Mexican Americans in Higher Education

Abstract

This study examined how college persistence intentions and life satisfaction influenced by acculturation, enculturation, White marginalization, and Mexican American marginalization among 515 Mexican American college students. The utility of a path analysis model was supported. Enculturation positively predicted persistence and life satisfaction. Acculturation and White marginalization positively predicted persistence. Mexican American marginalization negatively predicted persistence and life satisfaction. The model explained 4% and 10% of the variance in college persistence intentions and life satisfaction, respectively. Resumen Este estudio examinó cómo aculturación, enculturación, la marginación europeoamericano y mexicana-americana influyó a las intenciones de persistir en la universidad y la satisfacción con la vida entre 515 estudiantes universitarios mexico-americanos. La utilidad de un modelo de análisis de trayectoria fue apoyado. Enculturación positivamente predijo persistencia y satisfacción con la vida. Aculturación y marginación europeo-americano predijeron positivamente la persistencia en la universidad. La

Understanding Humanistic and Family Predictors of Mexican American College Students’ Subjective Happiness

“…Our study contributes to the understanding of subjective happiness in Mexican American college students by exploring the relationship among humanistic and family factors with subjective happiness. It augments previous studies (Ojeda, Castillo, et al, 2014;Ojeda, Edwards, et al, 2014;Vela, Castro, et al, 2015; on Mexican American college students' happiness. The results of our investigation are important given the relationship among happiness, academic achievement, educational goals, resilience, and career satisfaction (Gabriele, 2008;Lyubomirsky et al, 2005;Marques et al, 2011).…”

“…Other factors might explain the 74% variance that was unaccounted for by factors in the current study. Two important cultural factors related to Mexican American students' development include acculturation and enculturation (Ojeda, Castillo, et al, 2014). Acculturation and enculturation might mediate or moderate relationships among humanistic factors on subjective happiness.…”

“…They found that presence of meaning in life and spirituality influenced subjective happiness. Although researchers highlighted how multiple factors impact Mexican American students' subjective happiness, more research on subjective happiness with different factors is important (Ojeda, Castillo, et al, 2014;Vela, Lerma, et al, 2014). Exploring predictors of Mexican American college students' subjective happiness is necessary given the relationship with meaning in life, family, and academic achievement.…”

“…As a result, we explored the following research question: To what extent does meaning in life, search for meaning in life, hope, familism, and self-efficacy influence Mexican American college students' subjective happiness? We build on previous studies (Ojeda, Castillo, et al, 2014;Ojeda, Edwards, Hardin, & Pina-Watson, 2014;Vela, Castro, et al, 2015; by including different factors that might influence Mexican American students' subjective happiness.…”

Using Humanistic and Positive Psychology to Understand Mexican American Adolescents' Subjective Happiness

“…systemic factors also negatively influence mexican Americans, including poverty, immigrant policies, and racial profiling. Given that mexican Americans might be more susceptible to psychopathology, it is important to explore factors that not only prevent psychopathology but also contribute to positive psychological functioning (Ojeda, castillo, Rosales meza, & Pina-Watson, 2014).…”