Asian American Acculturation and Enculturation: Construct Clarification and Measurement Consolidation

An overview of the evolution of Asian American acculturation and enculturation theory and measurement is offered, focusing on major theoretical advancements and methodological issues that are salient for measuring these constructs. Informed by these considerations, an empirical approach is taken to clarifying the dimensions of Asian American acculturation and enculturation in existing measures. Existing measures of Asian American acculturation and enculturation as well as items from some population-nonspecific measures were selected for consolidation, with attention to item content, uniqueness, and format variability. Exploratory factor analyses of data from 275 Asian and Asian American participants in the United States suggested that the measures reflected three factors of acculturation and enculturation: (a) Language-related Behavior, (b) Cultural and Sociopolitical Knowledge, and (c) Pride and Cultural Group Association. Results suggested that values measures assessed distinct (but correlated) constructs relative to these three acculturation and enculturation constructs.