Bicultural Competence and Academic and Psychosocial Functioning Among Latinx Early Adolescents: Examining the Moderating Role of Gender

Abstract

Bicultural competence, the ability to navigate and alternate between two cultures, is an important developmental competency for Latinx youth. Empirical research has suggested that bicultural competence is associated with positive academic and psychosocial functioning, including higher academic achievement and fewer internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, little research has examined how distinct dimensions of bicultural competence related to these indices. The current study examined how bicultural comfort and facility related to academic (self-efficacy and grades) and psychosocial (depressive symptoms and risky behaviors) functioning and how those relations varied by gender among Latinx early adolescents (N = 206, M_age = 12.39, SD = 0.15). Results suggested that higher bicultural facility was related to higher academic self-efficacy and better grades for boys and girls, whereas higher bicultural comfort was related to fewer depressive symptoms and risky behaviors for boys only. These findings indicate that bicultural competence dimensions may benefit Latinx early adolescents differentially.

Keywords

academic functioning bicultural competence gender psychosocial functioning

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Aiken

L. S.

West

S. G.

(1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Sage Publications, Inc.

Basilio

C. D.

Knight

G. P.

O’Donnell

Roosa

M. W.

Gonzales

N. A.

Umaña-Taylor

A. J.

Torres

(2014). The Mexican American biculturalism scale: Bicultural comfort, facility, and advantages for adolescents and adults. Psychological Assessment, 26(2), 539–554. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035951

Benet-Martínez

Lee

Leu

(2006). Biculturalism and cognitive complexity: Expertise in cultural representations. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37(4), 386–407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022106288476

Berry

J. W.

(1997). Lead article - immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 46(1), 5–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/026999497378467

Buriel

Perez

de Ment

T. L.

Chavez

D. V.

Moran

V. R.

(1998). The relationship of language brokering to academic performance, biculturalism, and self-efficacy among Latino adolescents. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 20(3), 283–297. https://doi.org/10.1177/07399863980203001

Cano

M. Á.

de Dios

M. A.

Castro

Vaughan

E. L.

Castillo

L. G.

Lorenzo-Blanco

E. I.

Piña-Watson

Berger Cardoso

Ojeda

Cruz

R. A.

Correa-Fernandez

Ibañez

Auf

Molleda

L. M.

(2015). Alcohol use severity and depressive symptoms among late adolescent Hispanics: Testing associations of acculturation and enculturation in a bicultural transaction model. Addictive Behaviors, 49, 78–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.06.002

Carbajal

Toro

R. I.

(2021). Filial responsibility, bicultural competence, and socioemotional well-being among Latina college students. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 27(4), 758–768. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000467

Carbajal

Zeiders

K. H.

Landor

A. M.

(2022). Unpacking the benefits of bicultural competence: Latina/x/o college students’ academic and psychosocial adjustment. Emerging Adulthood, 10(4), 910–922. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968211034309

Carlo

Basilio

C. D.

Knight

G. P.

(2016). The associations of biculturalism to prosocial tendencies and positive self evaluations. Journal of Latina/o Psychology, 4(4), 189–201. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000058

10.

Carlo

White

R. M. B.

Streit

Knight

G. P.

Zeiders

K. H.

(2018). Longitudinal relations among parenting styles, prosocial behaviors, and academic outcomes in U.S. Mexican adolescents. Child Development, 89(2), 577–592. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12761

11.

Carrera

S. G.

Wei

(2014). Bicultural competence, acculturative family distancing, and future depression in latino/a college students: A moderated mediation model. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 61(3), 427–436. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000023

12.

Cobb

C. L.

Martínez

C. R.

(2023). Correlates of alcohol use likelihood for Latino immigrant youth in an emerging context. Journal of Research on Adolescence: The Official Journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence, 33(1), 302–317. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12805

13.

Cuéllar

Arnold

Maldonado

(1995). Acculturation rating scale for Mexican Americans-II: A revision of the original ARSMA scale. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 17(3), 275–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/07399863950173001

14.

David

E. J. R.

Okazaki

Saw

(2009). Bicultural self-efficacy among college students: Initial scale development and mental health correlates. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 56(2), 211–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015419

15.

Delgado

M. Y.

Nair

R. L.

Updegraff

K. A.

Umaña-Taylor

A. J.

(2019). Discrimination, parent–adolescent conflict, and peer intimacy: Examining risk and resilience in Mexican-origin youths’ adjustment trajectories. Child Development, 90(3), 894–910. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12969

16.

Delgado

M. Y.

Updegraff

K. A.

Roosa

M. W.

Umaña-Taylor

A. J.

(2011). Discrimination and Mexican-origin adolescents’ adjustment: The moderating roles of adolescents’, mothers’, and fathers’ cultural orientations and values. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40(2), 125–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9467-z

17.

Dunn

E. C.

Milliren

C. E.

Evans

C. R.

Subramanian

S. V.

Richmond

T. K.

(2015). Disentangling the relative influence of schools and neighborhoods on adolescents’ risk for depressive symptoms. American Journal of Public Health, 105(4), 732–740. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302374

18.

Eccles

J. S.

Barber

(1990). Risky behavior measure. Unpublished scale. University of Michigan.

19.

Enders

C. K.

(2010). Applied missing data analysis. Guilford Press.

20.

Feliciano

(2001). The benefits of biculturalism: Exposure to immigrant culture and dropping out of school among Asian and Latino youths. Social Science Quarterly, 82(4), 865–879. https://doi.org/10.1111/0038-4941.00064

21.

García Coll

Lamberty

Jenkins

McAdoo

H. P.

Crnic

Wasik

B. H.

Vázquez García

(1996). An integrative model for the study of developmental competencies in minority children. Child Development, 67(5), 1891–1914. https://doi.org/10.2307/1131600

22.

Gómez

L. E.

(2020). Inventing latinos: A new story of American racism. The New Press.

23.

Gonzales

N. A.

Germán

Kim

S. Y.

George

Fabrett

F. C.

Millsap

Dumka

L. E.

(2008). Mexican American adolescents’ cultural orientation, externalizing behavior and academic engagement: The role of traditional cultural values. American Journal of Community Psychology, 41(1-2), 151–164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-007-9152-x

24.

Gonzales

N. A.

Knight

G. P.

Birman

Sirolli

A. A.

(2004). Acculturation and enculturation among Latino youth. In Maton

K. I.

Schellenbach

C. J.

Leadbeater

B. J.

Solarz

A. L.

(Eds.), Investing in children, youth, families, and communities: Strengths-based research and policy (pp. 285–302). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10660-016

25.

Krogstad

J. M.

Noe-Bustamante

(2021, September 9). Key facts about US latinos for national hispanic heritage month. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/09/key-facts-about-u-s-latinos-for-national-hispanic-heritage-month/

26.

LaFromboise

Coleman

H. L.

Gerton

(1993). Psychological impact of biculturalism: Evidence and theory. Psychological Bulletin, 114(3), 395–412. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.114.3.395

27.

López

E. J.

Ehly

García‐Vásquez

(2002). Acculturation, social support and academic achievement of Mexican and Mexican American high school students: An exploratory study. Psychology in the Schools, 39(3), 245–257. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.10009

28.

Love

J. A.

Buriel

(2007). Language brokering, autonomy, parent-child bonding, biculturalism, and depression: A study of Mexican American adolescents from immigrant families. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 29(4), 472–491. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986307307229

29.

Meca

Eichas

Schwartz

S. J.

Davis

R. J.

(2019). Biculturalism and bicultural identity development: A relational model of bicultural systems. In Titzmann

P. F.

Jugert

(Eds.), Youth in superdiverse societies: Growing up with globalization, diversity, and acculturation (pp. 41–57). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351040266

30.

Mendez

L. O.

Cortina

K. S.

(2021). Within group ethnic diversity in Latinx psychological research: A publication analysis. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 43(1–2), Article 073998632199647. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986321996478

31.

Midgley

Maehr

M. L.

Urdan

(1996). Patterns of adaptive learning survey (PALS). University of Michigan Press.

32.

Muthén

L. K.

(2018). Mplus users guide. Muthén & Muthén; 2010. Computer software and manual.

33.

Nair

Delgado

M. Y.

Thomas

Coulter

(2020, Autumn). Socio-Cultural School Climate: Definitions, Measurement and Implications. National Council on Family Relations.

34.

Nair

R. L.

White

R. M.

Roosa

M. W.

Zeiders

K. H.

(2013). Cultural stressors and mental health symptoms among Mexican Americans: A prospective study examining the impact of the family and neighborhood context. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(10), 1611–1623. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10964-012-9834-z

35.

Nguyen

A. M. D.

Benet-Martínez

(2013). Biculturalism and adjustment: A meta-analysis. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(1), 122–159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022111435097

36.

Noe-Bustamante

Flores

Shah

(2019a, September 16). Facts on hispanics of Cuban origin in the United States, 2017 . Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheet/u-s-hispanics-facts-on-cuban-origin-latinos/

37.

Noe-Bustamante

Flores

Shah

(2019b, September 16). Facts on hispanics of Mexican origin in the United States, 2017 . Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheet/u-s-hispanics-facts-on-mexican-origin-latinos/

38.

Noe-Bustamante

Lopez

M. H.

Krogstad

J. M.

(2020, July 7). US Hispanic population surpassed 60 million in 2019, but growth has slowed. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/07/07/u-s-hispanic-population-surpassed-60-million-in-2019-but-growth-has-slowed/

39.

Padilla

Updegraff

K. A.

McHale

S. M.

Umaña-Taylor

A. J.

Jager

(2022). Longitudinal associations between Mexican-origin youth’s relationships with parents, siblings, and friends and individual adjustment. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 41(3), 617–644. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075221119428

40.

Phinney

J. S.

(1990). Ethnic identity in adolescents and adults: Review of research. Psychological Bulletin, 108(3), 499–514. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.108.3.499

41.

Piña-Watson

Dornhecker

Salinas

S. R.

(2015a). The impact of bicultural stress on Mexican American adolescents’ depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation: Gender matters. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 37(3), 342–364. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986315586788

42.

Piña-Watson

López

Ojeda

Rodriguez

K. M.

(2015b). Cultural and cognitive predictors of academic motivation among Mexican American adolescents: Caution against discounting the impact of cultural processes. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 43(2), 109–121. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2015.00068.x

43.

Portes

Rumbaut

R. G.

(2006). Immigrant America: A portrait (3rd ed.). University of California Press.

44.

Radloff

L. S.

(1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), 385–401. https://doi.org/10.1177/014662167700100306

45.

Safa

M. D.

Gusman

M. S.

Doane

L. D.

(2022). Bicultural competence and academic adjustment across Latino youth adaptation from high school to college. Child Development, 93(6), 1663–1679. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13810

46.

Safa

M. D.

Umaña-Taylor

A. J.

(2021). Biculturalism and adjustment among U.S. Latinos: A review of four decades of empirical findings. In Lockman

J. J.

(Ed.), Advances in Child Development and Behavior (pp. 73–127). Elsevier Academic Press.

47.

Safa

M. D.

White

R. M. B.

Knight

G. P.

(2020). Family contextual influences on bicultural competence development among U.S. Mexican-origin youths. Developmental Psychology, 56(8), 1596–1609. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001022

48.

Safa

M. D.

White

R. M. B.

Knight

G. P.

(2021). A family stress model investigation of bicultural competence among U.S. Mexican-origin youth. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 27(3), 320–331. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000424

49.

Safa

M. D.

White

R. M. B.

Mahrer

N. E.

Knight

G. P.

Gonzales

N. A.

Pasco

M. C.

(2019). U.S. Mexican-origin adolescents’ bicultural competence and mental health in context. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 25(2), 299–310. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000231

50.

Santiago

C. D.

Gudiño

O. G.

Baweja

Nadeem

(2014). Academic achievement among immigrant and US-born Latino adolescents: Associations with cultural, family, and acculturation factors. Journal of Community Psychology, 42(6), 735–747. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21649

51.

Santos

C. E.

(2017). The history, struggles, and potential of the term Latinx. Latina/o Psychology Today, 4(2), 7–14. https://www.nlpa.ws/assets/docs/newsletters/final%20lpt%20volume_4_no_2_2017%20low%20res.pdf

52.

Sladek

M. R.

Doane

L. D.

Park

(2020). Latino adolescents’ daily bicultural stress and sleep: Gender and school context moderation. Health Psychology, 39(3), 179–189. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000824

53.

Smokowski

P. R.

Bacallao

M. L.

(2007). Acculturation, internalizing mental health symptoms, and self-esteem: Cultural experiences of Latino adolescents in North Carolina. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 37(3), 273–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-006-0035-4

54.

Smokowski

P. R.

Rose

R. A.

Bacallao

(2010). Influence of risk factors and cultural assets on Latino adolescents’ trajectories of self-esteem and internalizing symptoms. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 41(2), 133–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-009-0157-6

55.

Steinberg

(2008). A social neuroscience perspective on adolescent risk-taking. Developmental Review: Developmental Review, 28(1), 78–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2007.08.002

56.

Steinberg

(2010). A dual systems model of adolescent risk-taking. Developmental Psychobiology, 52(3), 216–224. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.20445

57.

Tadmor

C. T.

Tetlock

P. E.

Peng

(2009). Acculturation strategies and integrative complexity: The cognitive implications of biculturalism. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 40(1), 105–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022108326279

58.

Tikhonov

A. A.

Espinosa

Huynh

Q.-L.

Anglin

D. M.

(2019). Bicultural identity harmony and American identity are associated with positive mental health in U.S. racial and ethnic minority immigrants. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 25(4), 494–504. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000268

59.

Trifiletti

Shamloo

S. E.

Ferrari

Dusi

Huynh

Q.-L.

Rosnati

Benet-Martínez

(2022). Bicultural identity in childhood: Preliminary validation of the bicultural identity integration scale for children (BIIS-C). Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 28(1), 72–79. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000504

60.

Umaña-Taylor

A. J.

Quintana

S. M.

Lee

R. M.

Cross

W. E.

Jr. Rivas-Drake

Schwartz

S. J.

Syed

Yip

Seaton

Ethnic and Racial Identity in the 21st Century Study Group . (2014). Ethnic and racial identity during adolescence and into young adulthood: An integrated conceptualization. Child Development, 85(1), 21–39. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12196

61.

Valencia

E. Y.

Johnson

(2006). Latino students in North Carolina: Acculturation, perceptions of school environment, and academic aspirations. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 28(3), 350–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986306290727

62.

Wantchekon

K. A.

Umaña-Taylor

A. J.

(2021). Relating profiles of ethnic–racial identity process and content to the academic and psychological adjustment of Black and Latinx adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 50(7), 1333–1352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01451-x

63.

Wei

Liao

K. Y.-H.

Chao

R. C.-L.

Mallinckrodt

Tsai

P.-C.

Botello-Zamarron

(2010). Minority stress, perceived bicultural competence, and depressive symptoms among ethnic minority college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 57(4), 411–422. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020790

64.

Wheeler

L. A.

Zeiders

K. H.

Updegraff

K. A.

Umaña-Taylor

A. J.

Rodríguez de Jesús

S. A.

Perez-Brena

N. J.

(2017). Mexican-origin youth’s risk behavior from adolescence to young adulthood: The role of familism values. Developmental Psychology, 53(1), 126–137. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000251