Background: While ethnic discrimination emphasizes boundaries between
different cultures, the concept of transculturality focuses on the fact that
cultures can merge and that individuals integrate novel cultural elements into
their identity. This is an exploratory study that investigates the interplay
between perceived ethnic discrimination, psychological adjustment and
transcultural identity. Methods: Structured interviews were conducted using a
sample of 46 adolescents with a Turkish migratory background and 45
adolescents who were native born Germans. Results: Correlational and multiple
regression analyses revealed that perceived discrimination was clearly
associated with a poorer psychological adjustment among adolescents with a
migratory background. Transcultural identity moderated this relationship. That
is, adolescents who showed higher levels of transcultural identity displayed a
better psychological adjustment when compared to adolescents who showed lower
levels of transcultural identity—provided that they did not feel discriminated
against. This is congruent with the idea that transcultural identity can
involve considerable benefits for personality. However, when adolescents
perceived higher rates of discrimination, higher levels of transcultural
identity came attached to a poorer psychological adjustment. Conclusions: The
findings suggest that perceived discrimination has negative effects on the
well-being of immigrant adolescents—particularly for those who describe their
identity as transcultural. The findings are discussed considering specific
characteristics of transcultural identity, and how they stand in opposition to
discrimination
