The Effects of Trauma on Acculturative Stress

ABSTRACT There has been an influx of Southeast Asian refugees to the United States over the past 20 years, many of whom have experienced severe trauma. In their new country they face the formidable task of acculturation into a new, unfamiliar culture, often separated from their families and ethnic groups. This study sought to answer the question of whether the severity of trauma endured prior to and during migration affects the level of acculturative stress in a community sample of Cambodian refugees. Two major variables, the experience of trauma and acculturative stress, were examined through a cross-sectional research design which employed multiple regression statistical techniques to analyze the data. The results of the present study established that Cambodian refugees who experienced severe trauma prior to resettlement in the United States had significantly higher levels of acculturative stress than did those with less severe trauma histories.