Effects of acculturation, leisure benefits, and leisure constraints on acculturative stress and self-esteem among Korean immigrants

This study conceptualized the effects of acculturation, leisure benefits, and leisure constraints on acculturative stress and self-esteem to understand the role of leisure in mitigating cultural adjustment difficulties among Korean immigrants. The structural equation models were developed to examine these relationships.;This study revealed that leisure is an important factor for Korean immigrants in order to acculturate to the United States and in order to mitigate their cultural adjustment difficulties, enhancing their self-esteem and reducing acculturative stress. Korean immigrants who experienced a higher level of acculturation had a lower level of acculturative stress. The same was true in the relationship between level of acculturation and self-esteem.;Korean immigrants who perceived more leisure benefits reported a higher level of acculturation, a lower level of acculturative stress, and a higher sense of self-esteem than those who perceived fewer leisure benefits. Leisure facilitated acculturation and played a critical role in mitigating acculturative stress and enhancing self-esteem.;Contrary to previous research, there was no significant relationship between leisure constraints and self-esteem. Allocentric immigrants perceived more internal leisure constraints than idiocentric immigrants; there was no significant difference in perceived leisure constraints that were external in nature.;The study suggested that leisure services should be redefined in terms of alleviating social problems among immigrants. Repositioning of leisure services may be achieved by designing services and highlighting their potential for the accomplishment of social mandates that are of principal concern to immigrants and elected officials, and in ways which save public funds by decreasing costs of health care.