Latent profiles of American and ethnic-racial identity in Latinx mothers and adolescents: Links to behavioral practices and cultural values

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Laura McLaughlin Gonzalez, Associate Professor (Creator)
Gabriela L. Stein, Associate Professor (Creator)
Andrew "Andy" Supple, Associate Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Few studies have examined national identity processes in Latinx immigrant mothers and their children. This study uses a person-centered approach to examine how profiles of American and ethnic–racial identity are related to American and Latinx cultural values, group orientation, and socialization practices in a sample of 172 Latinx mother–youth dyads in an emerging immigrant community. Latent profile analyses produced a 4-profile solution for mothers (high-bicultural-, moderate-bicultural-, enculturated-, and assimilated-identity mothers) and a two-profile solution for youth (high- and low-bicultural identity) with respect to ethnic–racial and American identity. Mothers low in White cultural orientation and mainstream American values were more likely to be in the enculturated-identity profile, whereas mothers low in Latinx group orientation were more likely to be in the assimilated-identity profile. Likelihood of youth profile membership did not differ based on our covariates. Testing mean-level profile differences, high-bicultural mothers delivered the most frequent familism socialization messages and delivered more cultural socialization messages than assimilated and enculturated mothers. High-bicultural-identity youth reported receiving more familism socialization messages, but fewer promotion-of-mistrust messages than low-bicultural youth. Our results support past work finding relations between identifications, values, and behavioral practices for both host (Latinx) and receiving (American) cultures. Our study also highlights the fact that 3 of our 4 profiles of Latinx immigrant mothers (high-bicultural, moderate-bicultural, and assimilated mothers), an understudied population when it comes to national identity, are heavily incorporating a sense of being American into their identities.

Additional Information

Publication
Journal of Latinx Psychology, 8(2), 142-160
Language: English
Date: 2020
Keywords
national identity, Latinx, immigrant, ethnic–racial identity

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