Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland. / Typescript. Bibliography: leaves [172]-184. Also available online.

This thesis explores the Chinese immigrants’ multilingual competencies, the development of their communication skills in Spain with the languages from different language groups among which the immigrants’ Spanish, English and Chinese skills’ development is the main part of the exploration. The study further examines the relationships between their multilingual development and the influenced factors such as family and school backgrounds, social environment, education, policy, etc. The paper also analyse different ways and processes of acquiring multilingual skills for Chinese immigrants in Spain and presents a number of suggestions for future work on the diversity on immigrant multilingualism. Additionally, the study reflects some effective approaches for second and third language acquisition in multilingual education especially for the languages from different language groups with large distance of structure as well as script. According to the development of the social and linguistic diversity, the multilingualism has to be studied in-depth with a diversity perspective. Generally , the study contributes to a better understanding of the language dynamics that take place in the contact between languages from different family groups in contexts of migration which reveal and enrich the principle of multilingual development on the diversity from immigration perspective which differs from the general multilingual development influenced by a variety of environmental factors and individual reasons. / Esta tesis explora las competencias multilingües de los inmigrantes chinos, el desarrollo de sus habilidades de comunicación en España con los idiomas de diferentes grupos lingüísticos, aunque se centra en el desarrollo de las habilidades comunicativas en español, inglés y chino de los inmigrantes de origen chino. El estudio examina más a fondo las relaciones entre su desarrollo multilingüe y los factores que influyen su desarrollo, como los antecedentes familiares y escolares, el entorno social, la educación, las políticas, etc. A través de este estudio, analizando el desarrollo multilingüe en los idiomas de diferentes familias lingüísticas y los diversos orígenes de los inmigrantes chinos en España, nuestra propuesta distingue diferentes formas y procesos de adquisición de las habilidades multilingües para los inmigrantes chinos en España y presenta una serie de sugerencias para un futuro trabajo sobre la diversidad en el multilingüismo de los inmigrantes chinos. Además, el estudio refleja algunos enfoques efectivos para la adquisición de un segundo y tercer idioma en la educación multilingüe. De acuerdo con el desarrollo de la diversidad social y lingüística, el multilingüismo debe ser estudiado en profundidad con una perspectiva de diversidad. En general, el estudio contribuye a una mejor comprensión de las dinámicas lingüísticas que se producen en el contacto entre lenguas de diferentes grupos familiares en contextos de migración, que revelan y enriquecen el principio de desarrollo plurilingüe sobre la diversidad, desde la perspectiva migratoria, que se diferencia del multilingüismo general cuyo desarrollo es influenciado por una variedad de factores ambientales y razones individuales.

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Thesis advisor: Ana M. Martínez Alemán / College-choice studies have long been conducted to help colleges improve their recruitment strategies (Chapman, 1981; Hossler & Gallagher, 1987; Jackson, 1982; Litten, 1982). The dominant college-choice models and studies have, however, focused solely on traditional aged students seeking to enroll in four-year colleges/universities upon high school completion (Bers & Smith, 1987; Cabrera & La Nasa, 2000). Neglected from these established models has been the other student populations enrolled in other sectors of higher education in the U.S., specifically the community colleges. Critical Race Theory (CRT) provided the conceptual framework for this qualitative study that explored the college-choice phenomenon for a group of documented Chinese immigrant students at one urban public community college. This study examined the participants' experiences to determine factors that contributed to their college-choice decision making. The stories shared by a sample of 16 participants (ages 19 to 39) revealed four overarching factors that impacted their college-choice decision making: 1) their experiences as immigrants in the U.S.; 2) their experiences as members of the working class in the U.S.; 3) their educational experiences prior to their immigration to the U.S.; 4) their educational experiences while in the U.S., which raised concerns about equity in access to college knowledge. Participants negotiated all these factors to decide that they would enroll at a community college. The findings from this study contributed to the literature of college-choice from the perspective of a group of documented Chinese immigrants. In part, participants reported they chose to enroll at community college because they wanted a college that offered them opportunities to improve their English language skills; was affordable; conveniently located; had a community of Chinese/API immigrant students. Overwhelmingly, participants chose to attend a community college because they were not informed that there were other options. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

The interaction between culture and consumption of immigrants is an important research area in a number of fields including consumer behaviour, marketing, and ethnic studies. This article offers a specific look at issues related to the impact of acculturation on dining-out behaviour of Chinese immigrants living in the Greater Toronto Area in Canada, and the influence of individual factor of acculturation process (i.e., ethnic identification, length of residence, and age at immigration). This study focused on the similarities and comparisons between recent Chinese immigrants who have been in Canada for ten years or less and established Chinese immigrants who have been in Canada for more than ten years, in terms of their dining-out behaviour in the Greater Toronto Area. There were two samples, the recent Chinese immigrants and the established Chinese immigrants in this study. Snowball sampling was applied to recruit the total 30 participants (15 of each sample). The author started to recruit from two participants of each sample among her friends and relatives and asked the interviewers to recommend another two qualified participants. Semi-structures, in-depth interviews were employed in this study to explore the impact of culture, levels of acculturation, ethnic identity, situational factors of ethnic identification and dining-out behaviour. The interviews were audio-recorded by permission and conducted in the participant’s preferable language (in English or in Mandarin Chinese). Data analysis was guided by several previous conclusions and model in the literatures and conducted in both qualitative (coding) and quantitative (SPSS) methods. The findings resulted in some major conclusions. In terms of similarities, it is found that recent Chinese immigrants and established Chinese immigrants obtained restaurants information mostly from friends and relatives. They also searched on internet for other’s reviews, menus, and printable coupons. Secondly, result showed that Chinese immigrants perceived that because they have a long history of food, Chinese people are more willing to try different types of food when immigrated to Canada. Thirdly, situational factors such as peer influences played more significant role on dining-out decision making and self ethnic identifications than parental influences. In terms of differences, data indicated that among Chinese immigrants living in the Greater Toronto Area, recent Chinese immigrants had stronger ethnic identity to their original culture, and dined out more frequently than the established Chinese immigrants. Future, the result suggested that the highest level of Chinese ethnic food purchasing behaviour were reported by highest ethnic identifiers (ones who identified themselves as more Chinese). However, there was another important factor that influenced the levels of acculturation in dining-out behaviour more greatly than the length of immigration: the age at immigration. The study found that Chinese immigrants who immigrated at early age had the highest level of acculturation and identified themselves as more Canadian, while ones who immigrated at late life had the lowest level of acculturation and identifies themselves as more Chinese. The findings reflected the impact of culture and consumer acculturation in dining-out among Chinese immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area and could potentially contribute to the marketing implications to both ethnic and mainstream restaurant marketers. This study also gives some future thoughts on the exploration of more variables at individual differences, as well as other perspectives of research conducting such as from psychological or economic perspective.

The interaction between culture and consumption of immigrants is an important research area in a number of fields including consumer behaviour, marketing, and ethnic studies. This article offers a specific look at issues related to the impact of acculturation on dining-out behaviour of Chinese immigrants living in the Greater Toronto Area in Canada, and the influence of individual factor of acculturation process (i.e., ethnic identification, length of residence, and age at immigration). This study focused on the similarities and comparisons between recent Chinese immigrants who have been in Canada for ten years or less and established Chinese immigrants who have been in Canada for more than ten years, in terms of their dining-out behaviour in the Greater Toronto Area. There were two samples, the recent Chinese immigrants and the established Chinese immigrants in this study. Snowball sampling was applied to recruit the total 30 participants (15 of each sample). The author started to recruit from two participants of each sample among her friends and relatives and asked the interviewers to recommend another two qualified participants. Semi-structures, in-depth interviews were employed in this study to explore the impact of culture, levels of acculturation, ethnic identity, situational factors of ethnic identification and dining-out behaviour. The interviews were audio-recorded by permission and conducted in the participant’s preferable language (in English or in Mandarin Chinese). Data analysis was guided by several previous conclusions and model in the literatures and conducted in both qualitative (coding) and quantitative (SPSS) methods. The findings resulted in some major conclusions. In terms of similarities, it is found that recent Chinese immigrants and established Chinese immigrants obtained restaurants information mostly from friends and relatives. They also searched on internet for other’s reviews, menus, and printable coupons. Secondly, result showed that Chinese immigrants perceived that because they have a long history of food, Chinese people are more willing to try different types of food when immigrated to Canada. Thirdly, situational factors such as peer influences played more significant role on dining-out decision making and self ethnic identifications than parental influences. In terms of differences, data indicated that among Chinese immigrants living in the Greater Toronto Area, recent Chinese immigrants had stronger ethnic identity to their original culture, and dined out more frequently than the established Chinese immigrants. Future, the result suggested that the highest level of Chinese ethnic food purchasing behaviour were reported by highest ethnic identifiers (ones who identified themselves as more Chinese). However, there was another important factor that influenced the levels of acculturation in dining-out behaviour more greatly than the length of immigration: the age at immigration. The study found that Chinese immigrants who immigrated at early age had the highest level of acculturation and identified themselves as more Canadian, while ones who immigrated at late life had the lowest level of acculturation and identifies themselves as more Chinese. The findings reflected the impact of culture and consumer acculturation in dining-out among Chinese immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area and could potentially contribute to the marketing implications to both ethnic and mainstream restaurant marketers. This study also gives some future thoughts on the exploration of more variables at individual differences, as well as other perspectives of research conducting such as from psychological or economic perspective.

Palliative care for non-dominant ethnocultural groups is problematized in the palliative care literature, which often presents essentialist conceptions of cultural beliefs on death and dying. Death is often portrayed as a taboo topic within the Chinese community, and thus, the assumption is that dying at home may not be the preferred option. Beyond these stereotypical representations, little is known about what it is like for Chinese immigrants with terminal cancer to receive palliative home care. Home is a complex site where cultural “difference” becomes contextually salient when home care providers introduce palliative care. More is potentially at stake than the violation of a taboo, as Chinese immigrant care recipients, their family caregivers, and home care providers negotiate changes to the existing routines of the home. The purpose of this study was to examine how meanings of home condition negotiations of care between Chinese immigrants with terminal cancer receiving palliative home care, family caregivers, and home care providers. Postcolonial theory provided a critical lens for this focused ethnographic study of palliative home care for Chinese Canadian immigrants. The analysis drew on postcolonial concepts such as Othering, subjugation, and hybridity. The methods included interviews with 11 key informants, and observational visits and interviews were conducted in 4 cases of Chinese immigrant care recipients, their family caregivers, and home care nurses. Two major findings emerged: 1) colonization and distancing and 2) negotiating hybridity. The meaning of home was deeply altered as palliative home care occupied care recipients’ and family caregivers’ everyday lives and represented a form of micro-colonization - the home was metaphorically invaded. The ambivalent relationship between care recipients and home care providers was characterized by a mutuality of need, but care recipients used distancing as a way to resist colonization. Palliative care presented its own unique cultural influence, which was imbued with meanings, beliefs, and practices. For care recipients, the meaning of dying at home was fluid, situational, and contextually informed. Subsequently, differences were created and highlighted in the confrontation between the meaning of palliative care for home care providers and the meaning of dying at home for care recipients. It was in the meeting, blending, clashing, and grappling of differences where participants had to negotiate and generate new, hybrid meanings and practices so that particularized, personal approaches to dying could be achieved. The findings capture the realities and complexities of palliative home care, and highlight the sophisticated and evolving ways providers come to know and care for care recipients and families in their homes. Although culture was prominently featured in participant narratives, the pragmatics of dying at home were more pressing than was adherence to essentialized cultural beliefs of death and dying. A key implication is the need to move away from simplistic conceptualizations of culture to a critical approach that will enable providers to understand and find comfort in working with the fluid, dynamic, and contextually-driven nature of culture and dying at home.

Palliative care for non-dominant ethnocultural groups is problematized in the palliative care literature, which often presents essentialist conceptions of cultural beliefs on death and dying. Death is often portrayed as a taboo topic within the Chinese community, and thus, the assumption is that dying at home may not be the preferred option. Beyond these stereotypical representations, little is known about what it is like for Chinese immigrants with terminal cancer to receive palliative home care. Home is a complex site where cultural “difference” becomes contextually salient when home care providers introduce palliative care. More is potentially at stake than the violation of a taboo, as Chinese immigrant care recipients, their family caregivers, and home care providers negotiate changes to the existing routines of the home. The purpose of this study was to examine how meanings of home condition negotiations of care between Chinese immigrants with terminal cancer receiving palliative home care, family caregivers, and home care providers. Postcolonial theory provided a critical lens for this focused ethnographic study of palliative home care for Chinese Canadian immigrants. The analysis drew on postcolonial concepts such as Othering, subjugation, and hybridity. The methods included interviews with 11 key informants, and observational visits and interviews were conducted in 4 cases of Chinese immigrant care recipients, their family caregivers, and home care nurses. Two major findings emerged: 1) colonization and distancing and 2) negotiating hybridity. The meaning of home was deeply altered as palliative home care occupied care recipients’ and family caregivers’ everyday lives and represented a form of micro-colonization - the home was metaphorically invaded. The ambivalent relationship between care recipients and home care providers was characterized by a mutuality of need, but care recipients used distancing as a way to resist colonization. Palliative care presented its own unique cultural influence, which was imbued with meanings, beliefs, and practices. For care recipients, the meaning of dying at home was fluid, situational, and contextually informed. Subsequently, differences were created and highlighted in the confrontation between the meaning of palliative care for home care providers and the meaning of dying at home for care recipients. It was in the meeting, blending, clashing, and grappling of differences where participants had to negotiate and generate new, hybrid meanings and practices so that particularized, personal approaches to dying could be achieved. The findings capture the realities and complexities of palliative home care, and highlight the sophisticated and evolving ways providers come to know and care for care recipients and families in their homes. Although culture was prominently featured in participant narratives, the pragmatics of dying at home were more pressing than was adherence to essentialized cultural beliefs of death and dying. A key implication is the need to move away from simplistic conceptualizations of culture to a critical approach that will enable providers to understand and find comfort in working with the fluid, dynamic, and contextually-driven nature of culture and dying at home.

AIMS AND HYPOTHESIS: In Australia, there has been little research into the quality of young immigrants' mental health in relation to their ethnic identity and acculturation. This study aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between strength of ethnic identity and the mental health of young Chinese immigrants in Australia; and if so, whether the relationship between mental health and ethnic identity is mediated by the degree of acculturation to mainstream Australian society. Four theoretical models were proposed, according to the study hypothesis that young Chinese immigrants with high ethnic identity achievement, retained more ethnic cultural behaviour and a high level of acculturation to mainstream Australian society would be associated with greater satisfaction with life and less psychopathology. Furthermore, the study explored the roles played by other factors, such as self-esteem, ego defence styles, parental bonding and family relationships, in the theoretical models. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Brisbane, Queensland. Participants were recruited through secondary schools, a religious organisation and a social organisation. A sample of 456 young immigrants (aged 15 - 21), both males and females, who identified themselves as Chinese and had been living in Australia for at least 18 months at the time the study commenced, participated voluntarily in the study. Participants completed several questionnaires assessing their ethnic identity achievement, ethnocultural identity behaviour, acculturation, self-esteem, defence style, satisfaction with life, social functioning performance, psychiatric symptomatology and family issues. There were English and Chinese language versions of the questionnaires for participants to choose from. Of 456 sets of questionnaires, 351 were returned and of these 313 contained valid data. Group interviews were conducted with 30 participants discussing matters such as their identification with their Chinese background, their personal feelings and experiences of living in Australia, and their attitudes toward Australian culture. An Acculturation Scale was specifically developed to measure the degree of young Chinese immigrants' acculturation in aspects of Social Role and Language and Allegiance. The higher scores correspond to a higher degree of acculturation. The reliability of this scale is satisfactory and its validity acceptable. The total scores for the Acculturation Scale were used in the main statistical analyses. The Ethnocultural Identity Behavior Index (EIBI) was amended before being used in the study. The revised EIBI measures young Chinese immigrants' ethnic identity behaviour in mainstream Australian society in terms of their Cultural Activities and Social Interaction. The higher scores correspond to the more retained ethnocultural identity behaviour. Once again, the reliability of this instrument is satisfactory and its validity acceptable. The total scores for the revised EIBI were used in the main statistical analyses. RESULTS: There is a correlation between ethnic identity and acculturation, but there seem to be two dimensions of ethnic identity. Young immigrants' acculturation is positively associated with their ethnic identity achievement but negatively associated with their ethnocultural identity behaviour. This study proposes a multidimensional model of ethnic identity, acculturation and psychological well-being. The new model indicates that young immigrants display more satisfaction with life, better social performance and less psychopathology if they have achieved a strong sense of ethnic identity and a high degree of acculturation and exhibit less retained ethnocultural identity behaviour. Although ethnic identity achievement, ethnocultural identity behaviour and acculturation are all predictive of young immigrants' psychological well-being, ethnocultural identity behaviour correlates with psychological well-being in the opposite direction from ethnic identity achievement and acculturation. There are also differences in immigrants' ethnic identity, acculturation and psychological well-being associated with gender, language spoken at home, place of origin and length of residence in Australia. Further investigations suggest that a harmonious family environment with caring, less controlling parents not only provides an environment that protects against psychopathology, but also encourages young immigrants to achieve a strong ethnic identity, to acculturate, to develop high self-esteem and to feel satisfied with life. It was found that young immigrants' defence style plays a role in their ethnic identity achievement and acculturation, and thus in turn affect their psychological well-being. However, the mechanism of these effects remains unclear. It is assumed to be related to the level of young immigrants' maturity. CONCLUSION: A multidimensional model of ethnic identity, acculturation and psychological well-being is proposed from this study. High ethnic identity achievement, a high level of acculturation and less ethnocultural identity behaviour are associated with more satisfaction with life, better social functioning performance and less psychiatric symptomatology. However, this correlation is very complex and affected by multiple factors. Some factors are known - self-esteem, defence style, parental bonding and family relationships; some are unknown, and may be related to immigrants' individual characteristics and to social and environment factors. There is a great need for future research into this field.

Background: Chinese immigrants (CIs) with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) generally have poor control in their diet regimen. Due to the variation in body mass, physiology, and cultural differences as compare with the general American population, special attention must be conducted in treating diabetes in Cis, emphasizing culturally sensitive care and nutrition therapy that acknowledge the differences. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to assess cultural challenges in self-management for CIs living with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and evaluate the effectiveness of a diabetic nutritional self-management guide tailored to this population. Theoretical Framework: Havelock’s theory of change is a model emphasized for understanding and intervening of the possibility that people might be resistant to behavior changes. Methods: Thirty-five foreign-born CIs were selected. The project was comprised of two phases to include pretest and posttest self-assessment questionnaires in addition to pretest and posttest A1C levels to evaluate the effectiveness of a custom meal plan. Results: Result findings were non-significant. However, female CIs were noted to have superiority for diet management as compared with male CIs. The two groups had no significant difference in age and cultural characteristics. Conclusion: The goal of the implementation of this project was to improve self-care for Chinese diabetic patients through behavior training and change in policy making. Social and cultural norms were identified that had great influence on an individual’s overall health knowledge. Increasing health care providers’ overall cultural competency was expected to promote better health outcome and ease the complexity of the acculturation process. However, the management of the diet did not have a significant change for the improvement of A1c. Future recommendations include the exploration of the immensity of change in cultural diet and acculturation.