Teresa LaFromboise, Hardin Coleman, and Jennifer Gerton coined the phrase second-culture acquisition to denote the process by which an individual gains competence in a culture other than his or her culture of origin. Although the term acculturation has historically been the predominant term for describing the general psychological process by which an individual exists in two cultures, it has also been used to describe a specific way in which individuals adjust to two-culture existence. Specifically, acculturation refers to the process by which individuals internalize the second culture while losing their connection to their culture of origin. The term second-culture acquisition was developed to clarify the distinction between acculturation as a process (synonymous with second-culture acquisition) and acculturation as a directional relationship in which an individual ...