The Immigrant and the Citizen: Out-Group Evaluations and Well-Being of Turkish Immigrants From Bulgaria

Abstract

This study examines the postulates of the Rejection Identification Model (RIM) and Rejection Disidentification Model (RDIM) in a sample of 314 ethnic Turks from Bulgaria who migrated to Turkey. We investigate the intervening roles of immigrant and citizen identifications between perceived discrimination and the outcome variables (well-being and out-group evaluations). The results indicate that perceived discrimination predicts negative affect and out-group evaluations. Besides, Turkish citizen identification significantly and positively predicts life satisfaction and satisfaction from living in Turkey, whereas immigrant identification negatively predicts satisfaction in Turkey. Citizen identification predicts positive, and immigrant identification predicts negative out-group evaluations. Immigrant identification plays a mediating role in the link between perceived discrimination and satisfaction in Turkey as well as in that between perceived discrimination and out-group attitudes. The results imply the importance of consideration of contextual factors, including historical and cultural backgrounds, and the meaning of different identities for minority groups in predicting well-being.