Acculturation Profiles and Associations With Parenting Among Immigrant Latinos

Abstract

Acculturation and accompanying acculturative stress affects the parenting practices of Latino immigrants. We (a) examine acculturation profiles based on heritage culture orientation, mainstream culture orientation, familismo, and acculturative stress; (b) describe how social support informs Latinos' acculturation profiles; and (c) test how these acculturation profiles are associated with parenting behaviors (including parental involvement, monitoring, agency, and discipline self-efficacy) and family conflict. A threestep latent profile analysis revealed five profiles of acculturation: Cultural Individualism (n = 168, 15%), Cultural Engagement (n = 810, 71.3%), Cultural Assimilation (n = 47, 4.3%), Cultural Disengagement (n = 23, 2.1%), and Cultural Stress (n = 77, 7.3%). Social support predicted the Cultural Engagement profile, which was associated with positive parenting behaviors and family functioning. The Cultural Stress profile was associated with detrimental parenting behaviors and family conflict. Recommendations include family interventions that effectively support and strengthen culturally competent coping strategies in response to acculturative stress as a means to promote positive parenting practices.

A Gendered Look at Latinx General Strain Theory

“…If a household is bilingual and American and Latinx customs are equally adopted, then one may not feel torn between cultural identities (Good et al, 2010). Furthermore, acculturative stress may vary generationally as adults more so than youth try to maintain connections to their ethnic culture and family roots (e.g., Williams et al, 2017). Moreover, the negative association revealed presently is most likely tied to gender and the measure itself.…”

“…While machismo allows more social freedoms and fewer domestic responsibilities for young Latinos, it also reinforces a toxic masculinity. Traditional cultural emphasis on domination and respect is associated with a limited emotional maturity, strained social relationships, and an increased likelihood of entanglements with and support for violence (Arciniega et al, 2008; Bratina, 2015; Nuñez et al, 2016; Saez et al, 2010; Sanchez et al, 2017), particularly for Latinos in more disadvantaged community environments (Williams et al, 2017). For Latinos, machismo is associated with higher levels of stress and depression (Fragoso & Kashubeck, 2000), greater intentions of risky sexual behavior (Perrotte et al, 2020), greater tolerance of dating violence attitudes (Terrazas-Carrillo & Sabina, 2019), lower overall well-being (Ojeda et al, 2016), and substance use (Gonzalez-Guarda et al, 2010).…”

“…For Latinos, machismo is associated with higher levels of stress and depression (Fragoso & Kashubeck, 2000), greater intentions of risky sexual behavior (Perrotte et al, 2020), greater tolerance of dating violence attitudes (Terrazas-Carrillo & Sabina, 2019), lower overall well-being (Ojeda et al, 2016), and substance use (Gonzalez-Guarda et al, 2010). 4 In general, Latinos are more likely to be aggressive and be less restrained against violence and criminal coping (Williams et al, 2017) than their Latina counterparts, who are more likely to be passive and prone to conforming behaviors (Lye & Waldron, 1998; Waldron & Lye, 1990). As such, then, gendered differences in traditional Latinx socialization and culture may influence one’s ethnic identity and in turn their ability to cope with the associated strains.…”

Different Depression Treatment Recommendations and Adherence for Spanish- and English-Speaking Patients

“…But as a cultural protective factor among monolingual Spanish speakers and first generation Latinx it enhances rapport and compliance. 21 Hence, it is important that researchers and PCPs alike find strategies to attend to this value when working with this population [22][23][24] and more actively engage the families of their patients in discussions of health and treatment decisions.…”

Addressing Immigration‐Related Stress in a Culturally Adapted Parenting Intervention for Mexican‐Origin Immigrants: Initial Positive Effects and Key Areas of Improvement

“…Culturally adapted parent training (PT) interventions constitute a relevant alternative to address the parenting needs of vulnerable Latinx immigrant populations, particularly because empirical research indicates that PT interventions are the gold standard for preventing child externalizing problems among children and youth (Kaminski, Valle, Filene & Boyle, 2008;Martinez & Eddy, 2005;Michelson, Davenport, Dretzke, Barlow & Day, 2013). However, there continues to be a gap in existing research aimed at demonstrating the most effective ways in which parenting interventions can support families as they face immigration-related challenges (Cardoso et al, 2018;Rankin Williams et al, 2017. GenerationPMTO is grounded on the premise that families can experience long-lasting improvements in the quality of the parent-child relationships through the implementation of these parenting practices.…”