Mexican‐Origin Youth’s Cultural Orientations and Adjustment: Changes From Early to Late Adolescence

Abstract

Drawing from developmental and cultural adaptation perspectives and using a longitudinal design, this study examined: (a) mean-level changes in Mexican-origin adolescents’ cultural orientations and adjustment from early to late adolescence; and (b) bidirectional associations between cultural orientations and adjustment using a cross-lag panel model. Participants included 246 Mexican-origin, predominantly immigrant families that participated in home interviews and a series of nightly phone calls when target adolescents were 12 years and 18 years of age. Girls exhibited more pronounced declines in traditional gender role attitudes than did boys, and all youth declined in familism values, time spent with family, and involvement in Mexican culture. Bidirectional relations between cultural orientations and adjustment emerged, and some associations were moderated by adolescent nativity and gender.

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Is Prospectively Associated With Early Trajectories of Acculturation Among New International Students

“…Based on past longitudinal work demonstrating increases over time in migrants' mainstream cultural orientation (and related constructs; Brown et al, 2013;Cemalcilar & Falbo, 2008;Stoessel, Titzmann, and Silbereisen, 2012 ), we expected that participants' mainstream cultural orientation would become more positive over the duration of the study. In contrast, and in line with past research's mixed results on longitudinal changes in the heritage orientation (Brown et al, 2013;Cemalcila & Falbo, 2008;Updegraff et al, 2012), we formed no expectation regarding participants' changes over time in their heritage cultural orientation. Importantly, we hypothesized that greater resting RSA shortly after arrival would predict 1 greater increases in mainstream cultural orientation, but not in heritage cultural orientation, while adjusting for trait levels of extraversion, for initial depression and anxiety levels, as well as for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), which has been shown to be related to RSA (Koenig et al, 2014).…”

“…In short, there is a dearth of research on temporal dynamics. The few longitudinal studies published to date suggest that cultural orientations towards both the mainstream and heritage cultures can change over time (e.g., Brown et al, 2013;Kiang, Witkow, & Champagne, 2013;Rogers-Sirin & Gupta, 2012;Schwartz et al, 2013;Updegraff, Umaña-Taylor, McHale, Wheeler, & Perez-Brena, 2012). For example, international students in the US reported higher identification with the mainstream cultural group three and a half months after migration (Cemalcilar & Falbo, 2008).…”

“…As such, resting RSA might influence the early acculturation process of recently migrated individuals by predicting change over time in their cultural orientation toward the mainstream group specifically. Indeed, newly arrived migrants' mainstream orientation reflects their openness toward involvement with the new culture and can change over time (e.g., Brown et al, 2013;Kiang, Witkow, & Champagne, 2013;Rogers-Sirin & Gupta, 2012;Schwartz et al, 2013;Updegraff, Umaña-Taylor, McHale, Wheeler, & Perez-Brena, 2012). Upon settlement in the new society, migrants are compelled to have contact with the new culture, and changes in the mainstream orientation are likely to be tied to their pattern of social engagement.…”

Person-Centered Trajectories of Cultural Values and Behaviors among Chinese American Adolescents

“…First generation Mexican-American adolescents are less likely to show a pattern of higher Mexican orientation and increasing mainstream American orientation compared to second generation (e.g., Knight et al, 2014). However, other studies have found no relation between nativity and acculturation trajectories (e.g., Updegraff et al, 2012). Parental education may also be consequential for predicting adolescent acculturation, with past studies finding that higher parent education was related to greater English competency among Russian Jewish adolescents (Birman & Trickett, 2001).…”

“…Nonetheless, because there are still few longitudinal studies of acculturation (Knight et al, 2012, Updegraff et al, 2012, how acculturation trajectories relate to psychological and social functioning is still "open for debate" (Ward & Geeaert, 2016). Accordingly, in the present study we examined whether trajectory groups varied across positive youth domains related to confidence, competence, and connection (Lerner, 2004): self-esteem, general self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, GPA, and family cohesion (Fuligni, Tseng, & Lam, 1999;Qin, 2006;Tseng, 2004).…”