culturalmente sensible hacia los individuos transculturales, basado en el Modelo de Relaciones Multiculturales de G. Roysircar (2009).

Transcultural wellness: An Exploratory Study

“…Recently, some dissertation studies have focused on transculturals (Konno, 2005;McDonald, 2010;Schaetti, 2000;Shealy, 2003;Walters & Auton-Cuff, 2009;Wurgaft, 2006), but most of their findings have not been published in scholarly journals and none have been published in the counseling literature (McDonald, 2010).…”

“…In its current Washington, DC, political leadership, the United States has many transcultural leaders, including President Obama, Senator John Kerry, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, and U.S. Ambassador to Kenya J. Scott Gration (McDonald, 2010). Transculturals are being covered in national media such as magazines (e.g., Newsweek [Bartholet & Stone, 2009] and TIME [Kite, 2003]), television (e.g., Sunny Anderson and Mario Batali, both of Food Network), and popular culture (e.g., the film Mean Girls; Waters, 2004), but have only just begun to be discussed and researched in the counseling profession (McDonald, 2010).…”

“…Ambassador to Kenya J. Scott Gration (McDonald, 2010). Transculturals are being covered in national media such as magazines (e.g., Newsweek [Bartholet & Stone, 2009] and TIME [Kite, 2003]), television (e.g., Sunny Anderson and Mario Batali, both of Food Network), and popular culture (e.g., the film Mean Girls; Waters, 2004), but have only just begun to be discussed and researched in the counseling profession (McDonald, 2010). Given the size of the transcultural population and the fact that transculturals have already navigated the complex global society all people face, it is surprising that there is limited research on the population.…”

“…To date, transculturals have been studied in terms of the characteristics of their peer and familial relationships (Cockburn, 2002;Cottrell, 1993;Downie, Mageau, Koestner, & Liodden, 2006;Pollock & Van Reken, 2001;Useem, 1993;Useem & Cottrell, 1996), educational achievement (Cockburn, 2002;Cottrell & Useem, 1994;Pollock & Van Reken, 2001), reentry to the country of citizenship (Fuller, 1994), and acculturation and cultural identity (Cockburn, 2002;Gerner, Perry, Moselle, & Archbold, 1991;Stultz, 2002). Recently, some dissertation studies have focused on transculturals (Konno, 2005;McDonald, 2010;Schaetti, 2000;Shealy, 2003;Walters & Auton-Cuff, 2009;Wurgaft, 2006), but most of their findings have not been published in scholarly journals and none have been published in the counseling literature (McDonald, 2010).…”

“…Presenting problems of transculturals have not been researched (McDonald, 2010). Shealy (2003) focused on military transculturals (who may have their own unique experience from other transculturals) and found several themes with respect to transcultural wellness: rootlessness, aloneness, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, anger and rage, sexual promiscuity, difficulties with commitment, and a conflicted inner sense of self.…”