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

No abstract

No abstract

The primary aim of this study was to examine how and why adolescents make decisions regarding whether to conduct their communication via texting versus calling features of cellular telephones. Individual semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 41 adolescents aged 14 to 18 focusing on their use of calling and texting when communicating with friends, parents, and romantic partners. Through grounded theory analysis, a conceptual decision-tree emerged depicting a process of decision making based on communication content, communication partner, and situational limitations. Further analysis indicated that the adolescents consistently perceived texting as easier than calling in ways that were meaningful to their everyday lives. Findings reflect the complex interweaving of logic, personal preference, and concession to social constraints that goes into adolescents' choices to call versus text.

Respect is crucial for promoting participation and positive experiences in organized activities, especially among ethnically diverse youth. However, little is known regarding how Mexican-origin adolescents conceptualize respect and specifically how to promote respect in activities. Guided by theory and previous research, we used qualitative content analysis to elucidate perspectives on respect and features involved in the development of respect in activities. Our sample consisted of 18 Mexican-origin 7th graders who resided in the Southwest of the U.S., an area with a history of inter-ethnic group tensions. The adolescents in this study described three different types of respect:  humanity respect, respect for culture, and linguistic respect. Potential features involved in the development of respect were identified, including individual- (e.g., moral virtues), contextual (e.g., welcoming atmosphere), and inter-personal (e.g., shared experiences) features. This study increases out depth of understanding of respect in activities, identifies areas for researchers to pursue in future research, and unveils potential implications for designing activities that promote positive, respectful relationships.