Chelsea L. Derlan, Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, Kimberly A. Updegraff, & Laudan B. Jahromi

1. Maternal Cultural Characteristics and Ethnic Socialization as Predictors of Mexican-origin Adolescent Mothers’ Ethnic Identity ABSTRACT The current study examined whether mothers’ enculturation characteristics were associated with increases in adolescents’ ethnic identity exploration and resolution via maternal ethnic socialization among 193 Mexican-origin adolescent mothers and their mothers. In addition, we examined whether mothers’ ethnic identity affirmation was directly associated with increases in adolescents’ ethnic identity affirmation. Results indicated that mothers’ familism values and ethnic identity exploration were positively associated with ethnic socialization efforts with their adolescent daughters one year later; however, maternal ethnic socialization was not associated with adolescents’ ethnic identity. As hypothesized, mothers’ ethnic identity affirmation was positively associated with increases in adolescents’ ethnic identity affirmation two years later. Chelsea L. Derlan, Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, Kimberly A. Updegraff, & Laudan B. Jahromi DISCUSSION PARTICIPANTS RESULTS • 193 Mexican-origin adolescents and their mothers • At W1, adolescents were 16.20 years old • (SD = .982), 30.87 weeks pregnant (SD = 4.49), • and the majority were enrolled in school (59%). • Mothers were 40.80 years old (SD = 7.06). Most mothers • had less than a high school education (46%); 27% attended high school but did not graduate; and 27% completed high school, obtained their GED, or had some education beyond high school. • With respect to nativity, 62% of adolescents and 27% of • mothers were U.S. born. • Mothers’ higher endorsement of familism values and higher EI exploration were positively associated with their ethnic socialization efforts, but mothers’ ethnic socialization efforts did not predict increases in adolescents’ EI exploration or EI resolution. • Given that previous work has found an association between familial ethnic socialization and adolescents’ EI, but we found no association when we looked at mothers’ ethnic socialization, our findings suggest that multiple family members’ ethnic socialization efforts may be necessary to elicit increases in adolescents’ EI exploration and resolution over time. It would be valuable for future studies to simultaneously examine the cumulative influence of ethnic socialization from multiple family members (e.g., fathers, siblings). • Consistent with social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986), as mothers reported higher levels of EI affirmation, adolescents demonstrated increases in their EI affirmation. This suggests that mothers’ modeling of positive feelings about their ethnicity may result in daughters developing positive feelings about their ethnicity. • Overall, findings suggest that mothers’ familism values and EI exploration inform their socialization efforts, but that mothers’ own feelings about ethnicity are most important for informing adolescents’ EI affirmation. • The hypothesized model was tested with path • analysis via structural equation modeling (SEM) using Mplus version 6.1 (Muthén & Muthén, 2010). Missing data were handled using FIML. • Adolescents’ age and nativity were included • as controls by modeling them as predictors of EI. To assess increases in EI at W3, we controlled for each component of EI at W2. • Fit indices for the hypothesized model (see • Figure 1) indicated a good fit [χ2 (23) = 31.86, p >.05; CFI = .95; RMSEA = .05 (.00 - .08); SRMR = .04]. BACKGROUND & SIGNIFICANCE • Ethnic identity (EI) is positively associated with positive outcomes among Latino youth (e.g., Fuligni, Witkow, & Garcia, 2005); therefore, it is important to examine predictors of ethnic identity among youth who are at risk for negative outcomes, such as adolescent mothers (Whitman, Borowski, Keogh, & Weed, 2001). • Although previous work has found that families’ socialization efforts are important predictors of youths’ EI exploration and resolution (e.g., Umaña-Taylor, Alfaro, Bámaca, & Guimond, 2009), an area that has received little attention is whether individual family members’ (e.g., mothers’) socialization efforts contribute to adolescents’ EI. In addition, we know little about how mothers’ cultural characteristics may inform their socialization efforts. • In prior work, familial ethnic socialization has not predicted adolescents’ EI affirmation (e.g., Supple et al., 2006), but no studies have examined whether mothers’ own EI affirmation may predict their adolescents’ EI affirmation. • Guided by bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006), we hypothesized that mothers’ familism values, involvement in Mexican culture, EI exploration, and EI resolution would be positively associated with maternal ethnic socialization one year later. Additionally, higher levels of maternal ethnic socialization were expected to be associated with increases in adolescents’ EI exploration and EI resolution one year later. Furthermore, guided by social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986), it was hypothesized that mothers’ EI affirmation would be positively associated with increases in adolescents’ EI affirmation two years later. PROCEDURE • The current study utilized data from Wave 1 (W1), Wave 2 (W2), and Wave 3 (W3) from an ongoing longitudinal study. • In-home, face-to-face interviews were conducted during adolescents’ third trimester of pregnancy (W1), when her child was 10 months (W2), and when her child was 24 months (W3). • Each participant received $25 for participation at W1, $30 at W2, and $35 at W3. • Interviews were conducted in the participants’ preferred language. Sixty-one percent of adolescents’ interviews were in English and 69% of mothers’ interviews were in Spanish at W1. MEASURES Figure 1. Hypothesized model for mothers and adolescents. Note. W1 = Wave 1, W2 = Wave 2, W3 = Wave 3. Solid lines indicate significant paths, and dashed lines indicate non-significant paths. * p < .05. ** p < .01. *** p < .001 • Adolescents’ and mothers EI exploration (7 items), EI • resolution (4 items), and EI affirmation(6 items) were assessed using the Ethnic Identity Scale (Umaña-Taylor et al., 2004). Alphas ranged from .70 to .92 (adolescents) and .64 to .88 (mothers) for English and Spanish versions of all subscales. • Mothers’ familism was assessed via the familismsubscale (16 • items) of the Mexican American Cultural Values Scale (Knight, et al., 2010). Alphas were .82 (English) and .80 (Spanish). • Mothers’ involvement in Mexican culture was assessed via • The Mexican cultural orientation (17 items) subscale of the ARSMA-II (Cuéllar et al., 1995). Alphas were .84 (English) • and .78 (Spanish). • Mothers’ reports of their ethnic socialization efforts were assessed with the 12-item Familial Ethnic Socialization Measure (Umaña-Taylor et al., 2004). Alphas were .94 (English) and .84 (Spanish). ACKNOWLEDGMENT This research was supported by funds from the Departmentt of Health and Human Services (APRPA006011; PI: Umaña-Taylor), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD061376; PI: Umaña-Taylor), and the Cowden Fund to the Sanford School at Arizona State University. For more information: cderlan@asu.edu