Time in U.S. Residency and the Social, Behavioral, and Emotional Adjustment of Latino Immigrant Families

Abstract

Little is known about contributors to positive social, behavioral, and emotional adjustment among foreign-born youth at different stages of adapting to life in the United States. Using baseline data from the Adolescent Latino Acculturation Study ( N = 217), this article examines the effects of time in residency on parent adjustment, family stress, parenting practices, and youth behavioral and socioemotional outcomes among Latino immigrant parents and youth (Grades 6 to 10) who have lived in the United States between 1 and 12 years. Results of cross-sectional analyses show that immigrant families with less time in residency may experience higher levels of distress that diminish in intensity over time and that youth problem behaviors increase and academic outcomes worsen with increased exposure to life in U.S. society. Time in residency, parent adjustment, and parenting practices each demonstrated unique and unmediated effects on youth outcomes. Results highlight specific vulnerabilities for families in states with emerging immigrant populations that often have few supports for the successful integration of recent immigrant families.