Acculturation Strategies and School Adjustment of Korean-Chinese and Chinese-Korean Children

중국 조선족 아동과 한국 화교 아동의 문화접변 유형 및 학교적응 비교연구

In this study of acculturation strategies and adjustment in Korean-Chinese and Chinese-Korean children, 273 Korean-Chinese and 207 Chinese-Korean were asked about levels of assimilation to the mainstream language and culture, ethnic identity, emotional attitude toward their schools, teachers' support, peers' support, and social distance from the mainstream. Results revealed that separation was the most preferred strategy followed by integration, assimilation, and marginalization for both subject groups. Children categorized by separation strategies reported highest scores in school adjustment variables and lowest scores in social distance. There were some differences between Korean-Chinese and Chinese-Korean children in cultural assimilation, ethnic identity, emotional attitude toward school, and teacher's support. These findings were explained by their immigration history and the uniqueness of each mainstream society.