South Asian adolescents have to deal with the stress of adjusting in to a different culture, where they may face racism because of what they look like. even though the population of south Asians has been increasing in the united states of america, not much research
South Asian adolescents have to deal with the stress of adjusting in to a different culture, where they may face racism because of what they look like. even though the population of south Asians has been increasing in the united states of america, not much research has been done to study the stress experienced by south Asian adolescents due to acculturative stress. The research ”South Asian adolescents’ experiences of acculturative stress and coping.” by Pratyusha Tummala-Narra, Anita Deshpande, and Jasleen Kaur looks at their experience, challenges faced because of acculturation, the stress they experience because of cultural differences, and how they cope with the stress.
Could you talk about about what the research is about for our audience who may be learning about it for the first time?
My research focuses on three broad areas: immigration, mental health and trauma, and cultural competence in psychotherapy. More specifically, I conduct research with South Asian Americans, examining both first and second generation’s experiences of cultural adjustment, gender, race and racism, interpersonal violence, and mental health.
What got you interested in this research?
I became interested in this research primarily through my training as a clinical psychologist. As an Indian American, raised primarily in the U.S., I had been long aware of the ways in which people within South Asian communities tend not to address mental health problems or interpersonal violence. There is a great deal of silence around these issues, even though they affect many South Asian individuals and families. Oft