Acculturation and Self-esteem Among Indian Immigrants in Portugal

The goal of this research was to analyze the process of acculturation and psychological adaptation among Indian immigrants living in Portugal. The sample included 206 Indian immigrants (46% females) with an average age of 36 years. Participants completed measures of acculturation strategies, security, perceived discrimination, attitudes toward ethnocultural groups, ethnic identity, self-esteem, and demographics. Integration was the dominant acculturation strategy for this sample, and integration predicted higher self-esteem. Support for the multiculturalism hypothesis was found, and ethnic identity appeared as a significant predictor of positive feelings about themselves. Furthermore, the extent to which ethnic identity and integration affected immigrants’ self-esteem was analyzed. A path model evidenced that integration mediated the effect of ethnic identity on self-esteem. Ethnic identity experienced by Indian immigrants in Portugal and integration strategy play an essential role in their psychological adaptation. The findings are discussed in terms of the conceptional context.