Unpacking the Benefits of Bicultural Competence: Latina/x/o College Students’ Academic and Psychosocial Adjustment

Abstract

Theories posit that bicultural competence, the ability to negotiate between U.S. mainstream culture and one’s own heritage culture, is an important cultural adaptation skill for Latina/x/o populations’ academic and psychosocial outcomes, in part, because of the ability to hold and resolve competing perspectives within and across contexts. However, more research is needed to identify the associations of distinct dimensions of bicultural competence to academic and psychosocial adjustment. The current study examined the concurrent and short-term, longitudinal association between bicultural competence (i.e., comfort, facility, and advantages) and Latina/x/o college students’ ( N = 54; Mage = 19.94 years, SD = 1.43) academic and psychosocial adjustment. Bicultural comfort and facility, but not bicultural advantages, were concurrently associated with better academic and psychosocial adjustment. The findings highlight the need to help Latina/x/o college students feel positive and able about adapting to both cultures to improve their academic and psychosocial adjustment.

Bicultural competence and academic adjustment across Latino youth adaptation from high school to college

“…In support of Hypothesis 2, we found that youth who demonstrated greater levels of bicultural competence across this period (high school to fourth college semester), as evidenced by higher intercepts or more positive slopes (suggesting stability or growth), exhibited greater academic engagement and self‐efficacy in their fifth college semester. These findings extend prior empirical, cross‐sectional work documenting a positive link between indicators of biculturalism and U.S. Latinos' academic perceptions, aspirations, and achievement (e.g., Acevedo‐Polakovich et al, 2014; Carbajal et al, 2021; Chun et al, 2016). Additionally, they extend prior longitudinal work documenting that indicators of biculturalism may set youth into more positive academic trajectories in college (Rivas‐Drake & Mooney, 2009).…”

“…For instance, youth's frequent need to transition between cultural frames of reference could prove, in part, behaviorally, cognitively, and socially taxing unless youth are embedded in contexts that are supportive, inclusive, and culturally relevant (Safa et al, 2019). Thus, college settings may promote youth bicultural competence, and this may support youth adaptation to college (e.g., developing positive relationships with peers; Carbajal et al, 2021); however, the additional behavioral, cognitive, and social challenges associated with managing new bicultural demands in settings in which host versus heritage culture competencies may be differentially valued (Darder, 2015) may also have some costs to youth's academic adjustment (e.g., lower GPA).…”

Applying the family stress model to parental acculturative stress and Latinx youth adjustment: A review of the literature

“…In Mexican‐origin families of 10‐year‐olds, Safa et al (2021) found that PAS operated via disrupted parental ethnic socialization to negatively affect child bicultural competence. In light of research that highlights the benefits of culturally based developmental assets such as (bi)cultural competence and ethnic identity (Carbajal et al, 2021), more research is needed to (dis)confirm the harmful influence of PAS on bicultural competence that Safa et al's findings suggest. We also need studies that examine what, if any, role PAS may play in Latinx youth's ethnic identity development.…”

“…Mexican only 9 Calzada et al, 2019;Helms et al, 2014;Leidy et al, 2009;Rusch & Reyes, 2012;Safa et al, 2021;Umaña-Taylor et al, 2011;Wu et al, 2020;Zeiders et al, 2015;Zeiders et al 10 Calzada et al, 2019;Leidy et al, 2009;Mendoza et al, 2017;Safa et al, 2021;Umaña-Taylor et al, 2011;White et al, 2009;Williams et al, 2017;Wu et al, 2020;Zeiders et al, 2015;Zeiders et al…”

“…Parent and youth AS PAS only examined 19 Bostean & Gillespie, 2017;Calzada et al, 2019;Dillon et al, 2013;Feldman et al, 2010;Helms et al, 2014;Ibañez et al, 2015;LeCroy et al, 2019;Leidy et al, 2009;Lorenzo-Blanco et al, 2016Mendoza et al, 2017;Miranda & Matheny, 2000;Rusch & Reyes, 2012;Safa et al, 2021;Umaña-Taylor et al, 2011;White et al, 2009;Williams et al, 2017;Zeiders et al, 2015;Zeiders et al, Calzada et al, 2019;Helms et al, 2014;Lorenzo-Blanco et al, 2016Safa et al, 2021;Umaña-Taylor et al, 2011;Williams et al, 2017;Wu et al, 2020;Zeiders et al, 2015;Zeiders et al, 2016HSI 6 Bostean & Gillespie, 2017Dillon et al, 2013;Feldman et al, 2010;Ibañez et al, 2015;Mendoza et al, 2017 and Conger (2017) to show the family processes through which PAS shapes Latinx youth adjustment. We list the reviewed studies grouped around specific pathways between key components of FSM to situate the literature in this theoretical framework.…”