Focuses on the acculturation process of first-generation Soviet Jewish refugee adolescents who with their parents have resettled in the United States, with emphasis on behavior, language competence, and cultural identity. Participants in this multidimensional study were 144 adolescents in grades 9 through 12 and 60 of their parents. Responses were elicited using the Language, Identity, and Behavior Acculturation Scale developed by the authors. Results showed that adolescents were less Russian oriented, as reflected by behavior, the longer they lived in the U.S.; however, they continued to identify more with Russian culture than American, no matter their length of residence. Compared to their parents, children spoke English better and Russian worse. However, the children identified more strongly with Russian culture than did their parents?a unique result suggesting that the children, who had no choice about immigrating, clung more closely to their original culture, whereas their parents were more eager to shed their backgrounds. The study reinforced the observation that acculturation differs for adolescents and adults. Further empirical and longitudinal studies with different cultural groups are necessary and would have implications for interventions with immigrant families. (73 references)
