Examines the experience of acculturation of adult refugees from Vietnam in terms of psychological and economic adaptation. Study participants were approximately 200 Vietnamese refugees and immigrants who had arrived in the United States as adults and resettled in Maryland. While about one-third of the sample had been in reeducation camps in Vietnam before departure, all the refugees had experienced traumatic events, including lack of food and water or involvement in combat situations. Among the findings were that: refugees did not seem to identify more with American culture over time; social interaction was primarily with other Asian, mostly Vietnamese, refugees; most Vietnamese found employment through their Vietnamese friends; psychological adjustment may actually worsen over time, with women reporting more symptoms of distress; job satisfaction was an important predictor of life satisfaction and reduced feelings of alienation; and participation in Vietnamese culture was correlated with positivepsychological adjustment. Service providers are urged to appreciate the importance of ethnic networks in the lives of these refugees, explore job placement strategies that involve connecting refugees to other Vietnamese social networks that are avenues to employment, and design programs to assist refugees in both early and later stages of resettlement.
