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In 2020, more than 281 million of the world’s population live outside their country of birth. Australia welcomes millions of these migrants from around the world. It is one of the top 10 destination countries for migrants. Australia’s demographic and cultural profile has also changed over the years due to migration. Indeed, in recent decades, the country’s immigration policies have shifted from attracting migrants from the UK to attracting skilled migrants to boost the economy and address skills shortages.
Migration is the main driver of the country’s population growth. Although England, New Zealand, China, India and the Philippines are the main countries of birth of migrants in Australia, more and more Africans are Africans. Approximately 400,000 people of African descent lived in Australia in 2020. This represents 1.6% of Australia’s population and 5.1% of Australia’s foreign-born population. Most (58%) are white South Africans, but 42% are black Africans from sub-Saharan countries. Not all of them adapt well to Australian society due to its predominantly Anglo-Saxon culture.
People who migrate to another country inevitably go through a period of adjustment. These cultural, physical and psychological changes are known as acculturation. Negotiating these changes in a new cultural environment can be done at the group level as well as at the individual level. They involve varied paths and strategies with four possible orientations: separation, assimilation, integration or marginalization.
The traditional or separation strategy is faithful to the traditional family culture and resists the host culture.
Assimilation strategy rejects traditional family culture and fully embraces host culture.
Integration strategy seeks to maintain its cultural identity while trying to embrace the host culture.
Marginalization strategy rejects the culture of traditional origin and has no connection with the host culture.
The strategies of African migrants
We conducted a study to identify acculturation strategies among African migrants in Australia. We wanted to understand how their region of origin, their religion and the various forms of discrimination they suffered could influence their acculturation. This idea could help guide the design of effective programs to address difficulties that might arise when adjusting to a new culture.
We had 425 participants, excluding white migrants from South Africa and Zimbabwe.
We found that the majority of African migrants – 34% – identified as integrated. Twenty percent describe themselves as traditional, 22% as assimilated and 24% as marginalized.
We also examined how demographic and socio-economic factors influence acculturation strategies.
Our study found that older people were somewhat more likely to stay true to their native culture, rejecting the mainstream Australian culture.
African migrants who had lived in large cities before migrating were less likely to remain separated. They saw the host culture as a goal to strive for. And they were more likely to assimilate than those who came from refugee camps.
These results suggest that migrants from African cities may have started the assimilation process before migration. This could be the result of urban growth and digital media that exposed them to Western cultural values.
Compared to migrants from Central Africa, English-speaking East Africans were less likely to reject their culture of traditional origin, as they were already assimilated before migration. They saw themselves as part of the English speaking Australian culture and mingled.
We also found that African migrants who felt out of place were more likely to integrate: to retain their cultural identity while embracing a new culture. Those who reported experiencing discrimination were more likely to remain traditional or faithful to their original culture while rejecting the host culture.
Our study found that African Christian migrants were less likely to integrate than their Muslim counterparts. Indeed, Christian migrants were already integrated into the predominantly Christian Australian culture before migrating. Those who practiced religions other than Islam or Christianity were more likely to separate.
Read more: Migrants and the link with God: attachment and survival are linked
Adapt to a welcoming culture
Social media, language proficiency and religious familiarity may have shaped the way African migrants adjust to their new surroundings. But individual and collective experiences of pre-migration environments and post-migration encounters, such as discrimination, can continue to shape how they adjust and adapt to a host culture.
Future research may seek to examine what factors lead to changes in acculturation orientation and how often they change.
Communities wishing to help African migrants adjust to their new lives may consider initiatives such as educational programs, anti-racist policies and legislative reforms. They could also promote tolerance and acceptance of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity throughout the community.
Victor Counted is affiliated with COSORI Australia.
Andre MN Renzaho receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council
By Victor Counted, Fellow, Western Sydney University and
Andre MN Renzaho, Professor, Western Sydney University
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