Abstract
Mexican Americans are one of the largest and fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, yet we have limited knowledge regarding changes (i.e., developmental trajectories) in cultural orientation based upon their exposure to the Mexican American and mainstream cultures. We examined the parallel trajectories of Mexican American and mainstream cultural values in a sample of 749 Mexican American adolescents (49 % female) across assessments during the fifth grade (approximately 11 years of age), the seventh grade (approximately 13 years of age) and the tenth grade (approximately 16 years of age). We expected that these values would change over this developmental period and this longitudinal approach is more appropriate than the often used median split classification to identify distinct types of acculturation. We found four distinct acculturation trajectory groups: two trajectory groups that were increasing slightly with age in the endorsement of mainstream cultural values, one of which was relatively stable in Mexican American cultural values while the other was declining in their endorsement of these values; and two trajectory groups that were declining substantially with age in their endorsement of mainstream cultural values, one of which was also declining in Mexican American cultural values and the other which was stable in these values. These four trajectory groups differed in expected ways on a number of theoretically related cultural variables, but were not highly consistent with the median split classifications. The findings highlight the need to utilize longitudinal data to examine the developmental changes of Mexican American individual’s adaptation to the ethnic and mainstream culture in order to understand more fully the processes of acculturation and enculturation.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported, in part, by NIMH grant MH68920 (Culture, Context, and Mexican American Mental Health). The authors are thankful for the support of Mark W. Roosa, Jenn-Yun Tein, Marisela Torres, Jaimee Virgo, our Community Advisory Board and interviewers, and the families who participated in the study.
Author contributions
G.P.K. participated in the conceptualization of the study and the data collection process, guided the analyses and interpretation of the data, and took primary responsibility for the preparation of the manuscript reporting the study; C.D.B. participated in the conceptualization of the study and contributed in the preparation and revision of the manuscript; H.C. conducted part of the statistical analysis, drafted corresponding parts of the results section of the manuscript, and made comments and contributions throughout drafts of the manuscript; N.A.G. participated in the conceptualization of the study and the data collection process, and contributed in the preparation and revision of the manuscript; Y.L. conducted part of the statistical analysis, drafted corresponding parts of the manuscript, and made comments and contributions throughout drafts of the manuscript; A.U.T. participated in the conceptualization of the study and interpretation of the data, and also reviewed and provided feedback on the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Knight, G.P., Basilio, C.D., Cham, H. et al. Trajectories of Mexican American and Mainstream Cultural Values Among Mexican American Adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 43, 2012–2027 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9983-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9983-8