Uses of Mass Media for Adaptation Purposes: A Quantitative Study of Brazilian Immigrants in Los Angeles

Raul Reis (1)
1. California State University Long Beach - USA

Abstract

This research project used a survey to assess the impact of English- and Portuguese-language mass media on how Brazilian immigrants in the Los Angeles area adapt to their new environment. In addition to mass media use, the survey also took into account cultural preferences, language fluency, and demographics as possible predictors of cultural adaptation for Brazilian immigrants in a large and multicultural metropolitan area of the United States. Hypotheses were tested by using bivariate correlations to determine the relationships between the independent (language, media use, demographics) and dependent (cultural adaptation) variables. In addition, a discussion of intercultural communication and some characteristics of the Brazilian community are provided.


 

Full text article

Generated from XML file

References

Becker, C.B. (1993). A Communication-Based Theory of Cultural Reproduction and Transformation: Information and Attitude Change Among Brazilian Immigrants in Japan. Doctoral dissertation, State University of New York at Buffalo. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Berry, J.W., Kim, U., & Boski, P. (1987). Psychological Acculturation of Immigrants. International and Intercultural Communication Annual, 11, 62-89. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Berry, J.W. (1989). Acculturation Attitudes in Plural Societies. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 38 (2), 185-206. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Beserra, B. (2000). Brazilians in Los Angeles: Imperialism, Immigration, and Social Class (Doctoral dissertation, University of California Riverside, 2000). Google Scholar | WorldCat

Choi, J., & Tamborini, R. (1988). Communication-Acculturation and the Cultivation Hypothesis: A Comparative Study Between Two Korean Communities in the U.S. The Howard Journal of Communication, 1 (1), 57-74. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Cuellar, I., Harris, L., & Jasso, R. (1980). An Acculturation Scale for Mexican American Normal and Clinical Populations. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 2, 199-217. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Felix-Ortiz de la Garza, M., Newcomb, M.D., & Myers, H.F. (1995). A Multidimensional Measure of Cultural Identity for Latino and Latina Adolescents. In A.M. Padilla (Ed.), Hispanic Psychology: Critical Issues in Theory and Research (pp. 26-42). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Greenberg, B.S., Burgoon, M., Burgoon, J., and Korzenny, F. (1983). Mexican Americans and the Mass Media. Norwood, NJ: Ablex. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Hwang, B., & He, Z. (1999). Media Uses and Acculturation Among Chinese Immigrants in the USA. Gazette: International Journal for Communication Studies, 61 (1), 5-22. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Kim, C., Laroche, M., & Tomiuk, M. (2001). A Measure of Acculturation for Italian Canadians: Scale Development and Construct Validation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 25, 607-637. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Kim, J. (1980). Explaining Acculturation in a Communication Framework. Communication Monographs, 57, 10-17. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Kim, Y.Y. (1977). Communication Patterns of Foreign Immigrants in the Process of Acculturation. Human Communication Research, 4 (1), 60-77. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Kim, Y.Y. (1984). Searching for Creative Integration. In Gudykunst, W., & Kim, Y.Y. (Eds.), Methods for Intercultural Communication Research (pp. 13-30). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Kim, Y.Y. (2001). Becoming Intercultural. Thousand Oaks, CA.Korzenny, F., & Korzenny, B.A. (1984). Quantitative Approaches: An Overview. In Gudykunst, W., & Kim, Y.Y. (Eds.), Methods for Intercultural Communication Research (pp. 85-94). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Marin, G., Sabogal, F., Marin, B.V., Otero-Sabogal, R., & Perez-Stable, E.J. (1987). Development of a Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 9, 183-205. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Mariño, R., Stuart, G., & Minas, I.H. (2000, April). Acculturation of Values and Behavior: A Study of Vietnamese Immigrants. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 33, 21-41. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Ministério das Relações Exteriores. (2009). Brasileiros no Mundo: Estimativas. 2nd ed. Brasília, Brasil, Sept. 2009. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Szapocznik, J., Kurtines, W.M., & Fernandez, T. (1980). Bicultural Involvement and Adjustment in Hispanic-American Youth. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 4, 353-365. Google Scholar | WorldCat

U.S. Census Bureau (2000). Fact Sheet: Los Angeles County, California. Retrieved from HYPERLINK "http://factfinder.census.gov" http://factfinder.census.gov on 01/27/10. Google Scholar | WorldCat

U.S. Census Bureau (2000). Fact Sheet: Orange County, California. Retrieved from HYPERLINK "http://factfinder.census.gov" http://factfinder.census.gov on 01/27/10. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Walker, D. (1999). The Media’s Role in Immigrant Adaptation: How First-Year Haitians in Miami Use the Media. Journalism & Communication Mongraphs, 1 (3), 159-196. Google Scholar | WorldCat

Authors

Raul Reis
rreis@csulb.edu (Primary Contact)
Author Biography

Raul Reis

Raul Reis is a professor and chair of the Department of Journalism at California State University, Long Beach. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, and his M.S. from Kansas State University. He has published widely on issues such as science and environmental journalism, the impact of media on traditional communities, immigrant adaptation, and media ethics, among other issues.

Reis, R. (2010). Uses of Mass Media for Adaptation Purposes: A Quantitative Study of Brazilian Immigrants in Los Angeles. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 10(3), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v10i3.512

Article Details

How to Cite

Reis, R. (2010). Uses of Mass Media for Adaptation Purposes: A Quantitative Study of Brazilian Immigrants in Los Angeles. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 10(3), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.36923/jicc.v10i3.512