Family Engagement and Identity Development Among Immigrant-Origin Latinx Emerging Adults

Abstract

In the United States, emerging adults are increasingly from immigrant backgrounds-either immigrating to the U.S. themselves with parents (referred to as first-generation) or are born in the U.S. as the children of immigrant parents (referred to as second-generation). Currently, the number of immigrant-origin emerging adults (age 18-34) has grown to nearly 20 million (Rumbaut & Komaie, 2010), with one in four 16 to 24-year-olds in the U.S. being either first-or second-generation immigrants (Batalova & Fix, 2011; U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). Families play critical roles in immigrant-origin emerging adults' lives (Fuligni & Pedersen, 2002), yet are often understudied in how they shape the identity development process, particularly during emerging adulthood. In this chapter we explore the ways in which family supports and obligations among Latinx immigrant-origin emerging adults shape their identities as they come into adulthood.