Although international migration is by no means a new phenomenon, the late 20th and 21st centuries represent a new era of migration marked by dramatic increases (Massey, 2023). The challenges posed by migration, resettlement, and adaptation highlight the need to consider the health and well-being of migrants and their children. As researchers have sought to better conceptualize and understand these stressors, several lines of research have converged, leading to the development of cultural stress theory (CST). The idea that migrants are exposed to a variety of stressors is by no means a novel concept. Indeed, over the past few decades, several theoretical frameworks on which CST has heavily drawn have highlighted a number of specific stressors associated with immigration. Rooted within a broad ecodevelopmental perspective (Szapocznik & Coatsworth, 1999) and cultural development and psychopathology theorizing (Causadias, 2013), CST has emerged as an integrative and overarching framework for conceptualizing the various stressors experienced by migrants, the protective factors that can ameliorate the detrimental impact of cultural stress, and the mechanisms underlying these associations.
In their introduction to the special issue on cultural stress theory published in Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, Alan Meca and Seth J. Schwartz formally introduce CST and highlight the four tenets of the theory. First, CST proposes a structural definition of cultural stress and emphasizes the detrimental functional impact that cultural stress exerts on psychological functioning. More specifically, CST defines cultural stress as a collection of stressors rooted in the need to navigate both multiple cultural streams and a context that is often marked by racism, colorism, xenophobia, and a widespread framing of immigrants as real or existential threats. Second, CST asserts that the detrimental impact of cultural stress can be augmented by a variety of factors, including developmental and cultural assets. Third, drawing on ecodevelopmental theory and on cultural development and psychopathology, CST emphasizes that cultural stressors affect outcomes through a variety of pathways or mechanisms. Finally, CST highlights that cultural stress, augmenting factors, and underlying mechanisms are contextualized within a broad sociohistorical context.
Despite its recent introduction, CST has made significant contributions to the understanding of the experiences of immigrants and their children. However, as outlined in the special issue, several avenues for future research are still available. First, there is a need to further conceptualize and operationalize cultural stress itself. Second, research on CST has been primarily conducted with Hispanic populations and adolescents, and more work is needed with people of other ethnic groups and ages. Third, although research has identified its potential underlying mechanisms, greater attention and a process are needed that can clarify the detrimental impacts of cultural stress, which will better equip intervention and prevention efforts. Finally, CST needs to be situated within the broader ecodevelopmental context. Addressing these key gaps, the special issue coedited by Meca and Schwartz coalesces numerous articles that advance CST and apply it to a wide variety of groups and settings.