Navigating Acculturation: Overcoming Challenges and Creating Pathways to Well-Being for Central Asian Immigrants in the United States

Saltanat Childress; Nibedita Shrestha; Shirley Russ; Mark Feinberg; Jerica Berge; Amy Lewin; Kevin Roy; Norma Perez-Brena; Neal Halfon

doi:10.1177/10443894241278382

Navigating Acculturation: Overcoming Challenges and Creating Pathways to Well-Being for Central Asian Immigrants in the United States

Saltanat Childress
, Nibedita Shrestha
, Shirley Russ
, Mark Feinberg
, Jerica Berge
, Amy Lewin
, Kevin Roy
, Norma Perez-Brena
, Neal Halfon

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study explores the adaptations of recent immigrants from Central Asia (CA) to the United States. Using qualitative grounded theory analysis of narratives from 42 immigrants, gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, acculturation, life course development, resilience, and intersectionality frameworks were applied to the analysis. Participants included 21 women and 21 men aged 22 to 45. Three major themes emerged. The first theme highlights acculturative challenges and stress, including shifts in gender roles, professional status, and family values. The second theme addresses barriers to seeking help, stemming from ideological and practical constraints. The third theme emphasizes opportunities and positive outlooks on life in the United States for immigrants and their children. The study underscores implications for practice and policy, along with avenues for future research.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1043-1067
Number of pages	25
Journal	Families in Society
Volume	106
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894241278382
State	Published - Dec 2025
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

Keywords

acculturation
barriers to help-seeking
Central Asian immigrants
life course development
mental health
resilience

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Journal Article

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10.1177/10443894241278382

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title = "Navigating Acculturation: Overcoming Challenges and Creating Pathways to Well-Being for Central Asian Immigrants in the United States",

abstract = "This study explores the adaptations of recent immigrants from Central Asia (CA) to the United States. Using qualitative grounded theory analysis of narratives from 42 immigrants, gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, acculturation, life course development, resilience, and intersectionality frameworks were applied to the analysis. Participants included 21 women and 21 men aged 22 to 45. Three major themes emerged. The first theme highlights acculturative challenges and stress, including shifts in gender roles, professional status, and family values. The second theme addresses barriers to seeking help, stemming from ideological and practical constraints. The third theme emphasizes opportunities and positive outlooks on life in the United States for immigrants and their children. The study underscores implications for practice and policy, along with avenues for future research.",

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year = "2025",

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AU - Russ, Shirley

AU - Feinberg, Mark

AU - Berge, Jerica

AU - Lewin, Amy

AU - Roy, Kevin

AU - Perez-Brena, Norma

AU - Halfon, Neal

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

PY - 2025/12

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AB - This study explores the adaptations of recent immigrants from Central Asia (CA) to the United States. Using qualitative grounded theory analysis of narratives from 42 immigrants, gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, acculturation, life course development, resilience, and intersectionality frameworks were applied to the analysis. Participants included 21 women and 21 men aged 22 to 45. Three major themes emerged. The first theme highlights acculturative challenges and stress, including shifts in gender roles, professional status, and family values. The second theme addresses barriers to seeking help, stemming from ideological and practical constraints. The third theme emphasizes opportunities and positive outlooks on life in the United States for immigrants and their children. The study underscores implications for practice and policy, along with avenues for future research.

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KW - mental health

KW - resilience

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Navigating Acculturation: Overcoming Challenges and Creating Pathways to Well-Being for Central Asian Immigrants in the United States

Abstract

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