The acculturation experience of adult Iranian immigrants in the United States

The purpose of the current qualitative study is to capture the essence of the subjective experience of first generation Iranian immigrants in the United States. There appears to exist a limited amount of research about the acculturation of Iranian immigrants, most of which are quantitative studies. It was the dearth of literature available from the first person perspective that beckoned additional research on the personal experiences of this under-represented immigrant group. Using a theoretical framework that encompasses three different conceptualizations of acculturation (i.e., contact, adoption, identification) this study aims to acquire a more nuanced understanding of different modes of acculturation. This study will also attempt to explore other concepts that might be significant in evaluating one's acculturation experience.;Eleven participants were recruited through word of mouth and by distribution of flyers in the Iranian community in Massachusetts. The individuals agreed to take part in two interviews that totaled 90-150 minutes, in which they were invited to describe their immigration and acculturation experience. Three meta-themes emerged from the qualitative data and were categorized as follows: The Migration Barter: Losses and Gains, Connecting With The Host Culture, and Negotiating Multiple Cultural Identifications.;The first meta-theme reflects the participants' overall perceptions of their immigration experiences and their achievements, as well as the prices they have had to pay for those gains. The second meta-theme demonstrates the participants' curiosity about the host culture and their initial positive attitudes toward initiating contact with members of the host culture. This initial positive attitude however, appears to fade due to a number of obstacles that the individual faces in the process of integration to the mainstream culture. When encountering these challenges, the participants seemed to have different reactions and coping mechanisms. Further, the third meta-theme, Negotiating Multiple Cultural Identities, reflected on the complex process the participants undergo constantly needing to negotiate their identity in relation to their identification to both the host culture and Iranian culture. Oftentimes, this negotiation process led to the selective adoption of certain instrumental aspects of the host culture that facilitated adaptation, while maintaining important Iranian cultural values and practices. An interesting finding was, in the case of Iranian women, evidence of a process of "cross-cultural fertilization" in which "cultural seeds" that some of the women may bring with them with regard to the role of women in society may germinate in a new fertile ground.;Future research should include the significant role that the host culture plays in the process of acculturation, as well as the level of freedom an immigrant has in adopting a certain acculturation mode. There also seems to be a need for a refinement of acculturation taxonomy and for new categorizations that are flexible enough to encompass the complexity and individualized aspects of one's acculturation experience.