The Rohingya Refugees and their Acculturation Process in Bangladesh

Abstract

Acculturation refers to the cultural and psychological changes individuals undergo while interacting with the local community, individually or in a group. The acculturation process may be particularly complex for refugees and asylum seekers, as they leave their home country in search for a better and more secure life while also carrying the unpleasant experiences from their past They experience multiverse differences coming in contact with the host culture in many forms, including religion, food habits, language, and other celebrated cultures in the host community. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have also experienced these differences. The study aims to understand the acculturation experience and process of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. This paper addresses John Berry’s model of acculturation to understand how Rohingya refugees adapt to the host community. This study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 40 Rohingya refugees. The research findings highlight six key stages of acculturation that these Rohingya refugees go through while adapting to the host culture. The identified stages are i) hope, ii) fear of acceptance and uncertainty, iii) trust issues, iv) cultural differences, v) shared value, and vi) interest in the host culture. Despite the cultural and language differences, immediate access to basic needs, food and shelter, safety, and security provided by the Bangladeshi government and the humanitarian workers, including the selfless community support from the host community, facilitated the acculturation process for the Rohingya. This study suggests that sustainable social cohesion can accelerate the acculturation process of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. ReferencesAmnesty International. (2016, November 28). Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants. https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/refugees-asylum-seekers-and-migrants/?utm_source=chatgpt.comAnderson, V. J. (2017). Understanding Intercultural Transitions and Migrant-Host-Relationships: How Empathy, Social Support, and Intercultural Competency Facilitates Positive Intercultural Interactions Between German Citizens and Refugees. [Ph.D. Dissertation. Arizona State University, United States]. https://core.ac.uk/download/97834043.pdfAndrushko, Y. & Lupei, M. (2025). Acculturation Processes and the Experience of Traumatization in the Case of Forced Ukrainian Migrants. Wiley, 60(2), 1-10. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ijop.70036Arslan, D. N. & Daghan, S. (2022). A qualitative research on the acculturation strategies, risk factors and health perceptions of Syrian asylum seekers. DargiPark Akademik, 2(2), 55-72. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/hsq/issue/73184/1195050Associated Press. (2024, April 9). Rohingya who moved to island in Bangladesh are learning job skills, says Japanese charity chief. https://apnews.com/article/bangladesh-myanmar-japan-rohingya-hasina-island-nippon-foundation-7809259313dc94bf6b160cb182a1dadfBayram, B. Eryılmaz, R. (2025). The Relationship Between Acculturation and Second Language Learning in the Context of Sustainable Multiculturalism: A Case Study of Russian Immigrants and Syrian Refugees in Türkiye. Social Ecology and Sustainability, 17(1), 1-18. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/249Benton, M., & Selee, A. (2022, May n.d.). The Ukrainian conflict could be a tipping point for refugee protection. Migration Policy Institute. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/ukrainian-displacement-refugee-protectionBerry, J. W. (1990). Psychology of acculturation: Understanding individuals moving between cultures. In R. W. Brislin (Ed.), Applied cross-cultural psychology (pp. 232–253). Sage Publications.Berry, J. W. (1994). Acculturation and psychological adaptation: An overview. In A.-M. Bouvy, F. J. R. van de Vijver, P. Boski, & P. Schmitz (Eds.), Acculturation and psychological adaptation (pp. 1–14). Sage.Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 46(1), 5–34. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3700543/Bi, S., Ahmad, A. L. & Aziz, J. (2024). Social Media Use and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Chinese Students Overseas: A Systematic Review. e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 21(4). https://ejournal.ukm.my/ebangi/article/view/69798Bonyan Organization. (2023). Understanding refugee challenges and displacement. https://bonyan.ngo/refugee-challenges-2023/Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oaBrown, A., Garcia, E., & Martinez, B. (2025). SDGs and Social Friction: Evaluating Integration Challenges of Rohingya Refugees. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390939350_SDGs_and_Social_Friction_Evaluating_Integration_Challenges_of_Rohingya_RefugeesConcern Worldwide. (2024). The global refugee crisis, explained. Concern Worldwide. https://www.concern.net/news/global-refugee-crisis-explainedFarhana, Z. T., & Ahmad, A. L. (2024). Issues and challenges in acculturation among the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: A systematic literature review. Malaysian Journal of Communication, 40(4), 217–234. https://ejournal.ukm.my/mjc/article/view/72621Fathi, M., Skrbiš, Z., & Humphrey, M. (2018). Refugee resettlement, social networks and the challenges of successful integration. Journal of Sociology, 54(2), 222–238. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783318756810Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals. (2017, September 29)  The Daily Star. https://www.thedailystar.net/city/forcibly-displaced-myanmar-nationals-1469374Gurieva, S., & Kinunen, T. (2019). Adaptation or acculturation: That is the question. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 331, 272–277. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/ismge-19/125912481Hennink, M. M., & Kaiser, B. N. (2022). Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests. Social Science & Medicine, 292, 114523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114523Islam, N. (2020). Rohingya: A people under endless tyranny. Asian Affairs: An American Review, 48(1), 14–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/00927678.2020.1793631Jiang, M., Ahmad, A. L. & Aziz, J. (2024). New Media and Cross-cultural Adaptation: A Bibliometric Analysis Using Vosviewer. e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 21 (1), 273-285. https://ejournal.ukm.my/ebangi/article/view/69029Kang, E., & Hwang, H. (2021). Ethical conducts in qualitative research methodology: Participants observation and interview process. Journal of Research and Publication Ethics, 2(2), 5–10. https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO202130550806959.pdfKarin, S., Chowdhury, M., Hasnat, M., & Tarin, N. (2020). Status of Rohingya in refugee camps of Bangladesh: A review study. Open Access Library Journal, 7, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1106575Khuda, K. E. (2020). The impacts and challenges to host country Bangladesh due to sheltering the Rohingya refugees. Cogent Social Sciences, 6(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2020.1770943Kiylioglu, L. & Wimmer, H. (2015). The Relationship Between Immigration Acculturation and Psychological Well Being The Case of Turkish Youth in Austria.  Nesne-Psikoloji Dergisi, 3 (5), 1-19. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=281988Knott, E., Rao, A. H., Summers, K., & Teeger, C. (2022). Interviews in the social sciences. Nature Reviews Methods Primers, 2, 73. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43586-022-00150-6Minar, S. J. (2021). Refugees and host state security: An empirical investigation of Rohingya refuge in Bangladesh. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3949021Mistry, R. S., Elenbaas, L., & Killen, M. (2021). Advancing developmental intergroup perspectives on social class. Child Development Perspectives, 15(4), 213–219. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12431Murtaza, S. H. & Kiran, N. (2024 n.d.). Acculturation Stress and Identity Crisis Among Afghan Refugees in Pakistan. Voices Against Torture. https://www.vastbc.ca/articles/acculturation-stress-and-identity-crisis-among-afghan-refugees-in-pakistanOpono, S., & Ahimbisibwe, F. (2024). Protracted refugee situations and the shrinking durable solutions: could there be a ray of hope in local solutions? Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2395346Papri, J. (2025, June 25). ‘I try to keep myself busy’: Working online in the world’s largest refugee camp. Frontier. https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/i-try-to-keep-myself-busy-working-online-in-the-worlds-largest-refugee-camp/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLNMHdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFtQzVOdTQwNUQwc3UwT1YzAR7JkIZFp6iluojsAHUM2R23eENBLvLwKKZ3NVzXHRIXOg1Rk0ZVuULCe3KgpQ_aem_1QYz83VMAup6mkSsn-jR3QPaolillo, R., & Jager, W. (2020). Simulating acculturation dynamics between migrants and locals in relation to network formation. Social Science Computer Review, 38(4), 365–386. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439318821678Redfield, R., Linton, R., & Herskovits, M. J. (1936). Memorandum for the study of acculturation. American Anthropologist, 38(1), 149–152. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1936.38.1.02a00330Reyes, H., Hossain, M., & Ali, S. (2017). The vulnerability of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: Statelessness and health challenges. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(8), 942. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080942Sam, D. L., & Berry, J. W. (2010). Acculturation: When individuals and groups of different cultural backgrounds meet. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(4), 472–481.Silverman, D. (1997). Qualitative research: Theory, method and practice. Sage. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=1054687Song, P., Hebbani, A., & Vyas, D. (2024). On arrival: Challenges and opportunities around early-stage resettlement of refugees in Australia. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 9, 1–28.Sudheer, N., & Banerjee, D. (2021). The Rohingya refugees: A conceptual framework of their psychosocial adversities, cultural idioms of distress and social suffering. Global Mental Health, 8, e46. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2021.43Sultana, N., Sultana, S., Saha, R., & Alam, M. M. (2023). The challenges and coping of Rohingya refugees: A comparative study of registered and nonregistered Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Southeast Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 23(2), 195–120. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEAMJ-04-2023-0033Tay, A. K., Riley, A., Islam, R., & Ventevogel, P. (2019). The culture, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of Rohingya refugees: A systematic review. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 28(5), 489–494. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796019000192Uddin, N. (2024). Understanding ‘refugee resettlement’ from below: Decoding the Rohingya refugees’ lived experience in Bangladesh. World Development, 181, 106654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2024.106654UNHCR. (2025). Bangladesh. https://reporting.unhcr.org/operational/operations/bangladeshUNICEF. (2024, March 31). Bangladesh humanitarian situation report. https://www.unicef.org/media/156186/file/Bangladesh-Humanitarian-SitRep-31-March-2024.pdfWorld Vision. (2023, June 08). The most urgent refugee crises around the world. Canada: World Vision. https://www.worldvision.ca/stories/refugees/refugee-crises-around-the-world