Dynamic Transition Patterns in Acculturation Among Hispanic Adolescents (original) (raw)
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New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2021
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
A Comparison of Acculturation Measures Among Hispanic/Latino Adolescents
Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2007
Acculturation has been associated with numerous health and social outcomes among Hispanic/Latino adolescents. Various self-report scales have been used to measure acculturation, making comparisons of results across studies difficult. This study administered several commonly-used acculturation scales to 221 Hispanic/Latino 9th grade students in Los Angeles. Although all of these scales purport to measure acculturation, the correlations among the scales, and their correlations with language usage measures, were modest. As expected, higher scores on Hispanic/Latino orientation scales (or lower scores on U.S./White orientation scales) were associated with higher levels of ethnic identity formation. Results indicate that these acculturation scales may measure different aspects of the complex phenomenon of acculturation. For example, purely language-based measures shared only small amounts of variance with more comprehensive measures. Additional research is needed to create and validate acculturation measures for adolescents.
Acculturation among Mexican-heritage preadolescents: A latent class analysis
Social Science Research, 2011
This study applies advanced conceptualization and measurement to an analysis of acculturation among 1,632 Mexican-heritage preadolescents. We assessed whether -and how -multiple measures combine to form a latent acculturation construct that groups individuals into classes; and determine how many and what classes (or types) of acculturation are experienced by this sample of 5 th graders. Measures included attitudinal, behavioral, and linguistic acculturation, generation status, time in the U.S., ethnic identification, and contact with the culture of origin. The analysis identified five classes of acculturation, differing in size and characterized by specific measures of acculturation: less acculturated, moderately bicultural, strongly bicultural, highly acculturated, and marginalized. Although most youths fell into the first four classes, consonant with their exposure to American society, a small minority of youths fell into the last class. Despite substantial exposure to U.S. culture and recent exposure to Mexican culture, these youth showed little affinity for either culture.
Validation of an Acculturation Measure for Hispanic Adolescents
Psychological Reports, 1996
Based on the continuing growth and youthfulness of the Hispanic population in the United States, valid cultural measures are needed for Hispanic adolescents. Hispanics living in this country experience acculturation or culrural change during heir exposure to American culture. A matched sample of 994 Hispanic srudents and their parents completed acculturarion measures. Scores on a 10-item acculturauon scale completed by the adolescents' parents correlated signifjcantly .49 with a single-item rating, a measure of acculturation by adolescents. This finding supports construct validity for a measure of language use as an index of linguistic acculturation for Hispanic adolescents.
Acculturation Trajectories and Adolescent Outcomes
This study examined longitudinal acculturation patterns, and their associations with family functioning and adolescent risk behaviors, in Hispanic immigrant families. A sample of 266 Hispanic adolescents (M age = 13.4) and their primary parents completed measures of acculturation, family functioning, and adolescent conduct problems, substance use, and sexual behavior at five timepoints. Mixture models yielded three trajectory classes apiece for adolescent and parent acculturation. Assimilated adolescents reported the poorest family functioning, but adolescent assimilation negatively predicted adolescent cigarette smoking, sexual activity, and unprotected sex indirectly through family functioning. Follow-up analyses indicated that discrepancies between adolescent and parent family functioning reports predicted these adolescent outcomes. Results are discussed regarding acculturation trajectories, adolescent risk behavior, and the mediating role of family functioning.
Gender and developmental pathways of acculturation and adaptation in immigrant adolescents
Gender roles in immigrant families
As children enter adolescence, the task of forming a socially accepted identity herald increased sensitivity to the opinions of signifi cant others. Formation of a socially approved identity is particularly challenging for immigrant children-and for the children of immigrants-who are exposed to confl icting visions of the family and the wider society about healthy self and identity (Phinney, 1990). Gaining competence in two cultures and moving from one cultural context to the other fl exibly are key skills immigrant adolescents need to master so as to function optimally in their multiple worlds (Sam & Oppedal, 2002). However, developing a fl exible "bicultural" identity is more complicated for some than for others. Acculturation is an integral facet of psychological development in immigrant children. As children grow, they must learn the different expectations of different cultural ecologies to negotiate them successfully (Sam, 2006). To the extent that girls and boys are exposed to contradictory norms and demands of home and host cultures, acculturation also follows gendered pathways that refl ect different affordances and constraints on bicultural development (Suárez-Orozco & Qin, 2006). Despite the central role of gender in adolescent development (Ruble, Martin, & Berenbaum, 2006), gender has been a neglected aspect of psychological research in acculturation (for exception, see Chuang & Tamis-LeMonda, 2009). As a consequence, a great deal of variation in the development of acculturating adolescents has gone unexplained (Pessar & Mahler, 2003). In this chapter, we examine gendered acculturation in adolescents of immigrant families. Acculturation is multifaceted; individuals do not necessarily acculturate in all domains of life on the same timetable or in the same direction (Phinney, 2006 ;
Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2010
Utilizing part of the survey data collected for a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded project from 29 public elementary schools in Phoenix, Arizona (N = 1,600), this study explored the underlying structure of Mexican-heritage youths' ethnic identity and cultural/linguistic orientation. Latent profile and transition analyses identified four distinct orientation profiles endorsed by the early adolescents and their developmental trends across four time points. Most Mexican and Mexican American adolescents endorsed bicultural profiles with developmental trends characterized by widespread stasis and transitions toward greater ethnic identity exploration. Multinominal logistic regression analyses revealed associations between profile endorsement and adolescents' gender, socioeconomic status, parents' birthplace, and visits outside the United States. These findings are discussed in regard to previous findings on acculturation and ethnic identity development. Individuals' adaptation to the immediate local environment is noted as a possible cause of prevalent biculturalism. Limitations and future directions for the research on ethnic identity development and acculturation are also discussed.
The validity of a proxy acculturation scale among US Hispanics
2008
This study examines the validity of a proxy acculturation scale composed of four acculturation-related variables. The authors use data from a nationally representative sample of 1,437 U.S. Hispanics. Results indicate good internal scale reliability, a high degree of correlation between the proxy scale and the full acculturation measure, and substantial agreement between dichotomized versions of the two scales. Although reliability declines slightly, validity increases with removal of generational status from the scale. Validity is found to be high for the three largest subpopulations by country of ancestry (Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba). The proxy acculturation scale is a useful tool for the measurement of acculturation level among the majority of U.S. Hispanics when use of a more comprehensive acculturation scale is infeasible or impractical.