Parent Discrimination Predicts Mexican-American Adolescent Psychological Adjustment 1 Year Later

Child Dev. 2016 Jul;87(4):1079-89. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12521. Epub 2016 May 25.

Abstract

This study examined whether Mexican-American parents' experiences with discrimination are related to adolescent psychological adjustment over time. The extent to which associations between parent discrimination and adolescent adjustment vary as a function of parents' ethnic socialization of their children was also examined. Participants included 344 high school students from Mexican or Mexican-American backgrounds (primarily second generation; ages 14-16 at Wave 1) and their primary caregivers who completed surveys in a 2-year longitudinal study. Results revealed that parent discrimination predicted internalizing symptoms and self-esteem among adolescents 1 year later. Additionally, adolescents were more likely to report low self-esteem in relation to parents' increased experiences of discrimination when parents conveyed ethnic socialization messages to them.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / ethnology*
  • Emotional Adjustment*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Los Angeles / ethnology
  • Male
  • Mexican Americans / psychology*
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Prejudice / psychology*
  • Self Concept*
  • Socialization*