Abstract :
As I began to write this editorial in late 2003, I suddenly realized that the Journal of Cross-
Cultural Psychology (JCCP) had been, within a month or two, an important part of my life
longer than it had not been. This personal benchmark makes it easy to determine my age:
simply double the number of years that JCCP has been published. It is a unique but probably
trivial chronological coincidence that this commemorative editorial appears not only 35
years to the month since the inaugural issue appeared in 1970, but it also happens to be the
month in which I have reached septuagenarian status. This event forces me to acknowledge
that I may not be around to help celebrate JCCP’s 70th anniversary. But I hope that it lasts
long enough so that someone else will be able to observe the occasion and write about it with
equal pride and with the enthusiasm that I have for reaching the current milestone.
It is appropriate to mark JCCP’s 35th year by reviewing its history. Occasionally reminding
readers where the journal came from and what it has tried to do, and also contemplating
what the future may bring, should benefit the current (and second) generation of crosscultural
psychologistswho, in turn,will soon begin to influence thosewhomaywell be
identified as the third generation. If those who are and will be involved with this unique international
publication do not identify and face the challenges that are certain to demand
thought and action, preparing for the future with vision will be difficult. A history of any
intellectual pursuit cannot be totally objective, of course. The Janus-faced writer will always
construct the past and peer into the future with his or her own set of binoculars. My intent in
this brief and personal construction is to give the reader, especially those relatively newto the
field, a helpful overview of JCCP and of the role that it has played in the heavily culturefocused
part of psychology to which many psychologists throughout the world are committed.
The rapidly accumulating literature in cross-cultural psychology, which is much too
deep, rich, and varied to address here, can be reviewed elsewhere for details.
My unwavering and lengthy commitment to JCCP has been much more pleasurable than
painful. I have enjoyed almost all of the thousands of pieces of mail from all over the world.
Voluminous correspondence primarily included real mail with postage until the Internet revolution
made communication and the transmittal of manuscripts, peer reviews, and page
proofs immensely easier as compared with our initial procedures (currently more than 30%
of the manuscripts submitted to JCCP are received electronically, and this figure seems to be
increasing). The collegiality and the genuine friendship among many has been uplifting and
memorable, especially among those in the International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology
(IACCP) with whom I have worked closely as members of the Editorial Advisory
Board (EAB). I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been in the challenging position
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JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 35 No. 2, March 2004 123-136
DOI: 10.1177/0022022103262376
© 2004 Western Washington University
Downloaded from jcc.sagepub.com at Taylorʹs University on March 2, 2013
of taking the main role in starting JCCP. The entire 35 years have been interesting, but the
formative years (1970-1980) were especially rewarding because of the excitement involved
in starting something new, challenging, different, and important. The continued great confidence
I have had in the EAB, and the smooth operation that we have developed, has been
inspiring and reassuring. The level of competence and cooperation of those who have served
on the EAB has always been exceptionally high. Working with such fine scholars has truly
been the highlight of my career. The current group with whom I have the pleasure ofworking
includes Fons Van de Vijver, who is currently in his third year as editor after succeeding the
effective Peter B. Smith, along with Associate Editors Deborah L. Best, Tim Church, David
Matsumoto, Karen Phalet, and Junko Tanaka-Matsumi, and Book Review Editor Ute
Schönpflug. Additionally, the cordial relationship that we have had with Sage Publications
for 32 of the 35 years has helped to make the continuing partnership a pleasant experience.
Making arrangements with Sage to begin bimonthly publication in 1995 and to increase its
trim size and format beginning with Volume 32 in 2001 solidified our mutual interests and
significantly expanded our ability to include more material without compromising quality.
