The Immigrant Paradox Among Puerto Rican Adolescents

Background and Purpose: Previous research shows support for the immigrant paradox among Latino children, with less acculturated Latino children showing better mental health outcomes (García-Coll & Marks, 2012). For example, studies have found that the more Latino adolescents endorse Latino values, including family obligations (providing support to the family) and respeto (respect; unquestioning obedience to parents), the lower their delinquency and risky sexual behaviors (e.g. Germán et al., 2008).  However, few of these studies have focused on Puerto Rican youth, a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population (Pew Research Center, 2004). Further, it is still unclear what are the mechanisms leading to poorer outcomes for more acculturated Latino youth.

This study examined whether teens’ Latino values (family obligations and respeto) and ethnic socialization (the degree to which families socialize youth regarding Latino cultural values) were associated with three mental health outcomes: depressed mood, self-esteem, and problem behaviors. Additionally, we examined whether relationships with mothers and fathers, and adolescents’ autonomy mediated the relationships between generational status and mental health.

Methods: This study used a community sample of 105 self-identified Puerto Rican adolescents living in the U.S. aged 13-18 years old. Participants were recruited from school and after-school programs targeting urban adolescents. Adolescents completed questionnaires about their problem behaviors (Mason et al., 1996), depressed mood (CES-D; Radloff, 1977), self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1986), family obligations (Fuligni et al.,1999), respeto (Knight et al., 2006), ethnic socialization (Umaña-Taylor, 2001), relationships with parents (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987), and autonomy time-tables (Dornbusch et al., 1990). Sixty-eight completed the measures in English, and 32% in Spanish.

Regression analyses and Baron and Kenny’s criteria (1986) were used to examine whether family obligations, respeto, and ethnic socialization were associated with adolescents’ depressed mood, self-esteem, and problem behaviors, and to test whether relationship quality with mothers and fathers and adolescents’ autonomy mediated these associations.

Results: Our results showed that greater endorsement of family obligations and respeto was associated with fewer problem behaviors. Furthermore, analyses showed that relationships with mothers fully mediated these associations. Greater endorsement of family obligations and respetowas associated with better relationships with mom, which was in turn linked with lower levels of problem behaviors. After relationships with mothers was included in the model, the association between family obligations and respeto with problem behaviors became nonsignificant.

Analyses also showed that relationships with mother partially mediated a positive association between ethnic socialization and self-esteem, such that ethnic socialization was associated with better relationships with mom, which was in turn associated with better self-esteem.  

Conclusions and Implications: The findings of this study suggest the positive effects of Latino values and ethnic socialization are due to improved relationships with mothers. Thus, interventions on Puerto Rican youth should focus on improving relationships with mothers.  Further, studies should examine these issues longitudinally, examine why relationships with fathers do not seem to mediate these effects Puerto Rican youth’s mental-health outcomes, and explore other acculturation issues that may be linked with depressive symptoms.