“They Will Post a Law About Playing Soccer” and Other Ethnic/Racial Microaggressions in Organized Activities Experienced by Mexican-Origin Families

Abstract

Organized activities have been found to provide positive experiences for Latino adolescents to develop confidence and learn critical life skills; however, these programs are sometimes a context where youth encounter negative experiences related to ethnic/racial microaggressions (ERMs). This qualitative study explores the types of ERMs that Mexican-origin parents and adolescents encountered in their organized activities experience. Parents were mainly concerned about SB-1070 and the associated law enforcement practices that posed a threat to transporting their children to and from the organized activity site. Adolescents reported that they encountered overt (e.g., ethnic teasing) as well as covert forms of discriminatory behavior

Changes in United States Latino/a High School Students’ Science Motivational Beliefs: Within Group Differences Across Science Subjects, Gender, Immigrant Status, and Perceived Support

“…Just a few years prior to collecting these data, a new law (SB-1070) was debated and passed which allowed law enforcement to inquire about people’s immigration status. Scholars have documented the potential negative effects of the climate for the Latino/a ethnic community in Arizona, such as ethnic-based microaggressions impacting the daily experiences of adolescents and their families (e.g., Lin et al, 2016).…”

Friends in Activities, School-related Affect, and Academic Outcomes in Diverse Middle Schools

“…Previous studies have cited barriers internal (e.g., micro-aggressions; Lin et al 2016) and external (e.g., limited access to transportation; Simpkins et al 2013) to organized after-school activities that may limit youth involvement. When marginalized ethnic minority youth are involved in extracurricular activities, they can benefit in terms of academic success and development of related skills (Fredricks and Simpkins 2012), although the experiences one has within the activity matter.…”

“…It is also likely that the meaning and experience of activity participation may vary based on structural factors like the ethnic composition of the school in which the activity is situated. For instance, the experience of being Latino in a school where one’s ethnic group is the numerical majority may differ from that of being Latino in a more diverse school where one’s group is not the numerical majority, in terms of factors such as the likelihood of activity participation and experiences of micro-aggressions or discrimination (Lin et al 2016). Hence, we account for schoollevel ethnic diversity within our analyses.…”

Organized Community Activity Participation and the Dynamic Roles of Neighborhood Violence and Gender among Latino Adolescents

“…Thus, it is important to examine the positive outcomes of participation, and the negative effects of neighborhood violence, simultaneously. In addition, it is important to examine both physical and psychological threats to safety, within and outside of an activity—as these have been found to be a barrier to Latino adolescents’ participation (Lin et al., ; Simpkins et al., ). Contextual (e.g., socioeconomic status) and individual factors (e.g., fear of deportations for undocumented or mixed‐status families, or microaggressions for numerical minority adolescents) may interact to exacerbate physical and psychological threats that may limit youth involvement.…”

“…Research has predominantly examined European American adolescents who live in middle class or affluent neighborhoods and families with access to diverse options for activities (DeNavas‐Walt & Proctor, ; Simpkins, Fredricks, & Lin, ). Investigators of organized community activities have called attention to the historical neglect of the experiences of Latino youth in these contexts (e.g., Fredricks & Simpkins, ; Vandell et al., ), and thus studies examining participation in organized community activities is burgeoning (e.g., Lin et al., ; Simpkins, Delgado, Price, Quach, & Starbuck, ). Some studies show that minority youth may benefit most from their engagement, but these benefits may diminish for Latinos residing in violent neighborhoods (Fauth, Roth, & Brooks‐Gunn, ; Kennedy & Ceballo, ; Woodland, ).…”