From Monocultural to Multicultural: Adaptation of Iranian Immigrant Adolescents in Malaysia

Migration to a new country can be very difficult for adolescents as they are also experiencing a critical transition into adulthood. The current study investigates cross-cultural transition issues facing Iranian immigrant adolescents living in Malaysia. Data were gathered from individual interviews...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescent research 2017-05, Vol.32 (3), p.371-402
Main Authors: Arbabi, Khatereh, Yeh, Christine Jean, Mahmud, Zuria, Salleh, Amla
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Communication
Cultural differences
Ethnicity
Immigration policy
Life transitions
Migrants
Migration
Multiculturalism & pluralism
Phenomenology
Qualitative Research
Religion
Teenagers
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:Migration to a new country can be very difficult for adolescents as they are also experiencing a critical transition into adulthood. The current study investigates cross-cultural transition issues facing Iranian immigrant adolescents living in Malaysia. Data were gathered from individual interviews with 100 Iranian adolescents (ages 14-18 years), who have lived in Malaysia for between 2 months and 5 years. Descriptive phenomenology qualitative research was used to explore the impact of the migration process on Iranian adolescents. Analysis revealed five major themes regarding participants’ life experiences in Malaysia: (a) initial expectations; (b) differences in ethnicity, religion, and beliefs; (c) communication barriers; (d) differences in personal evaluations; and (e) psychological issues. The results of this study clearly show that migration for Iranian adolescents in Malaysia is a time of unexpected challenges that may not be experienced by other migrant adolescents in other countries. Our findings contribute to the literature on the unique experiences of Iranian adolescents living in Malaysia and also build on the current research on adolescents who have recently immigrated. In addition, our results further uncover the process of immigration for individuals who are moving from a monocultural society (such as Iran) to a multicultural context (such as Malaysia).
ISSN:0743-5584
1552-6895
DOI:10.1177/0743558416630811