The Phenotypic, Psychological, and Social Interplays of Skin Color and Developmental Outcomes among Mexican‐origin Adolescents

Processes governing the ethnic identification of second and later generations of Mexican immigrant descendants are explored empirically using the Latino National Political Survey, 1989–1990. With multinomial logit regressions, I test hypotheses based on three contrasting perspectives, namely, that ethnic identification, or identification other than “American,” arises directly from: a) cultural continuity and a lower level of assimilation; b) an experience of ethnic competition; and c) both processes. The results from the LNPS support the view that both processes are at work. For example, consistent with the presence of an assimilation process, the chance of “Mexican” identification (as opposed to “American” identification) declines to half in the third generation and to one tenth in the fourth and later generations, relative to the chance in the second generation. Consistent with the presence of an ethnic competition process, (perceived) experience of discrimination doubles the respondents chance of “Mexican” identification. Also, a level rise in the darkness of skin color is associated with a 60 percent increase in the chance of Mexican identification.

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Longitudinal profiles of acculturation and developmental outcomes among Mexican‐origin adolescents from immigrant families

New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development ◽

10.1002/cad.20396 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 (176) ◽

pp. 205-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jinjin Yan ◽

Lester Sim ◽

Seth J. Schwartz ◽

Yishan Shen ◽

Deborah Parra‐Medina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immigrant Families ◽

Developmental Outcomes ◽

Mexican Origin ◽

Longitudinal Profiles

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Developmental Outcomes of School Attachment Among Students of Mexican Origin

Journal of Research on Adolescence ◽

10.1111/jora.12223 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 753-768 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Laura Castro-Schilo ◽

Emilio Ferrer ◽

Maciel M. Hernández ◽

Rand D. Conger

Keyword(s):

Developmental Outcomes ◽

Mexican Origin ◽

School Attachment

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Birth characteristics and developmental outcomes of infants of Mexican-origin adolescent mothers

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/0165025411430777 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 146-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Laudan B. Jahromi ◽

Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor ◽

Kimberly A. Updegraff ◽

Ethelyn E. Lara

Keyword(s):

Developmental Delay ◽

Adolescent Mothers ◽

Developmental Outcomes ◽

Adolescent Females ◽

High Rate ◽

Mexican Origin ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Us ◽

Birth Characteristics ◽

Developmental Functioning

Infants of adolescent mothers are at increased risk for negative developmental outcomes. Given the high rate of pregnancy among Mexican-origin adolescent females in the US, the present study examined health characteristics at birth and developmental functioning at 10 months of age in a sample of 205 infants of Mexican-origin adolescent mothers. Infants were relatively healthy at birth and had near average developmental functioning at 10 months. The educational attainment of adolescents and their mothers, and infants’ temperamental regulation, promoted positive developmental functioning, while the combination of low adolescent parental self-efficacy and high infant temperamental negativity was associated with greater developmental delay. Findings are discussed with respect to implications for prevention with this at-risk population of mothers and infants.

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Association of Skin Color and Generation on Arrests Among Mexican-Origin Latinos

Race and Justice ◽

10.1177/2153368716670998 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 178-193 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Héctor E. Alcalá ◽

Mónica F. L. Montoya

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Los Angeles ◽

Skin Color ◽

Economic Status ◽

The United States ◽

Mexican Origin ◽

International Mobility ◽

Two Factors ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Using Data

Arrest and interaction with the criminal justice system can have negative impacts to health and socioeconomic status. In the United States, Latinos are disproportionately arrested and jailed, when compared to their non-Latino peers. However, Latinos are not a homogeneous group. For example, generation and skin color are two factors that impact the social standing of Latinos in the United States. As a result, the present study tested if the effects of skin color on odds of arrest depended on generation among Mexican-origin Latinos living in the Greater Los Angeles County Area using data from the Immigration and International Mobility in Metropolitan Los Angeles (IIMMLA) survey ( N = 1,226). Unadjusted analyses showed that arrest rates increased with generation. Multivariate results revealed that darker skin color was associated with higher odds of arrest, but only for the second generation. These findings suggest that the likelihood of being arrested for Mexican-origin Latinos is not uniform. Observed differences could set the stage for disparities in health and socio-economic status.

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