Relationship Between Level of Acculturation and Clothing Preferences of Asian-Indian Females

Abstract

Because of the rise in the U.S. population of Asian-Indians and possible new market segments for the apparel industry, looking at how they acculturate into their new culture will help distinguish if they prefer to wear Westernized clothing or clothing symbolic to their culture. While some immigrants choose to preserve the beliefs and values of their native culture, others begin to acculturate and take on some of the host countries beliefs and values, which will possibly alter their buying behavior (Khairullah, Tucker, & Tankersly, 1996). While acculturating into a new culture, one must also self-define by using tangible objects that hold symbolic meanings to complete themselves. It has been found that many Asian-Indians desire to keep strong ties with their culture and preserve their ethnic identity (Dasgupta, 1998). In recent years, there has been an emerging market of consumers in quest of ethnically-inspired apparel (Eckman, 1997). The purpose of this research is to distinguish possible relationships between a culture new to the United States and their clothing preferences and purchase intentions of the new immigrants. Research on Asian-Indians and purchasing preferences has been on the rise over the past few years due to the rise in the U.S. population. However, limited research on clothing preferences and purchase intentions has been conducted. The increase of Asian consumers in the U.S. merits examination of their consumer behavior patterns. Apparel marketers benefit by becoming aware of apparel needs of Asian-Indians consumers and their impact on the population as a whole.