Factors Affecting Adaptability of International Students in Malaysia during COVID-19 Pandemic

It is crucial to investigate adaptability in the context of COVID-19, as evidence suggests that difficulties posed by adaptability can be exacerbated during times of crisis. International students encounter additional pressures during this period, which might impair their capacity to stay and prosper in a new place. In light of this context, the purpose of this study is to examine the factors that contribute to the adaptability of international university students in Malaysia, namely the academic system, acculturation, and social support. A cross-sectional research design was used, and the research instruments were adapted from a number of previous studies. A total of one hundred thirty online questionnaires were filled out by international students in Malaysia. The research hypotheses were evaluated using SPSS Version 27.0. All predictors were found to have a statistically significant and positive effect on the adaptability of international students. This research aims to shed light on educational management strategies for addressing the adaptability challenges faced by most international students within COVID-19 by illuminating the key drivers that influence adaptability. © Journal of Curriculum and Teaching..All rights reserved

Sojourning Educators at International Schools Overseas and the Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has jolted educational organizations and their stakeholders. Mobility between countries is a requisite feature at international schools, with students and educators shifting between home, host, and intermediary countries. Stakeholders are diverse in international schools, representing transcultural interests, giving rise to complex needs and considerations for school leadership. This article explores a subset of data from a study on educator acculturation in international schools that unpacks the effects of, and responses to, the pandemic by sojourning educators at international schools in Southeast and East Asia. Effects on students were not examined. Findings include adaptive responses, mobility barriers and role/school precarity, spikes in acculturative stress, and creative problem-solving. These effects have generated substantial leadership enigmas. Implications include an urgent need to activate adaptive leadership practices, including contingency planning and action research projects aiming at experiential learning from different stakeholder groups in international schools.

Addressing Anti-Asian Racism and Stigma Towards Therapy: A Clinical Intervention Guideline

Asian Americans (AA) in the United States, and throughout the world, commonly hold a negative connotation or stigma regarding seeking mental health services. Unique cultural stigmas and beliefs of AA play an important role when examining why this population group is less likely to engage in therapy. This article explains why these cultural stigmas and beliefs contribute to the lack of mental health help seeking. Through examining these stigmas, perception of therapy, loss of face, and parental control among AA will allow therapists to have a better understanding when they are working with this population. Also, the consideration is given of how the increase of Anti-Asian racism due to the COVID-19 pandemic affects AA and the challenges it creates. This article includes a case example that provides information on how stigmas impact an AA family who have differing cultural values and expectations while experiencing discrimination from COVID-19. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Family Journal is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

A case study of academic acculturation of young students in Madagascar

Madagascar is going through a socio-economic slump resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the international economic crisis. Young graduates will have a major role to play in reversing this situation. The objective of this study is to identify the key parameters of the academic acculturation of young scholars and to better understand their acculturation model. Therefore, to innovate and adapt training programs and process to better train and prepare young people to face this development challenge in Madagascar. This case study was conducted in a higher education institution in the capital Antananarivo (18.8792° S, 47.5079° E). The study population is made up of young students. The purpose of the study is to analyze inductively the acculturation of these students during their academic program. The four hypotheses to be tested are (i) the behavioral acculturation of young students is a function of the exposure length, (ii) endogen characteristics influence the academic acculturation of students, and (iii) academic factors has an impact on academic acculturation. Acculturation is measured at two levels: behavior and adopted values which are the dependent variables. Personal situation, social reference, and academic factors are the independent variables whose importance in the acculturation of young people is the subject of this study. For this purpose, an exclusive questionnaire survey of the study population was conducted. The data obtained was subject to descriptive and factorial statistical analysis. This study led to two acculturation models and three acculturation process of young students. These findings in acculturation trajectories and models would be helpful for to innovate and well adapt the youth training program and the promotion of the transformational process of managerial practices and the socio-economic recovery of the Big Island. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Are We Really Going to Get out of COVID-19 Together? Secured Legal Status and Trust Among Refugees and Migrants

Building up on pre-existing vulnerabilities and social exclusions, refugees and migrants are disproportionately suffering from the negative effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Insecure legal status is an additional stressor that may accentuate social cleavages and ultimately impair their trust in host society and institutions. Based on a diverse sample of refugees and migrants in Belgium (N = 355), the present study investigates direct and indirect effects of legal status-measured as the type of residence permit held by participants -on social and political trust during the COVID-19 outbreak. Secured legal status was positively associated with social and political trust directly, and indirectly via a serial mediation composed by two cumulative stages. First, participants with a more secured legal status experienced less material difficulties to cope with the pandemic (i.e., first material stage). Second, participant who experienced less material difficulties identified more with the host society (i.e., second symbolic stage). In turn, reduced material difficulties and increased identification with the host society were both positively associated with social and political trust. Our findings advocate for securing legal status of refugees and migrants to help societies cope cohesively with the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The politics of Chinese immigrants' double unbelonging and deglobalization

This study theorizes the politics of belonging, drawing on the case of Chinese immigrants. In the heyday of globalization, Chinese immigrants used to enjoy a high degree of transnational mobility and multiple belongings. Now, in the wake of China–West geopolitical contestations and during the time of COVID-19, many Chinese immigrants are experiencing double unbelonging due to marginalization in both the host society and China. By analyzing double unbelonging, this study makes three theoretical contributions. First, it expands the conventional cultural–humanistic framework of belonging to incorporate political analysis. Second, it discusses why and how to replace the positivist approach to belonging as exemplified by acculturation theory with a social constructionist approach to the politics of belonging. Finally, the study theorizes unbelonging—its epistemological advantage, its dialectical relation with belonging, its production by the nation-state and media, and how polarizing geopolitics produce double unbelonging.

Latinx Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Language

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a time of enormous challenge for people living in the United States. Groups who are marginalized, like the Latinx population, have faced worse health and employment outcomes, which are integral to the welfare of families and children. In an effort to better understand the experiences of Latinx families during the pandemic, survey findings of a Latinx sample gathered from one Northeastern state were compared based on whether the survey was taken in Spanish or English. Findings indicate heterogeneity within the Latinx population based on language. Those who took the survey in Spanish reported more challenges in terms of employment, child care, and distance learning.

Latino-Targeted Misinformation and the Power of Factual Corrections

Do individual, interpersonal, or institutional factors condition the effects of misinformation on beliefs? Can interventions such as fact checks stem the tide of the "infodemic” within marginalized communities? We explore the sudden flood of misinformation and disinformation targeting Latinos during the 2020 election and global COVID-19 pandemic to answer these questions. In a preregistered experiment, we find that exposure to misinformation can decrease factual accuracy, and neither trust in nor consumption of media, including ethnic media, serves as a buffer against these misinformation effects. However, fact checks eliminate the effects of misinformation on false beliefs without "backfiring” and reducing accuracy. Fact checks improve factual accuracy among subgroups varying in levels of political knowledge, trust, and acculturation. These findings provide crucial support for recent investments into fact checking by Latino-oriented media outlets and address gaps within the literature over whether such interventions are also effective within marginalized groups.

The experience of Chinese international students in Vancouver: An exploratory study of acculturation, discrimination, social support and other protective factors and stress coping

There is a lack of literature examining the lived experience of Chinese international students. Literature often groups international students or Asian international students into a homogenous category despite their unique differences. The present study utilized a semi-structured interview conducted in Mandarin to explore the lived experiences of seven Chinese international students in Vancouver. Several themes were derived from the content analysis under the topics of acculturation, discrimination, social support and coping, and the impact of COVID-19. The current findings illustrate the complex nature of the lived experiences of Chinese international students as they adjust to living in a foreign country and their resiliency in the face of adversities. Recommendations for academic institutions, relevant organizations, mental health providers, and future research are discussed to support Chinese international students' mental health and well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Sociocultural factors associated with persistent prescription opioid use among Puerto Rican adults in Massachusetts

Background: Understanding ecological-level factors associated with persistent prescription opioid use (PPOU) may inform research and efforts to reduce prescription opioid-related complications. Puerto Rican Adults (PRAs) have disparities in health outcomes and depression and may be at greater risk of PPOU. Determinants of allostatic loads, including acculturation, migration history, social support, perceived discrimination, have not been explored as correlates of PPOU among PRAs. Further, no study has explored whether depressive symptoms affect PRA's PPOU. Opioid overdose fatality rates among Hispanics have further increased amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, amplifying the need for exploration of socio-ecological level factors associated with PPOU. Aim: The primary aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of prescription opioid use (POU) among PRAs and to evaluate whether sociocultural factors of acculturation and migration history (intrapersonal), social support and network size (interpersonal), and perceived discrimination (community level) predicted PPOU. Furthermore, this study examined the relationship between depression and PPOU and whether depression mediated the effects of perceived discrimination on PPOU. Method: The Socio-Ecological Model (SEM) was adapted to guide this longitudinal secondary analysis study of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS) cohort. The BPRHS is an ongoing cohort study of PRAs in the Greater Boston area. Baseline (0-year), 2-year, and 5-year datasets were used to estimate incidence and prevalence of POU among the PRA's cohort. The measures were acculturation and migration history, social support and network size, perceived discrimination, depression symptoms, and PPOU. Association between incidence and prevalence of POU by demographic factors were examined. The relationship between SEM-level factors and depression were examined with binary logistic regression. Using Baron and Kenny's method (1986), multivariable binary logistic and linear regression models examined whether depression mediated the effects of perceived discrimination on PPOU. Results: Participants were 45-75 years old (N = 798) of Puerto Rican descent (72.9% women) with 6.5% persistent opioid users compared to non-users (93.5%). Increasing incidence and prevalence of POU were observed at each follow-up. Lower income households were more likely to have higher incidence and prevalence of POU. Multivariate logistic regression models revealed an association between perceived discrimination and PPOU (OR = 2.85, 95% CI 1.46-5.58). No significant association was observed between acculturation, migratory history, social support and PPOU. Depressive symptoms were associated with PPOU (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00-1.05, p <= 0.03) and partially mediated the effects of perceived discrimination on PPOU by 10.3%, after adjustment of covariates. Conclusion: Reports of associations between perceived discrimination, depression and PPOU broadens current knowledge on factors linked to PPOU in the PRAs subpopulation. This research has important implications for policy, nursing research and clinical practice. Nurses and healthcare professionals may design tailored interventions to reduce PPOU by targeting these risk factors. Addressing perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms may impact PRA's exposure to PPOU and reduce their risk of prescription opioid-related complications. Future research should explore other multi-level factors that may influence PPOU and other potential mechanisms that may explain the effects of perceived discrimination on PPOU. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Exploring experiences of proculturation in international students during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study intends to find what are the experiences of international students semiotically adapting to unfamiliar signs in the United Kingdom before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six international university students to learn about their experiences of adapting to a new country. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Two themes were classified as dialogical self in interpersonal adaptation and linguistic elements of semiotic adaptation, each with two subthemes. Participants' experiences of merging self-constructs seem reflective of proculturation theory. The researchers termed ‘language bridges' to refer to social representations dependent on language-specific signs. Some of the participants' self-constructs relied on signs not provided by the environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, proculturation offers insight into the complex psychological and social processes of adapting to unfamiliar signs. © The Author(s) 2023.

Examining the roles of acculturative stressors and cultural factors in major health and safety issues among Hispanic/Latino farmworkers

Statement of the problem: Hispanic/Latino farmworkers are at increased risk of adverse health and safety outcomes. Heightened levels of acculturative stress and the unique cultural characteristics and beliefs reported by this group increase workers' vulnerability for adverse outcomes. Method: The first project consisted of a systematic review examining threats to the health and safety of Hispanic/Latino agricultural workers attributable to climate change, focusing specifically on their risk for heat-related illnesses (HRI) and cultural factors and beliefs increasing workers' vulnerability for HRI. The second project was a secondary data analysis focused on identifying potential relationships between acculturative stressors, cultural factors, and workers' recent utilization of healthcare services in the United States. The final project was an exploratory study identifying COVID-19 associated stress experienced by a largely foreign-born group of Hispanic/Latino farmworkers in North Carolina. Like the preceding projects, this study focused on acculturative stressors and cultural beliefs potentially impacting workers' experiences with COVID-19. Results: The first project determined that Hispanic/Latino farmworkers were indeed at increased risk for HRI. Workers occupational safety behaviors were informed by common cultural beliefs and misconceptions, increasing workers' risk for HRI. The second project found that there were statistically significant associations between the outcome, workers' recent utilization of healthcare services in the United States, and the predictors foreign-born status, migrant worker status, work authorization (legal work authorization versus undocumented status), reading English language proficiency, and gender. The third project found that Hispanic/Latino farmworkers surveyed struggled with some level of COVID-19 stress with roughly half of participants reporting concerns about their ability to provide for and see family members as a result of COVID-19.Conclusion: This dissertation identified a number of cultural factors and acculturative stressors impacting Hispanic/Latino farmworkers' health. Overall, the findings of this dissertation support the need for further research on the relationships between acculturative stressors, cultural factors, and health behaviors among Hispanic/Latino farmworkers. These relationships should be important considerations in research concerning Hispanic/Latino farmworkers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Sojourning mentality, acculturative stress, and mental health among Chinese international students and visiting scholars in the United States

This dissertation bridges the literatures on race, migration, and health to highlight the acculturation experiences and related health implications among Chinese immigrants, particularly sojourning Chinese international students in the US. Due to their temporary stay in the recipient society, Chinese students usually demonstrate a sojourning mentality that is characterized by a strong attachment to their home country and a keen desire to return home after fulfilling their migration goals. This mentality appeared more intense during the COVID-19 pandemic when the migration environment (particularly the anti-Chinese racism) featured a heightened level of hostility to sojourning Chinese immigrants in the US. Therefore, this dissertation utilizes data from multiple sources to investigate how sojourning mentality (and possible changes during the pandemic) interplayed with Chinese students' experiences of acculturation and acculturative stress, and their mental health status. For the first study that comprises my dissertation, I have utilized the nationally representative survey data from the 2002-2003 National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) to investigate the link between acculturation and mental health among Chinese immigrants in the US. Specifically, I have employed weighted OLS regression and binary logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship between acculturative stress and psychological distress among foreign-born Chinese immigrants, and whether such an association persists and varies on the basis of respondents' levels of ethnic identification (the best proxy measure available for sojourning mentality in the NLAAS). My findings indicate that higher levels of ethnic identification are associated with respondents' lower levels of psychological distress. However, for respondents who have stayed in the US for over 20 years, higher levels of ethnic identification are associated with greater vulnerability to psychological distress when they encounter acculturative stress simultaneously. For the second study of my dissertation, I designed and conducted a cross-sectional online survey among Chinese international students and visiting scholars currently studying in the US. The goal was to establish and validate a psychometric scale of sojourning mentality. Using convenience and network sampling, I managed to recruit 698 participants, with 643 qualified responses and a completion rate of 80.7%. Using multiple rounds of exploratory factor analyses (EFA) on a convenience sample of 545 adult Chinese international students and visiting scholars studying in the US, I constructed a 24-item measurement scale of sojourning mentality that is composed of 4 factors, including Attachment to Chinese Identity, Motivations to Stay in the Host Society, Preparedness to Return to China, and Motivations to Leave the Host Society. I further assessed the construct validity of this measurement scale by examining its association with three theoretically related concepts, including acculturative strategy, acculturative stress, and depression. This 4-factor solution accounts for over 60% of the total variance and exhibits satisfactory internal reliability and construct validity. This study is original and unprecedented, as it has established and validated the very first psychometric scale of sojourning mentality. Future research is strongly encouraged to apply this scale to other sojourning population(s), using probabilistic sampling. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Adjusting in a pandemic: Experiences of incoming international students

Introduction: Over 4 million students travel outside their home countries to pursue tertiary education in the world, with over 600,000 students traveling to Canada alone. Adjustment to new cultures has often been shown to be stressful. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant global event that has affected all aspects of life in different ways. Although there is research showing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students globally, the study of the experiences of incoming cohorts of international students, particularly during the process of planning, traveling, and arriving at the host country, is still evolving. Methods: Given that international students are sometimes at higher risk for mental health concerns, this qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of six incoming international graduate students, ages 18 to 32, through a semi-structured interview, as they moved from their home country to Canada. It explored their cultural adjustment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic using a thematic analysis, through a descriptive phenomenological paradigm. Results: Six themes emerged: choosing graduate programs;influence of pandemic on admission acceptance, moving to Canada, university experiences, adjustment;and adjustment as a student. Overall, international students appear to experience a "double dose” of stressors - the typical stressors of student hood, COVID-19 related challenges, as well as their unique manifestations in the context of being an international student. Discussion: Limitations and implications of the study are discussed. Copyright © 2023 Tseu, Ganesh and Wirtz.

The Search Between Two Worlds: Motivations for and Consequences of U.S.-Dwelling Chinese's Use of U.S. and Chinese Media for COVID-19 Information.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to inflict damage throughout the world, some minority groups are bearing a disproportionate share of its impacts. We concentrated on one such group, U.S.-dwelling Chinese, who have had to cope with challenges related to acculturation, health, safety, and racism. Recognizing that health information seeking was an essential step in helping maintain and improve health behaviors, we conducted a two-wave longitudinal study (N = 1,284) to examine the various factors predicting U.S.-dwelling Chinese's use of U.S. and Chinese media for COVID-19 information as well as the consequences of their information seeking. Overall, we found that acculturation, accuracy (i.e., information insufficiency) and defense (i.e., conspiratorial beliefs) motivations, trust in media, and perceived information gathering capacity played a key role in explaining information seeking from an intercultural viewpoint, and that the use of U.S. and Chinese media was associated with different health behaviors. These findings contribute to theory and practice in a variety of ways.

Torn between two worlds: COVID, it's your fault.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a global reach, impacting each one of us to varying degrees. Research is emerging on the medical, educational, social, and psychological effects of this pandemic; however, little has appeared yet on the impact on immigrant acculturation. We are six higher education immigrant academics in New Zealand and our collaborative autoethnographic study reports on the disruption to our immigrant selves caused by COVID-19. We present findings from our narratives written at two different times: a reflection after the initial eight-week New Zealand lockdown from March to May 2020, and a second meta-reflection one year later. We also illustrate, in graph form, our perceived stress levels associated with being immigrants during COVID-19. The narratives describe strong emotions linked to transnational connections that bound us to loved ones at home in COVID-ravaged countries. While we describe a stronger sense of belonging to our new society, we also identify COVID-19 as a disruptor and interrupter of the acculturation process regardless of our length of settlement in New Zealand. We argue that the increased stress of COVID-19 has triggered an interruption or oscillation that has disrupted our acculturation trajectories, surfacing emotions of acculturative stress even for those well adapted to their new society. These findings may resonate with immigrants in similar contexts and circumstances.

East Asian Population.

This article explores the ways East Asian American (EAA) children and adolescents have experienced disparities in the United States throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The history of racism toward Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and the complexities of acculturation are reflected through this contemporary lens. Traditional East Asian (EA) values were disrupted during this period. Implications for children and families are discussed. Persistent underlying xenophobia and racism, such as the model minority myth or perpetual foreigner stereotype, rose to new prominence, furthering emotional distress in EA and EAA youths beyond those already experienced universally by AAPI families during the pandemic.

Online Grocery Shopping Behaviors and Attitudes Among Asian Americans.

How online grocery shopping behaviors differ among Asian American (AA) ethnic subgroups and acculturation level is unknown. From June 9-15, 2020, we administered an online survey to a nationally-derived nonprobability sample of 2,895 AA adults, including 1,737 East, 570 South, and 587 Southeast Asian adults, assessing online grocery shopping (yes/no, frequency, reasons). We used logistic regression to compare responses by subgroup and acculturation score, controlling for sociodemographics. Thirty-percent of participants reported shopping online for groceries in a typical month, with a higher percentage among South (45%) versus East Asian adults (23%). Participants with low (vs. high) acculturation scores were more likely to report a lack of special foods (OR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5-0.98) and poor food quality (OR = 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4-0.7) as preventing them from shopping online. Online grocery shopping has the capacity to address inequities in health, potentially via culturally-tailored programs designed for less-acculturated AA adults.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Economically Marginalized Hispanic Parents of Children under Five Years in the United States.

Hispanic children in the US have high rates of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths. Following FDA emergency approval, COVID-19 vaccination rates for young children under five years have been alarmingly low, especially in border states with significant Hispanic populations. This study identified social and cultural determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among economically marginalized Hispanic parents of children under five. In 2022, following FDA approval, 309 Hispanic female guardians in US border states responded to an online survey assessing parental intent to vaccinate their child, demographic characteristics, COVID-19 health and vaccine beliefs, trust in traditional sources of health information, physician and community support, and acculturation to Anglo American norms. The majority (45.6%) did not intend to vaccinate their child or were unsure (22.0%). Kendall's tau-b indicated vaccine acceptance was negatively associated with COVID-19 specific and general vaccine distrust, belief the vaccine was unnecessary, time living in the U.S., and language acculturation (range tb = -0.13 to -0.44; p = 0.05-0.001) and positively related to trust in traditional resources, doctor's recommendation, child's age, household income and parent education (range tb = 0.11 to 0.37; p = 0.05-0.001). This research highlights the importance of COVID-19 vaccination public health strategies that draw on Hispanic cultural values, community partnerships and enhanced pediatrician communication regarding routine and COVID-19-specific vaccinations.

Two Countries, One Goal: A Mixed-Methods Study of the Development of Study Abroad Sojourners' Cultural Identification in Japan and Korea

The number of students expanding their academic programs to include learning experiences abroad had been, prior to the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus, steadily increasing over the past two decades. This mixed-method study investigates the cultural identification of short-term study abroad participants and its influence on their acculturation process. Quantitative data from a widely-used acculturation scale were collected from participants before and after the program. In addition, qualitative data from participants' journals were examined, elucidating the role the study abroad experience played in their cultural identification. This investigation revealed statistically significant effects of cultural experiences on cultural identification, specifically decreases in cultural identification scores. This study supports the concept of cultural identification as a continuum rather than as a dichotomy. Implications suggest that a deeper understanding of students' cultural identifications can be helpful in developing study abroad programs that promote the goals of student awareness, cultural sensitivity, and global competence.