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Central Asian (CA) immigrant adolescents represent a rapidly growing yet understudied population in the United States, navigating acculturation during a critical developmental stage. Adolescence represents a sensitive life course period characterized by identity formation, peer integration, and increasing autonomy. Despite a growing body of research on immigrant youth from many countries and regions of origin, to our knowledge no studies to date have specifically examined acculturative stress among adolescents from Central Asia. Migration during adolescence stage can disrupt and reconfigure developmental trajectories and exacerbate inequities in educational and social systems. Consistent with SSWR’s emphasis on advancing research for the common good and guided by acculturation theory and life course development perspective, this study centers the experiences of an underrepresented immigrant group to inform equitable and inclusive practices. The study aims to: (1) assess acculturative stress and psychosocial wellbeing during adolescence; (2) analyze the role of family and school contexts in shaping adaptation processes; and (3) identify implications for culturally responsive interventions and policies.
Methods:
This qualitative study employed grounded theory methods to explore adolescents’ experiences of migration and adaptation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 first-generation CA adolescents (ages 14–22) from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, residing in the United States. Participants varied in length of residence (few months to over 10 years). Interviews were conducted in Russian or Kyrgyz, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. Data were analyzed using open and axial coding, guided by the constant comparative method to identify patterns across cases. To enhance rigor, the study incorporated investigator triangulation, peer debriefing, and audit trails.
Results:
Findings indicate that migration during adolescence introduces multilevel acculturative stressors that shape developmental outcomes. In school contexts, adolescents reported language barriers, peer exclusion, and subtle discrimination, which limited their sense of belonging and participation. Teachers were often perceived as unresponsive to social exclusion, reinforcing marginalization within educational settings.
Within families, adolescents described simultaneous acculturation processes, where both youth and parents adapted to a new cultural environment, often resulting in intergenerational tensions related to autonomy, gender roles, and cultural expectations. Limited parental capacity to provide guidance during this transition further intensified stress.
Despite these challenges, adolescents demonstrated resilience and adaptive capacity, including proactive language acquisition, formation of supportive peer networks, and engagement with educational and extracurricular opportunities. Positive adaptation was facilitated by culturally similar peers and environments that fostered inclusion.
Conclusions and Implications:
This study contributes to social work research by highlighting how acculturative stress and resilience unfold among Central Asian adolescents within specific cultural and structural contexts. Findings underscore adolescence as a key intervention point, where culturally responsive, school-based interventions and family-centered interventions, such as peer mentorship, teacher training on inclusive practices, newcomer support systems addressing intergenerational acculturation gaps, may promote belonging and adaptive outcomes. At the policy level, results support investments in equitable educational resources and immigrant integration programs that reduce structural barriers and promote belonging.