Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale

Suinn, R. M., Rickard-Figueroa, K., & Lew, S., & Vigil, P. (1987). The Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale: An initial report. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 47(2), 401-407.

Designed a scale for assessing acculturation of Asians, modeled after a successful scale for Hispanics, the ARSMA. Initial reliability and validity data are reported for 2 samples of Asian undergraduates totaling 82 Ss (mean age 19 yrs) from 2 states in the U.S.

Suinn, R. M., Ahuna, C., & Khoo, G. (1992). The Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale: Concurrent and factorial validation. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 52, 1041-1046.

Discusses the reliability and validity data on an extensive study of the Suinn-Lew Self Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA) involving a sample of 324 Asian American university students. Concurrent validity results show that the SL-ASIA scores were significantly correlated with demographic information hypothesized to reflect levels of Asian American identity. For example, high SL-ASIA scores were associated with having attended school in the U.S. over a longer period of time, during which time the S’s Asian identity would have been reduced. Factorial validity was determined by comparing factors obtained for the SL-ASIA with factors reported for a similar scale measuring acculturation of Hispanics, the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans (ARSMA). Of the 4 interpretable factors reported for the ARSMA, 3 were identified for the SL-ASIA.

Suinn, R. M., Khoo, G., Ahuna, C. (1995). The Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Scale: Cross-cultural information. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 23, 139-148.

Used Suinn-Lew Asian Self Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA) to conduct a cross-cultural examination of Asian acculturation. 284 Asian American university students in the U.S. and 118 Singapore Asian individuals in Singapore completed the SL-ASIA and a demographic questionnaire. Chronbach’s alpha for the SL-ASIA was .79, reflecting reasonably stable data. Factor analysis identified 5 factors underlying acculturation scores: reading/writing/cultural preferences, ethnic interaction, generational identity, affinity for ethnic identity and pride, and food preferences. A 1-way ANOVA showed that Singapore Asians achieved a score indicative of Asian identity, whereas Asian Americans obtained a mean score indicative of higher Western acculturation.