Reconsidering the “Acculturation Gap” Narrative Through an Analysis of Parent–Adolescent Acculturation Differences in Mexican American Families

Abstract

Using a sample of 193 Mexican American adolescents (M age at Wave 1 = 14) and three waves of data over two years, this study longitudinally examined the effects of parent-youth acculturation differences, relative to no differences, on parent-adolescent relationship quality and youth problem behavior. We examined parent-youth differences in overall acculturation, Mexican acculturation, and American acculturation. We differentiated between cases in which the adolescent was more acculturated than the parent and cases in which the parent was more acculturated than the adolescent. Adolescents were more commonly similar to their parents than different. Where differences existed, adolescents were not uniformly more American than their parents, no type of difference was associated with parent-adolescent relationship quality, and no type of difference in overall acculturation was associated with youth problem behavior. One type of difference by dimension (adolescent had less Mexican acculturation than mother) was associated with less risk of problem behavior.

Impulse Control Moderates the Link Between Parent–Child Cultural Orientation Gaps and Externalizing Problems in Chinese Immigrant Early Adolescents

“…In spite of these limitations, our study uniquely contributes to advancing research on Chinese immigrant families by providing evidence that the relation between parent–child cultural orientation gaps and behavioral adjustment is not so straightforward during early adolescence and needs to be situated in the broader cultural context, where personal and contextual variables interact in links with immigrant youth’s adjustment. Our findings suggest that prevention and intervention efforts should focus on promoting children’s involvement and participation in both their heritage and host cultures, supporting the extensive literature on the beneficial effects of biculturalism and integration on immigrants’ mental health (Nguyen & Benet-Martínez, 2013; Nieri et al, 2016). A shift toward an environment more supportive of integration policies may be beneficial in reducing the risks associated with parent–youth cultural gaps.…”

“…Specifically, scholars agree that this relation depends on the domain and the direction of parent–youth discrepancies, which, in turn, may interact with other individual and cultural variables (Ward & Geeraert, 2016). Preliminary evidence suggests that when parent and youth independent reports of both cultural orientations are considered, gaps in parent–child cultural orientations are not necessarily linked to more externalizing problems in the U.S. context (Nieri et al, 2016; Telzer, 2010; Telzer, Yuen, Gonzales, & Fuligni, 2016). Indeed, situations in which youths are more oriented toward the host culture than their parents may be a normative experience among immigrant families and therefore are potentially unrelated to negative outcomes or even linked to better adjustment (Telzer et al, 2016).…”

Mexican American adolescent couples' vulnerability for observed negativity and physical violence: Pregnancy and acculturation mismatch

“…Communication skills are likely to be less developed in adolescents, and these processes are also influenced by gender and cultural norms (Rueda & Williams, 2016). Pregnancy and parenting are likely to be contexts either directly discussed or contributing to conflict domains, and urban youth may learn violent conflict negotiation strategies from high crime and poverty-stricken neighborhoods (Newman & Campbell, 2011).…”

“…MA youth involved in romantic relationships. Additionally, such youth are also more likely to become teen parents (Hamilton, Mathews, & Ventura, 2013), a stressor associated with couples' experience of teen dating violence (TDV; Herrmann, 2013;Newman & Campbell, 2011;V ezina & H ebert, 2007). The present study sought to better understand the role of parenting and pregnancy, dyadic acculturation mismatch, and conflict negotiation (including the potential for physical violence) among a sample of MA adolescent couples.…”

Suicide Risk and Resiliency Factors Among Hispanic Teens in New Mexico: Schools Can Make a Difference

“…One study found speaking English at home to be a suicide attempt risk factor for Hispanics, while another found speaking a language other than English at home to be a risk factor . Acculturation gap—differences in level of acculturation between parents and their children—has been posited to affect adolescent behavior . Studies have pointed to acculturation gap as a risk factor for Latino adolescent behavioral problems including suicide and self‐harm behavior, particularly among girls …”