PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF BICULTURALISM - EVIDENCE AND THEORY

A vital step in the development of an equal partnership for minorities in the academic, social, and economic life of the United States invol ves moving away from assumptions of the linear model of cultural acqui sition. In this article we review the literature on the psychological impact of being bicultural. Assimilation, acculturation, alternation, multicultural, and fusion models that have been used to describe the p sychological processes, social experiences, and individual challenges and obstacles of being bicultural are reviewed and summarized for thei r contributions and implications for investigations of the psychologic al impact of biculturalism. Emphasis is given to the alternation model , which posits that an individual is able to gain competence within 2 cultures without losing his or her cultural identity or having to choo se one culture over the other. Finally, a hypothetical model outlining the dimensions of bicultural competence is presented.