Mexican American adolescents' cultural orientation, externalizing behavior and academic engagement: the role of traditional cultural values.

Publisher: Wiley Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 0364535 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 0091-0562 (Print) Linking ISSN: 00910562 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Am J Community Psychol Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: 2016- : Chichester : Wiley
Original Publication: Washington, Winston.

Culture* ; Educational Status*; Adolescent Behavior/*ethnology ; Emigrants and Immigrants/*psychology; Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Mexico/ethnology ; Southwestern United States ; United States

This study of 598 7th grade students of Mexican origin examined the role of traditional cultural values as a mediator of the effects of immigrant status, Mexican cultural orientation and Anglo cultural orientation on adolescent externalizing behavior and academic engagement. Immigrant status of adolescents and their maternal caregivers uniquely predicted increased Mexican cultural orientation and decreased Anglo cultural orientation, and both Mexican and Anglo cultural orientation related positively to adolescents' endorsement of traditional cultural values. Endorsement of traditional cultural values related, in turn, to decreased externalizing behaviors and increased academic engagement and these findings were replicated across adolescent and teacher report of these two outcomes. Tests of mediation provided further evidence to support these pathways. Findings support the central importance of traditional cultural values as a protective resource that explains why immigrant youth exhibit fewer externalizing problems and increased academic engagement when compared to their second and third generation peers.

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P30 MH068685-04 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; T32 MH018387 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R24 HD042849-07 United States HD NICHD NIH HHS; R01 MH064707-04 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; P30 MH039246 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH064707-07 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R24 HD042849 United States HD NICHD NIH HHS; R01 MH064707-05 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R03 HD051629 United States HD NICHD NIH HHS; 5-P30-MH39246-13 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; P30 MH068685 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH064707 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH064707-02 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; P30 MH039246-17 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH064707-06 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH064707-03 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R01-MH64707 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; P30 MH039246-18 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; P30 MH039246-15 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R03 HD051629-01A2 United States HD NICHD NIH HHS; T32 MH018387-22 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; P30 MH039246-16 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; R01 MH064707-01 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS

Date Created: 20071219 Date Completed: 20080701 Latest Revision: 20240322

20240322

PMC3128503

10.1007/s10464-007-9152-x

18085435