title: Rethinking Acculturation: A Study of Alcohol Use of Korean American Adolescents in Southern California.
abstract: Given the considerable variability in drinking practices among Asian American groups, the generalizations that suggest an increase in their alcohol use associated with acculturation need to be questioned. Also, the experience of children of immigrants growing up in the United States may be much more complex than a focus on acculturation can capture. Informed by the theory of segmented assimilation, this study addresses two research questions: 1) Is acculturation associated with alcohol use of Korean American adolescents? and 2) What other social, economic, and cultural forces influence their alcohol use? Survey data collected from 202 adolescents of Korean descent in Southern California were used. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that acculturation was not a significant predictor of most measures of alcohol use, while peer influence, scholastic achievement/aspirations, and current smoking were predictive. Gender and social class were unrelated to drinking. Findings suggest focusing research on an integrative approach to understanding drinking in complex social, economic, and social contexts may be useful.
authors.affiliation: Postdoctoral Fellow, Alcohol Research Group, University of California, Berkeley.
authors.forename: Won Kim
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: C Richard
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Hofstetter
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Melbourne F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hovell
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Irvin