Open AccessA family stress model investigation of bicultural competence among U.S. Mexican-origin youth.
Author(s) -
M. Dalal Safa,
Rebecca M. B. White,
George P. Knight
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
cultural diversity and ethnic minority psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.049
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1939-0106
pISSN - 1099-9809
DOI - 10.1037/cdp0000424
Subject(s) - psycinfo , psychology , ethnic group , stressor , mexican americans , socialization , structural equation modeling , developmental psychology , acculturation , competence (human resources) , clinical psychology , social psychology , medline , sociology , statistics , mathematics , political science , anthropology , law
Objectives: We investigated the influence of parental exposure to family stressors on parents' ethnic socialization practices and adolescents' cultural competencies among U.S. Mexican-origin families. Method: The sample included 749 U.S. Mexican-origin families followed for 5 years (two-parent families = 579; single-mother families = 170). At the first wave, mean age was 35.9 years for mothers, 38.1 years for fathers, and 10.42 years for youths (49% female). Most youths were U.S.-born (70.3%). Most parents were Mexico-born (74.3% to 79.9%). On average, Mexico-born parents had resided in the U.S. for 12.57 to 14.58 years. Both parents reported about 10 years of education. Annual family incomes ranged from less than $5,000 to more than $95,000. We conducted longitudinal structural equation analyses to test a culturally expanded Family Stress Model. Results: Mothers' exposures to enculturative language stressors disrupted maternal ethnic socialization, and in turn, undermined adolescents' bicultural competence. Conclusions: This work advances understanding of the family processes that set into motion youth's bicultural competence development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).