Minority-Status Stresses and the College Adjustment of Ethnic Minority Freshmen

Parental Engagement and Contact in the Academic Lives of College Students

“…Such differences could create stressful situations for students who, in the college environment, value independence and self-reliance; but in the home environment, are expected to respect and accept the advice of elders. Previous research has shown this to be the case for students from minority cultures who often feel high parental expectations and a general lack of family understanding about the demands of the competitive college environment (Smedley, Myers, & Harrell, 1993). Consequently, some students with immigrant backgrounds may not consider their families as reliable sources of support or guidance when it comes to college (Kenny & Perez, 1996).…”

School Racial Climate and the Academic Achievement of African American High School Students: The Mediating Role of School Engagement

“…climates, particularly where students are subject to overt and subtle discrimination, negatively affect the academic achievement of African American students (e.g., Feagin, Vera, & Imani, 1996;Smedley, Myers, & Harrell, 1993). This body of work suggests that ethnic minority students' perceptions of norms around race in schooling contexts have important implications for their achievement outcomes including actual performance (Nettles, 1988;Cabrera et al, 1999).…”

Ethnic Minority Status Stress, Self-Efficacy, and Persistence Intentions among Hispanic College Women: A Moderation Analysis

“…Among ethnically diverse students, minority status stress results from negative campus experiences perceived to be motivated by the physical and/or cultural attributes salient to the individual's ethnic group (Smedley et al, 1993).…”

“…Minority stress has been operationalized in terms of several dimensions including: negative university social climate (perceptions of the campus environment as unwelcoming to members of the student's group); personal experiences of ethnic discrimination; intra-group stress (perceived pressure to conform to the norms of the student's ethnic group regarding language, behaviors and ways of thinking); and, achievement stress (fears of lacking in academic preparation relative to peers due to ethnic and social class background) (Smedley et al, 1993). Several studies have shown that minority status stress is positively associated to psychological distress when controlling for general college stress.…”

“…Several studies have shown that when controlling for normative college stressors, minority stress is uniquely associated to ethnic minority college students' psychological and academic adjustment (e.g. Arbona & Jimenez, 2014;Rodriguez, Myers, Morris, & Cardoza, 2000;Smedley et al, 1993;Wei et al, 2010;Wei, Ku, & Liao, 2011).…”