Acculturation experiences of Ethiopian migrant returnees while they were in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The study focused on the acculturation experiences of Ethiopian migrant returnees from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A qualitative research  approach, phenomenology design, and snowball sampling method were used in the study. The target population of the study was returnee  migrants who have acculturation experience in Saudi Arabia. The findings indicated that migrants acquired the socio-cultural practices of their host communities through interactions with institutions, friends, and employers, and that they were denied any opportunity to demonstrate their  uniqueness in the host country. Migrants are given instructions on how to behave before they reach their destination, based on the socio-cultural  conditions of the host country. Although migrants were trained to socialize based on the customs of the host community once they got to their  destination, they did not just attach themselves to the host country's cultural qualities before and throughout migration. Thus, the host country  should prohibit forced acculturation and professionals should address migrant’s culture shock.