Reconsidering the “acculturation gap”: Mother-adolescent cultural adaptation mis/matches and positive psychosocial outcomes among Mexican-origin families

Author

Jinjin YAN, University of Texas at Austin
Lester SIM, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
Jiaxiu SONG
Shanting CHEN
Su Yeong KIM

Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

7-2022

Abstract

Previous studies have linked parent-child cultural adaptation mismatches with adolescents’ maladjustment without addressing how intergenerational mis/matches are related to positive aspects of adolescent development and parental outcomes. Using data from 604 Mexican-origin families (adolescent sample:54%female, Mage = 12.41, range = 11 to 15), response surface analysis was conducted to investigate how mother-child mis/matches in cultural adaptation (acculturation, enculturation, English and Spanish proficiency) are associated with adolescents’ and mothers’ resilience and life meaning. Adolescents and mothers reported greater resilience and meaning when they matched at higher, versus lower, levels of acculturation, enculturation and English proficiency; adolescents reported more resilience when they were more acculturated than mothers. The findings provide a strengths-based understanding of parent-child cultural adaptation mis/matches and elucidate how Mexican-origin families thrive in the cultural adaptation process.

Keywords

Cultural adaptation, Positive psychological outcomes, Response Surface Analysis (RSA), Acculturation gaps, Mexican immigrant families

Discipline

Applied Behavior Analysis | Child Psychology | Multicultural Psychology | Social Psychology

Research Areas

Psychology

Publication

Journal of Youth and Adolescence

Volume

51

Issue

7

First Page

1409

Last Page

1425

ISSN

0047-2891

Identifier

10.1007/s10964-022-01606-4

Publisher

Springer

Embargo Period

10-9-2023

Citation

YAN, Jinjin, SIM, Lester, SONG, Jiaxiu, CHEN, Shanting, & KIM, Su Yeong.(2022). Reconsidering the “acculturation gap”: Mother-adolescent cultural adaptation mis/matches and positive psychosocial outcomes among Mexican-origin families. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 51(7), 1409-1425.

Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3799

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-022-01606-4