Testing the Parent-Adolescent Acculturation Discrepancy Hypothesis: A Five-Wave Longitudinal Study

Associations Between Acculturation, Discrimination, and Adolescent Relationship Abuse: A Matched Parent-Adolescent Study of Latine Families

Adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) is prevalent among adolescents, including those who identify as Latine. However, there is limited research that has considered the cultural and structural mechanisms that may impact ARA experiences among Latine youth. Further, although parents play a crucial role in ARA prevention, few studies have investigated how adolescent-parent differences in acculturation and discrimination are associated with ARA. The objective of this exploratory study of Latine families was to examine how acculturation, discrimination, and adolescent-parent acculturation/discrimination differences relate to ARA victimization and perpetration. Parent-adolescent dyads recruited from clinic and community-based settings in Pittsburgh and Kansas City completed matched surveys. Parent-adolescent acculturation and discrimination differences were calculated using multilevel linear models. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations among ARA victimization and perpetration and adolescent-reported acculturation, adolescent-reported discrimination, and adolescent-parent acculturation and discrimination differences. One hundred eighty-two adolescents and their parent/caregiver (n = 364) completed a matched survey in English or Spanish from March 2020 to March 2021. Forty-three percent of adolescents reported that they had started dating; of these 35% and 24% reported ARA victimization and perpetration, respectively. Higher levels of adolescent-reported acculturation conflict were associated with lower ARA victimization (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.24; 95% confidence interval, CI [0.08, 0.75]); conversely, higher adolescent-reported discrimination was associated with ARA victimization (aOR: 2.50 [1.30, 4.60]) and perpetration (aOR: 2.10 [1.10, 3.90]). Wider adolescent-parent acculturation differences in Spanish language (aOR: 3.40 [1.04, 11.30]) and interpersonal discrimination (aOR: 2.40 [1.10, 5.20]) were associated with increased ARA victimization. Results underscore the importance of discrimination in understanding ARA experiences among Latine youth. Future work should consider developing culturally and linguistically affirming ARA prevention programs for Latine adolescents and parents.

Do You Speak English or Spanish? Language as a Predictor of Health Outcomes Among Hispanic Adolescents

Language is our primary tool for communication and a salient component of acculturation status among Hispanic populations. Importantly, language is associated with behavioral health outcomes and can identify and confront health disparities among Hispanic adolescents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between adolescent language identity and drug use and depressive symptoms and examine parent-adolescent communication and parent language identity as mediators and moderators, respectively, of this association. We conducted a secondary data analysis (N = 746) of a study evaluating the effectiveness of a family-based intervention to prevent drug use and condomless sex among Hispanic adolescents. We evaluated whether adolescent language identity (i.e., Spanish or English) predicted (1) past 90-day drug use and (2) symptoms of anxiety and depression 30-months post-baseline and whether this relationship was mediated by parent-adolescent communication. We also examined whether the mediational pathway was moderated by parent language identity. English language identity was positively associated with past 90-day drug use and this association was mediated by parent-adolescent communication. The mediational pathway was not moderated by parent language identity. There was not a statistically significant association between English language use and anxiety/depression. However, this association was mediated by parent-adolescent communication. The mediational pathway was not moderated by parent language identity. Hispanic adolescents with an English language identity may have a greater propensity for drug use. Results emphasize the importance of promoting biculturalism and considering parent and adolescent language and communication when developing culturally syntonic interventions for Hispanic adolescents.

When and how do parent-child acculturation gaps matter? A systematic review and recommendations for research and practice

Parents and youth often adjust to new cultures at differing rates, resulting in parent-child acculturation gaps. The acculturation-gap distress hypothesis theorizes that these differences may negatively impact the child, parent, and family; however, findings remain inconsistent. In this systematic review, we provide an up-to-date synthesis of existing research on the parent-child acculturation gap among immigrant families and whether and when children's social and psychological outcomes, parenting, and family functioning are impacted. Further, we build upon the differential nuances of the culture of the gap-receiving or heritage-that relate to these outcomes. A systematic search in five databases for relevant studies up to January 15, 2025 resulted in a total of 98 included records. Contrary to the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis, more than half of the included studies indicated no association between the receiving and heritage culture parent-child gap and child, parenting, or family outcomes. We discuss notable exceptions to this pattern, indicating when and how family and child outcomes may be implicated. We conclude with clinical and research recommendations to guide future approaches for understanding the relevance of parent-child acculturation gaps for family and child outcomes.

Acculturation Impacts on Depressive Symptoms Among Hispanic Sexual Minority Youth and Hispanic Non-sexual Minority Youth

Little is known about the role of acculturation in preventing depressive symptoms among sexual minority youth. This study examined the impact of bidimensional acculturation (i.e. Americanism-adherence to mainstream cultural values and Hispanicism-adherence to heritage cultural values) on the trajectory of adolescent depressive symptoms and differences among Hispanic sexual minority youth (HSMY) and Hispanic non-SMY. We examined the trajectories of adolescent depressive symptoms and parent and adolescent acculturation across 36-months and regressed the slope of the trajectory of depressive symptoms on the slope of the trajectory of parent and adolescent Hispanicism and Americanism among the overall sample (N = 456), HSMY (n = 85; 20%), and Hispanic non-SMY (n = 339; 80.0%). For the overall sample and Hispanic non-SMY, adolescents' own Hispanicism and Americanism and parent Americanism buffered adolescent depressive symptoms. There were no significant associations between adolescent or parent Hispanicism or Americanism and HSMY depressive symptoms, however, the effect sizes for HSMY were larger than those of the overall sample and Hispanic non-SMY, suggesting that the study was underpowered to detect statistical significance with the limited sample size. Americanism and Hispanicism may mitigate depressive symptoms among Hispanic youth, speaking to the importance of biculturalism in Hispanic families.

Do Acculturative Gap Conflicts Impact Parenting Practices and Youth E-Cigarette Use? Tests of Moderated Mediation

BACKGROUND

Latino/a youth are at increased risk of electronic (e)-cigarette or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use; thus, identifying factors impacting initiation is critical. Parenting practices reflecting warmth (e.g., relationship quality) and control (e.g., parental monitoring) and substance use-specific parenting (e.g., reactions to use, parenting self-efficacy) may influence youth substance use. For Latino/a youth, tensions from intergenerational acculturative differences are linked to substance use. We investigated ENDS use-specific parenting as a mediator between general parenting and youth ENDS use, examining whether acculturative gap conflict moderated the association between general and ENDS use-specific parenting. We expected mediation among families experiencing low acculturative gap conflicts.

METHOD

 Data were analyzed over two waves from a predominantly White and Latino/a sample of caregiver-child dyads (N = 143) who identified with a culture in addition to or distinct from American. Youth (Mage = 14.9 years, SD = 0.67; 62.9% female) reported relationship quality, parental monitoring, caregiver ENDS attitudes and reactions, acculturative gap conflicts, and ENDS use. Caregivers reported on ENDS use-specific parenting self-efficacy. Two moderated multiple mediator regression models (i.e., relationship quality, parental monitoring) were estimated.

RESULTS

 Among youth reporting low and mean levels of acculturative gap conflict, ENDS use-specific parenting self-efficacy mediated the association between relationship quality and reduced ENDS use. There was no evidence for an interaction in the parental monitoring model.

CONCLUSIONS

 In families experiencing low levels of acculturative gap conflict, relationship quality may impact ENDS use through caregivers' confidence in their ability to prevent child ENDS use.

Hispanic adolescents' internalizing symptoms and positive family functioning: A bidirectional examination of associations over time

Open communication with parents, defined as perceived ease of adolescent-parent disclosure, and family support are components of positive family functioning linked with fewer adolescent internalizing symptoms. However, relatively little is known about bidirectional pathways over time. Even less is known about bidirectional pathways for Hispanic adolescents or about the role of adolescent and parent gender. Therefore, this study examined bidirectional pathways between positive family functioning and adolescent internalizing symptoms over time in a sample of Hispanic middle school adolescents (N = 340; 51% female, Mage = 13.27 years, SD = .77), who completed surveys in the fall of 2016 (Time 1) and the spring of 2017 (Time 2; N = 284; 52% female). Results indicated that positive family functioning, including open communication with mothers and fathers, predicted fewer depressive symptoms for girls, but not for boys. Open communication with fathers predicted fewer anxiety symptoms for girls and boys. Girls' depressive symptoms, but not boys', predicted decreases in open communication with fathers. Boys' depressive symptoms predicted less family support. Unexpectedly, boys' anxiety symptoms predicted increased family support. These findings highlight gendered pathways linking family functioning and internalizing symptoms in Hispanic adolescents over time, including the relative importance of open communication with fathers. Gendered findings emphasize the utility of family-based prevention and early intervention programs targeting internalizing symptoms, especially for Hispanic girls. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Migrant adolescents' experience of depression as they, their parents, and their health-care professionals describe it: a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis

Migrant youth are vulnerable and face a risk of internalised disorders such as depression. This qualitative meta-synthesis explores migrant adolescents' experience of depression. 14 studies (7 qualitative studies and 7 case reports) were selected after a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus and PsycInfo. Their quality was assessed with the Critical Appraisal Tool (CASP) for qualitative studies and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for case reports. The analysis identified six themes describing the experience of depression among migrant adolescents: (1) the vulnerability factors underlying depressive distress, before, during and after migration; (2) the subjective experience of depression, combining symptoms associated with a form of depression common in the West with symptoms more common in other cultures; (3) two types of aetiological hypotheses to make sense of their distress; (4) attitudes adopted in response to distress; (5) experience of care, especially reasons discouraging investment in care; and (6) impairment of identity construction by breaks in cultural transmission and intergenerational conflicts. The threat of losing their connections both at the interpersonal (connection to family, peers and community) and intrapsychic levels (construction of identity) is inherently linked to migrant adolescents' experience of depression. We propose to adapt Brandenberger's 3C model (communication, continuity of care, and confidence) for the care of young migrants to promote a therapeutic alliance, foster construction of a coherent bicultural identity, and support the family.

Acculturative Orientations Among Hispanic/Latinx Caregivers in the ABCD Study: Associations With Caregiver and Youth Mental Health and Youth Brain Function

Background

Population-based neuroscience offers opportunities to examine important but understudied sociocultural factors such as acculturation. Acculturation refers to the extent to which an individual retains their cultural heritage and/or adopts the receiving society's culture and is particularly salient among Hispanic/Latinx immigrants. Specific acculturative orientations have been linked to vulnerability to substance use, depression, and suicide and are known to influence family dynamics between caregivers and their children.

Methods

Using data from first- and second-generation Hispanic/Latinx caregivers in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 1057), we examined how caregivers' acculturative orientation affects their mental health, as well as the mental health and brain function of their children. Neuroimaging analyses focused on regions associated with self- and affiliation-based social processing (ventromedial prefrontal cortex, insula, and temporoparietal junction).

Results

We identified 2 profiles of caregiver acculturation: bicultural (retains heritage culture while adopting U.S. culture) and detached (discards heritage culture and rejects U.S. culture). Bicultural caregivers exhibited fewer internalizing and externalizing problems than detached caregivers; furthermore, youth exhibited similar internalizing effects across caregiver profiles. In addition, youth with bicultural caregivers displayed increased resting-state brain activity (i.e., fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity) in the left insula, which has been linked to psychopathology; however, differences in long-range functional connectivity were not significant.

Conclusions

Caregiver acculturation is an important familial factor that has been linked to significant differences in youth mental health and insula activity. Future work should examine sociocultural and neurodevelopmental changes across adolescence to assess health outcomes and determine whether localized, corticolimbic brain effects are ultimately translated into long-range connectivity differences.

The Role of Socialization Contexts on Adolescent Substance Use across Racial and Ethnic Groups

Purpose of Review

This review summarizes theories and empirical work regarding socialization contexts contributing to substance use across marginalized adolescents. Future directions and recommendations to minimize the perpetuation of racial stereotypes are provided.

Recent Findings

Neighborhoods high in social cohesion may offset substance use risk. Promoting school connectedness via increased support from teachers and peers could reduce school-based discrimination and enhance feelings of belongingness. The influence of peers on substance use engagement largely differs across racial groups and level of acculturation. Family cultural values emphasizing respect, obedience, and collectivism offer protection from substance use.

Summary

Despite lower prevalence rates of adolescent substance use within racial/ethnic groups, rates of negative consequences due to substances are far greater compared to White adolescents. Transcultural factors (e.g., strong family ties), as well as culture-specific factors, should be leveraged to delay the onset of substance use and prevent negative sequelae resulting from substance use initiation.

The Behavioral and Mental Health Benefits of Speaking the Heritage Language within Immigrant Families: The Moderating Role of Family Relations

Understanding the development of behavioral and mental health issues among adolescents, particularly those from immigrant families, is a key area of concern. Many prior studies have focused on the role of societal (country-of-destination) language skills, but we know less about the role played by the use of the heritage language in families. We examined this latter relationship with a focus on changes in heritage language use and internalizing and externalizing problems, and how family relations moderate this relationship. We used the first two waves (2010/2011 and 2011/2012) of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (CILS4EU) data collected from Germany (n = 1614; M_age = 14.8 years, 50% female), the Netherlands (n = 1203; M_age = 14.7 years, 54% female), Sweden (n = 1794; M_age = 14.2 years, 53% female), and England (n = 1359; M_age = 14.6 years, 50% female). Our results suggest that increased use of heritage language is associated with fewer externalizing problems only in families with greater family cohesion and parental warmth (in Germany and the U.K.) and with fewer internalizing problems only in families with higher parental monitoring (in the Netherlands and Sweden). Good family relations are thus an important precondition for increased heritage language use to lead to improved behavioral and mental health for children of immigrants.

Acculturation and Psychopathology

Acculturation and psychopathology are linked in integrated, interactional, intersectional, and dynamic ways that span different types of intercultural contact, levels of analysis, timescales, and contexts. A developmental psychopathology approach can be useful to explain why, how, and what about psychological acculturation results in later adaptation or maladaptation for acculturating youth and adults. This review applies a conceptual model of acculturation and developmental psychopathology to a widely used framework of acculturation variables producing an Integrated Process Framework of Acculturation Variables (IP-FAV). This new comprehensive framework depicts major predisposing acculturation conditions (why) as well as acculturation orientations and processes (how) that result in adaptation and maladaptation across the life span (what). The IP-FAV is unique in that it integrates both proximal and remote acculturation variables and explicates key acculturation processes to inform research, practice, and policy.

Examining the impact of the Cultural Gap Narrative on Family Functioning and Youth Substance Use among the Health Study/Study of latino Youth (HCHS/SOL Youth) population

The acculturation gap theory provides a complex illustration of how cultural orientations affect health behaviors among adolescents, by assuming that familial cultural orientation gaps lead to compromised family functioning and children adopting negative health behaviors. This analysis used three methods to conceptualize cultural gaps to examine the relationships between familial cultural orientation gaps and family functioning and substance use susceptibility among the Hispanic Community Children's Health Study/Study of Hispanic/Latino Youth population. Results did not support the assumptions behind the acculturation gap theory. The methods used to conceptualize cultural gaps did not illustrate consistent underlying trends when measuring the relationship between cultural gaps and substance use susceptibility. There was no evidence of mediation on substance use susceptibility by perceived family functioning for either cultural domains using each method. This analysis underscores the need to refine the framework behind the acculturation gap theory and how cultural gaps are measured among Hispanic/Latino youth.

A longitudinal test of acculturative family distancing theory explaining latino/a/x adolescents' adjustment

According to acculturative family distancing theory, adolescents' perceptions of cultural incongruencies with parents can diminish the quality of parent-adolescent relationships and, as a result, harm adolescent adjustment. Using four time points of data for a sample of 547 diverse Latino/a/x adolescents, this study examined how parent-adolescent relationship quality and acculturative family distancing were associated with changes in adolescent school performance and internalizing symptoms. At baseline, the school-based sample ranged from 11- to 14-years-old (M = 12.78) and included slightly more females (55%) than males (45%). Cross-lagged structural equation model results indicated that adolescent reports of greater acculturative family distancing were associated with adolescent perceived increases in parent-adolescent conflict and decreases in parental support. Conflict mediated associations between acculturative family distancing and decreased school performance. Associations between parent-child relationship qualities and Latino/a/x adolescent adjustment were bidirectional.

Acculturation, Communication Competence, and Family Functioning in Mexican-American Mother-Daughter Dyads

Little is known of how intergenerational acculturation discrepancy relates to communication skills differences that may influence relationship quality among parents and adult children. Mexican-American mother-daughter dyads (n = 59) were studied using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model to examine dyadic associations of acculturation and communication competence with family functioning and mediation analysis to determine the indirect effect of acculturation discrepancy on family functioning through communication competence differences. Communication competence of mothers exerted significant actor and partner effects on daughter-perceived cohesion and closeness. Higher acculturation discrepancy predicted greater communication competence difference which in turn was associated with lower cohesion and closeness. There was a significant indirect effect of acculturation discrepancy on daughter-perceived cohesion through communication competence difference. Communication competence of mothers impacts their own as well as their daughters' perceptions of dyad cohesion and closeness. Intergenerational discrepant acculturation contributes to discordant communication skills that impair family functioning, which has implications for psychological well-being.

Acculturation and drinking behavior among Latinxs: a narrative review

Research suggests that acculturation is associated with increased alcohol consumption among Latinxs. The purpose of this narrative review is to contribute to this literature by examining the association between acculturation and alcohol use within current theoretical and etiological frameworks on cultural norms, acculturative stress, and acculturative gaps. This review also compares the utility of these explanatory frameworks for guiding future research. Two databases (PubMed and PsycInfo) were used to identify peer-reviewed studies pertaining to the associations between acculturation and alcohol use among Latinxs. Studies that examined drinking norms, acculturative stress, acculturation gaps, and drinking behavior in Latinxs were included. The types of study approaches and designs included quantitative, qualitative, cross-sectional, cohort, and longitudinal studies published between January 2000 and December 2021. Quality assessment and data synthesis were conducted by two reviewers. A total of 65 articles reporting empirical studies were included in the final review. Eighteen studies did not utilize a specific framework, but generally supported that acculturation is associated with increased alcohol consumption and alcohol related consequences among Latinxs. Additionally, sixteen studies examined cultural norms, twenty-two examined acculturative stress, while only nine utilized a gap discrepancy framework. Studies examining drinking norms appeared to largely explain changes in drinking behavior among Latinas, while studies examining acculturative stress seemed to be better equipped to explain changes in drinking behavior among Latino men. Meanwhile, the Gap Discrepancy Model articulates the gap between old and new cultural influences and can be conceptualized as an additional dimension of acculturative stress.

Immigrant Youth Resilience: Theoretical Considerations, Empirical Developments, and Future Directions

Resilient adaptation among immigrant youth provides the foundation for healthy and productive adult lives. Great diversity is observed in their adaptation. This diversity has been studied during the past decade from different angles and intellectual traditions. However, the results are disconnected. In this paper, first, we present a resilience conceptual model for understanding immigrant youth adaptation. We argue that its concepts and principles allow us to best pull together what is known and discover what is still unknown. Together with narrower topic-specific conceptual models, it can guide the formulation of hypotheses regarding immigrant youth resilience. Second, we examine comparatively, through the lens of this conceptual model, results of a content analysis on the abstracts of studies on individual differences in immigrant youth adaptation, conducted during the past decade in North American and European countries. Finally, we discuss the meaning of acculturation-related terms which are often used in an inconsistent way.

Predictors of Latent Class Trajectories of Internalizing Symptoms in Latinx Adolescents

Guided by ecodevelopmental theories, the present study examined how both culture-specific and general risk and protective factors across contexts predicted trajectories of Latinx youth's internalizing symptoms during early and middle adolescence. Participants included 547 Latinx youth (M age = 12.80; 55% females) recruited in middle school and followed prospectively across four time points spanning two years. Youth reported on their internalizing symptoms at all four time points, and risk and protective factors were measured at Time 1 (T1). Latent class growth curve modeling was used to examine heterogenous trajectories of change in internalizing symptoms separately for females and males, and risk and protective factors were examined as predictors of class membership. Three classes based on symptom trajectories emerged for both females and males, with most adolescents falling into classes characterized by low symptoms that remained stable or decreased over time. Risk and protective factors were predictive of class membership in theoretically meaningful ways. Some predictors of internalizing symptom trajectories differed between females and males. Findings inform our understanding of factors that influence developmental trajectories in Latinx youth and can contribute to the refinement of prevention and intervention efforts to help ensure the well-being of this population.

Longitudinal profiles of acculturation and developmental outcomes among Mexican-origin adolescents from immigrant families

Prior studies investigating the association between acculturation and adolescent adjustment have often focused on specific acculturation domains rather than examining these domains collectively in a profile typology. Here, we investigate stability and change patterns in Mexican American adolescent acculturation profiles over time, using a two-wave longitudinal dataset spanning 5 years. Using latent profile analysis, three adolescent acculturation profiles were identified at Waves 1 and 2: integrated; moderately integrated; and moderately assimilated. Using latent transition analysis, four acculturation transition profiles were identified across time: stable integrated; stable moderately integrated; progressive; and regressive. Over half of all adolescents were identified as belonging to the stable integrated and stable moderately integrated transition profiles. Adolescents classified in the stable integrated profile reported the highest levels of adjustment (academic competence and socioemotional well-being) relative to those with other transition profiles. Findings from this study contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic process of acculturation among Mexican American adolescents, and provide useful insights to inform interventions and policies aimed at improving Mexican-origin adolescents' adaption to US culture while maintaining their heritage Mexican culture.

The Convergence Between Cultural Psychology and Developmental Science: Acculturation as an Exemplar

The present article proposes an integration between cultural psychology and developmental science. Such an integration would draw on the cultural-psychology principle of culture-psyche interactions, as well as on the developmental-science principle of person↔context relations. Our proposed integration centers on acculturation, which is inherently both cultural and developmental. Specifically, we propose that acculturation is governed by specific transactions between the individual and the cultural context, and that different types of international migrants (e.g., legal immigrants, undocumented immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, crisis migrants) encounter quite different culture-psyche interactions and person↔context relations. We outline the ways in which various acculturation-related phenomena, such as acculturation operating at macro-level versus micro-level time scales, can be viewed through cultural and developmental lenses. The article concludes with future directions in research on acculturation as an intersection of cultural and developmental processes.

A Meta-Analysis of Acculturation and Enculturation: Bilinear, Multidimensional, and Context-Dependent Processes

Acculturation and enculturation are currently conceptualized as bilinear, multidimensional, and context-dependent cultural socialization processes (Yoon et al., 2013). Yet, this conceptualization requires further specification and empirical evidence. Our work is timely given the downward shift in productivity of traditional acculturation research and the need for a new direction. We examined the constructs and processes of acculturation and enculturation by meta-analytically synthesizing the findings of 255 publications (343 independent samples). In support of a bilinear (vs. unilinear) conceptualization, we found that acculturation and enculturation were only slightly associated with each other, r = −.18. In support of multidimensionality and context-dependency, their relationship varied by dimension (e.g., nonsignificant association of mainstream and ethnic identities vs. significant associations in other dimensions), geographic region, and race. Additionally, acculturation and enculturation rates/patterns varied by dimension; extrinsic changes (e.g., behavior) proceeded faster than intrinsic changes (e.g., values, identity). We discuss a direction for future research and implications for practice, advocacy, and education/training.

Parent-Adolescent Acculturation Profiles and Adolescent Language Brokering Experiences in Mexican Immigrant Families

Language brokering is a special form of interpersonal communication that is affected by the cultural and relational settings in which it occurs. The current study explores whether parent-adolescent acculturation status may influence Mexican American adolescent language brokers' translation experiences, including brokering frequency and attitudes. Using data from a two-wave longitudinal study (Nwave1 = 604; Nwave2 = 483; Mwave1.age = 12.91; 54.3% female), latent profile analyses were conducted, resulting in four mother-adolescent acculturation profiles as well as three father-adolescent profiles. The adolescent integrated-parent (moderately) separated profiles emerged as the most effective for brokers, as adolescents in this profile generally experienced more positive and less negative brokering attitudes, regardless of their brokering frequency. Parent-adolescent acculturation profiles may be a useful construct in capturing the interplay of cultural and relational settings and their effects on multifaceted language brokering experiences.

Dynamic Transition Patterns in Acculturation Among Hispanic Adolescents

Acculturation consists of multiple domains (i.e., cultural practices, identifications, and values). However, less is known about how acculturation processes influence each other across multiple domains of acculturation. This study was designed to investigate transition patterns of acculturative processes within and across domains in a sample of 302 recent-immigrant Hispanic adolescents, Mage (SD) = 14.51 years (0.88) at baseline; male = 53%). Adolescents were assessed six times over a 3-year period. Latent profile analyses identified two profiles (high [or increasing] vs. low) for each domain at each timepoint. We found largely stable transition patterns in each domain over six timepoints. Importantly, sequential associations among profiles in acculturation domains were also detected. Implication for acculturation theory and research are discussed.

Cultural Orientation Gaps within a Family Systems Perspective

The intersection of a family's heritage culture and new mainstream cultural norms results in person-to-person differences in values, beliefs, and behaviors, particularly among immigrant families. These differences often lead to divergent cultural views and patterns of behavior both within and between family members. According to the acculturation gap distress hypothesis, these cultural orientation gaps between family members have consequences for family functioning, and, in particular, adolescents' adjustment. Studies supporting this notion have primarily focused on processes in parent-adolescent dyads. Although scholarship on family cultural gaps emerged from a systems perspective, application of key systems tenets are notably limited in existing work. In this paper, we review the background and current state of research on family cultural gaps, provide an overview of key principles of systems perspectives, and then, integrate the cultural gap literature with key systems principles to identify future directions in research and theory.

Ethnic Socialization, Family Cohesion, and Ethnic Identity Development Over Time among Latinx Adolescents

Family socialization of one's ethnic culture is essential for ethnic identity development among Latinx adolescents. However, less is known about how the likely changes in family interaction that transpire during adolescence may impact this socialization process. A three-year longitudinal study of 148 Latinx adolescents (ages 13-14; 53% females) examined how changes in youth's family ethnic socialization experiences and sense of family cohesion were related to two dimensions of their ethnic identity development (i.e., exploration and resolution). Youth's family ethnic socialization experiences and sense of family cohesion remained stable, while their exploration and resolution increased across three years. More ethnic socialization experiences at Wave 1 predicted higher initial levels and stability of ethnic identity exploration over time. However, more ethnic socialization at Wave 1 predicted higher initial levels of resolution and predicted less resolution development as youth progressed through adolescence. Among youth who perceived less ethnic socialization, a greater sense of family cohesion was associated with more initial exploration; this compensatory effect was only present at Wave 1. These results illustrate how distinct aspects of the family context uniquely and interactively inform ethnic identity exploration and resolution development.

Mind the Gap: Bridging the Divide Between Current Binge Drinking Prevention and the Needs of Hispanic Underage Emerging Adults

In this article, we highlight the urgent public health need for prevention of heavy episodic drinking among underage Hispanic emerging adults in the USA. We outline the current state of binge drinking prevention programming and contrast it with the unique cultural, social, and developmental realities of this population using an ecodevelopmental framework (Szapocznik and Coatsworth 1999). Finally, we advance specific recommendations for the development and delivery of culturally tailored, multisystemic binge drinking prevention programs for underage Hispanic emerging adults.

The use of cultural identity in predicting health lifestyle behaviors in Latinx immigrant adolescents

OBJECTIVES

This study explored whether cultural identity predicts health lifestyle behaviors.

METHOD

Participants included 302 recently immigrated (<5 years in the U.S.) Latinx adolescents (53% boys; mean age 14.51 years at baseline) from Miami and Los Angeles. Participants completed cultural identity measures at baseline and 1-year post baseline. A path analysis was used to estimate associations between cultural identities (ethnic, national, and bicultural) and health lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, diet, and sleep hygiene).

RESULTS

Ethnic identity positively predicted diet. Results also indicated a significant interaction between ethnic and national identity on sleep hygiene. Specifically, when national identity was high (+1 SD), ethnic identity positively predicted sleep hygiene.

CONCLUSION

This study focuses on health lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, diet, and sleep hygiene in this population. Results highlight the need to explore the protective nature of cultural identity retention in relation to health lifestyle behaviors in Latinx adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Toward a Positive Psychology of Immigrants

The vast majority of immigration-focused research in psychology is rooted in deficit models that center on negative health outcomes (e.g., depression, acculturative stress, anxiety, substance use), resulting in a widely held assumption that immigrants are at greater risk for pathology and poor well-being compared with native-born individuals. Moreover, current political discourse often portrays immigrants as more prone to crime compared with native-born individuals. From a positive-psychology perspective, we argue that, despite numerous migration-related challenges, many immigrant populations report positive patterns of psychological health. We also provide evidence that immigrants are, in fact, less prone to crime than their native-born counterparts. We conclude by discussing several contributing factors that account for positive immigrant well-being across the range of destination countries. Ultimately, the field should address questions regarding (a) immigrants’ strategies for coping with the challenges involved in adapting to new homelands and (b) asset-based factors that help immigrants to thrive during difficult life challenges.

Longitudinal effects of acculturation and enculturation on mental health: Does the measure of matter?

A great deal of research has focused on acculturation and enculturation, which represent the processes of adapting to a new culture. Despite this growing literature, results have produced inconsistent findings that may be attributable to differences in terms of the instruments used to assess acculturation and enculturation. Utilizing a 3-year longitudinal data set (with 1-year lags between assessments), the present study explored the psychometric properties of the Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire—Short Version (BIQ-S) and the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans II (ARSMA-II) and examined the overlap between changes in these measures as they relate to internalizing and externalizing problem behavior. The present sample consisted of 216 immigrant Latino youth (43% boys; mean age 13.6 years at baseline;SD= 1.44 years, range 10 to 17). Exploratory structural equation modeling identified factor structures for the BIQ-S and ARSMA-II that diverged from their hypothesized structure. Growth curve models also indicate divergence between the BIQ-S and ARSMA-II in terms ofchangein acculturation and enculturation processes. Finally, the present findings emphasized that measures of acculturation and enculturation are not equivalent in terms of their effects on internalizing and externalizing problems.

Culture's Influence on Stressors, Parental Socialization, and Developmental Processes in the Mental Health of Children of Immigrants

Children of immigrants represent one in four children in the United States and will represent one in three children by 2050. Children of Asian and Latino immigrants together represent the majority of children of immigrants in the United States. Children of immigrants may be immigrants themselves, or they may have been born in the United States to foreign-born parents; their status may be legal or undocumented. We review transcultural and culture-specific factors that influence the various ways in which stressors are experienced; we also discuss the ways in which parental socialization and developmental processes function as risk factors or protective factors in their influence on the mental health of children of immigrants. Children of immigrants with elevated risk for mental health problems are more likely to be undocumented immigrants, refugees, or unaccompanied minors. We describe interventions and policies that show promise for reducing mental health problems among children of immigrants in the United States.

Acculturation Gap Distress among Latino Youth: Prospective Links to Family Processes and Youth Depressive Symptoms, Alcohol Use, and Academic Performance

Latino youth have higher rates of educational and mental health difficulties compared to peers from other racial/ethnic groups. To understand the factors related to such maladjustment, a mediational model linking youth report of parent-youth acculturation gaps to prospective changes (from spring to fall semester) in youth report of academic performance, depressive symptoms and alcohol use via youth report of parent-youth conflict and family cohesion, was studied in a sample of 248 U.S.-and foreign-born Latino youth (Mage = 15.21 years; 50% female; 67% U.S.-born). Parent-youth acculturation gaps were associated with changes in youth academic performance across two semesters via their negative impact on family functioning. For U.S.-born youth, parent-youth acculturation gaps were also linked to changes in alcohol use via parent-adolescent conflict. Results provide some support for the acculturative gap hypotheses while unique findings across nativity groups suggest that such individual-level characteristics may serve as important sources of variation for Latino youth.

A tale of two measures: Concordance between the ARSMA-II and the BIQ acculturation scales among Latino immigrant families

Acculturation refers to the extent to which an individual immigrant (or immigrant group) acquires the customs and characteristics of a new receiving society and/or retains the customs and characteristics of the person's or group's cultural heritage. Different acculturation measures are often assumed to be interchangeable, although this assumption is rarely tested empirically. The purpose of the present study was to examine the overlap between 2 commonly used measures of acculturation among individuals of Latino/Hispanic ancestry in the United States, the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans II (ARSMA-II) and the Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire-Short Version (BIQ-S). Specifically, we examined the ways in which scores from the 2 measures relate to one another, as well as similarities versus differences in the ways they predict external variables of interest (e.g., family functioning, parenting, and youth adjustment) that acculturation is known to influence. Findings indicate distinct patterns of results for the 2 measures. For instance, though the BIQ-S focuses entirely on language use and other cultural practices, the ARSMA-II more consistently relates to language variables. Further, adolescent BIQ-S cultural heritage scores related negatively to risks for and engagement in alcohol use-supporting prior findings-whereas ARSMA-II scores were unrelated to alcohol use. Given the largely nonoverlapping set of relationships of the BIQ-S and the ARSMA-II subscale scores with measures of language dominance and conflict, measures of parenting, and measures of youth outcomes, we recommend that studies utilize both of these measures to fully appraise acculturation in this population. (PsycINFO Database Record

Seeing Eye to Eye in Arab Canadian Families

Using a narrative approach, we explored acculturation gaps, parent-child relationships, and conflict (intergenerational conflict and ethnocultural identity conflict) in a sample of immigrant Arab Canadian emerging adults. Our findings revealed that perceived acculturation gaps co-occurred with intergenerational conflict (Theme 1) and ethnocultural identity conflict (Theme 2). Furthermore, the parent–emerging adult relationship was observed to play a role in the co-occurrence of perceived acculturation gaps and conflict. Specifically, participants described strong parent–emerging adult relationships as minimizing the co-occurrence of perceived acculturation gaps and intergenerational conflict (Theme 3), as well as perceived acculturation gaps and ethnocultural identity conflict (Theme 4). On the other hand, participants described weak parent–emerging adult relationships as exacerbating the co-occurrence of perceived acculturation gaps and intergenerational conflict (Theme 3), as well as perceived acculturation gaps and ethnocultural identity conflict (Theme 4). We presented these analyses using thick and rich data extracts from the participants themselves.

Neighborhood and school ethnic structuring and cultural adaptations among Mexican-origin adolescents

The ethnic and racial structuring of U.S. neighborhoods may have important implications for developmental competencies during adolescence, including the development of heritage and mainstream cultural orientations. In particular, living in highly concentrated Latino neighborhoods during early adolescence-which channels adolescents into related school environments-may promote retention of the ethnic or heritage culture, but it also may constrain adaptation to the mainstream U.S. culture. We tested these hypotheses longitudinally in a sample of 246 Mexican origin adolescents (50.8% girls) and their parents. Data were collected 4 times over 8 years, with adolescents averaging 12.5 (SD = .58) to 19.6 (SD = .66) years of age across the period of the study. Latino ethnic concentration in early adolescents' neighborhoods promoted the retention of Mexican cultural orientations; Latino ethnic concentration in middle schools undermined the development of mainstream U.S cultural orientations. Findings are discussed in terms of integrating cultural-developmental theory with mainstream neighborhood theory to improve understandings of neighborhood and school ethnic concentration effects on adolescent development. (PsycINFO Database Record

A Longitudinal Test of the Parent-Adolescent Family Functioning Discrepancy Hypothesis: A Trend toward Increased HIV Risk Behaviors Among Immigrant Hispanic Adolescents

Parent-adolescent discrepancies in family functioning play an important role in HIV risk behaviors among adolescents, yet longitudinal research with recent immigrant Hispanic families remains limited. This study tested the effects of trajectories of parent-adolescent family functioning discrepancies on HIV risk behaviors among recent-immigrant Hispanic adolescents. Additionally, we examined whether and to what extent trajectories of parent-adolescent family functioning discrepancies vary as a function of gender. We assessed family functioning of 302 Hispanic adolescents (47 % female) and their parent (70 % female) at six time points over a three-year period and computed latent discrepancy scores between parent and adolescent reports at each timepoint. Additionally, adolescents completed measures of sexual risk behaviors and alcohol use. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to determine the feasibility of collapsing parent and adolescent reported family functioning indicators onto a single latent discrepancy variable, tested model invariance over time, and conducted growth mixture modeling (GMM). GMM yielded a three-class solution for discrepancies: High-Increasing, High-Stable, and Low-Stable. Relative to the Low-Stable class, parent-adolescent dyads in the High-Increasing and High-Stable classes were at greater risk for adolescents reporting sexual debut at time 6. Additionally, the High-Stable class was at greater risk, relative to the Low-Stable class, in terms of adolescent lifetime alcohol use at 30 months post-baseline. Multiple group GMM indicated that trajectories of parent-adolescent family functioning trajectories did not vary by gender. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Filling Gaps in the Acculturation Gap-Distress Model: Heritage Cultural Maintenance and Adjustment in Mexican-American Families

The acculturation gap-distress model purports that immigrant children acculturate faster than do their parents, resulting in an acculturation gap that leads to family and youth maladjustment. However, empirical support for the acculturation gap-distress model has been inconclusive. In the current study, 428 Mexican-American adolescents (50.2 % female) and their primary caregivers independently completed questionnaires assessing their levels of American and Mexican cultural orientation, family functioning, and youth adjustment. Contrary to the acculturation gap-distress model, acculturation gaps were not associated with poorer family or youth functioning. Rather, adolescents with higher levels of Mexican cultural orientations showed positive outcomes, regardless of their parents' orientations to either American or Mexican cultures. Findings suggest that youths' heritage cultural maintenance may be most important for their adjustment.