This study examined the immigration satisfaction of a group of 95 Chinese Americans living in San Francisco. Immigration satisfaction was hypothesized to be negatively mediated by the presence of immigration-related problems and positively mediated by a bicultural life-style. Personal demographic characteristics were postulated to play a limited role in predicting immigration satisfaction but may do so indirectly through their contribution to the presence of problems and cultural orientation. The tindings generally supported these hypotheses. Immigrants who experienced problems with language, discrimination, and social isolation were less satisfied, whereas those who had both Chinese and non-Chinese close friends and enjoyed more Chineseand mainstream American-oriented activities were more satisfied. By and large, the demographic variables did not directly mediate immigration satisfaction but did affect immigration-related problems and cultural orientation, through which they may have indirectly influenced immigration satisfaction. The only exception was that married immigrants were less satisfied than unmarried immigrants. Implications of the findings were discussed.
Chinese people have been migrating to the United States for over 150 years. The 1990 Census counted 1.7 million Chinese Americans, a group doubling in size since 1980 (Barringer, 1991). They make up the largest Asian group in the United States, and the majority continue to be immigrants ("Asian Americans in California," 1992). Although their presence has been well documented, there have been relatively few empirical studies that assess their satisfaction with their postmigration lives. This investigation aims to address this gap.
The early literature on migration and mental health suggested the presence of a negative relationship due to the exposure to a multitude of migration-related stresses (Malzberg, 1%8; Odegaard, 1932). More recently, researchers have recognized the many complex mediators that significantly impact the immigrant's well-being (Goldlust & Richmond, 1974; Murphy, 1977; Vega, Kolody, & Valle, 1987; Westermeyer, 1989). In particular, if the immigrant successfully accesses the new culture and gains a broader perspective of the world, migration may serve as an impetus for growth and well-being.
This study examines the immigration satisfaction of a group of Chinese Americans and hypothesizes it to be directly negatively mediated by the presence of migration-related difficulties but positively mediated by enjoyment of a bicultural life-style. In addition, the contribution of personal background characteristics to immigration satisfaction is assessed. They are hypothesized to not directly impact satisfaction, but may do so
The data reported here were collected as part of the author's doctoral dissertation. Sunwoo