Acculturation is defined as a process whereby individuals or groups from different cultures engage in and experience alterations to their original culture as well as behavioural and psychological changes that occur when different cultures meet, affecting individual behaviour, ethnic identity, attitudes and values, and which often cause stress arising from adjustment to a new environment (Bemak, Chung, & Pedersen 2003; Berry 1997; Berry, Phinney, Sam, & Vedder 2006; Deng & Marlowe 2013). It also relates to health and other factors that may be affected by the degree to which people subscribe to and keep their own cultural beliefs, attitudes, and values.

Acculturation is the process whereby the characters and attitudes of people from one culture are modified due to the presence or impact of another culture. It is seen as a continuum ranging from exclusive involvement in a person’s original culture and beliefs to exclusive involvement in the dominant or host culture (Berry, 2003).

Such changes sometimes result in acculturative stresses as individuals try to understand the characteristics of the new culture, or try to give up their original culture partially or entirely (Berry, 1997; Berry et al., 2006; Poppitt & Frey, 2007). Affected individuals may require comprehensive coping strategies and/or support to mitigate stress, which can include awareness or psycho-education about the impact of stress, particularly on families and youth in the new environment (Poppitt & Frey, 2007).