Extended Family Ties Among Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Whites: Superintegration or Disintegration?*

Abstract

Addressing recent theoretical debates, this study examined the differences in extended family integration among Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Whites, as well as the importance of culture and structure in explaining these differences. Our findings showed Whites and Latinos/as have distinctive patterns of extended family integration: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans exhibited higher rates of coresidence and proximate living than Whites; Whites had greater involvement in financial support than Mexicans or Puerto Ricans, but Mexicans were more involved in instrumental help. Structural factors such as income, education, and nuclear family composition explained much of these ethnic differences. The study's findings suggest that policy should emphasize the unmet needs in Latino/a communities and the role of extended families.

The Role of Familism in Explaining the Hispanic-White College Application Gap

“…At the behavioral level, Hispanics report higher degrees of familial cohesion and intimacy than whites (Niemann, Romero, and Arbona 2000;Sabogal et al 1987) and assist family members in instrumental ways more so than whites (Sarkisian, Gerena, and Gerstel 2006). And at the structural level, Hispanics, and Mexican Americans in particular, live in larger and denser kinship networks than whites (Sarkisian et al 2006;Valenzuela and Dornbusch 1994).…”

Mejorando Matrimonios

“…Hispanics tend to place high emphasis on family loyalty, relationships, collectivism, and interdependence. Furthermore, it is common for Hispanics to live with extended family (Sarkisian, Gerena, & Gerstel, 2006). Scholars have suggested that familismo in counseling may be beneficial for couples in distress by strengthening social support, providing a motive to seek treatment, and by serving as a protective factor against significant marital distress (Ayón et al, 2010;Castro et al, 2007;Chen, GanceCleveland, Kopak, Haas, &Gillmore, 2010;Davila et al, 2011;Garza & Watts, 2010).…”

The Effects of Mexican origin family structure on parental monitoring and pre‐adolescent substance use expectancies and substance use

“…having a step-parent; Hollist & McBroom, 2006;Sweeney, 2007), perhaps because they experience fewer of the stressors that increase the likelihood of a pre-adolescent engaging in risky behaviour (Barrett & Turner, 2005). Additionally, extended families, with additional relatives living in the home along with the primary family, can serve as a protective mechanism against the development of pre-adolescent problem behaviours (Sarkisian, Gerena, & Gerstel, 2006;Lonczak, Fernandez, Austin, Marlatt, & Donovan, 2007). These different family structures are likely to have an impact on children's behaviours through their effects on various family processes, including parental monitoring.…”

“…), who provide instrumental (i.e. housework, transportation) and childcare assistance, seems to act as a protective factor against substance use (Sarkisian et al, 2006).…”