Acculturation and cultural identity development in Jewish immigrant youth from the former Soviet Union

The purpose of this study is to qualitatively examine the cultural identity development and acculturation experiences of young Jewish immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) in the United States. Individual interviews were conducted with 12 young Russian Jewish immigrants between the ages of 24 and 28, evenly split by gender. The content of the interviews was transcribed and analyzed using a process of inductive content analysis. Multiple themes emerged from the data, fitting into main categories of Perceptions of Culture, Acculturation Experiences, Expectations, and Future Incorporation of Culture. These findings contribute to existing multicultural literature by providing insight into the experiences of young Russian Jewish immigrants as they adjust to American culture, and the complex and dynamic cultural identity that develops for these young people as a result of their different and often conflicting cultural influences. In addition, the results of this study highlight potential areas of growth in regard to knowledge about this specific immigrant population in the United States. Implications for adjustment of Russian Jewish immigrant youth and culturally relevant services are discussed.