Cultural Profiles Among Mexican-Origin Girls: Associations With Psychosocial Adjustment

Much of the cultural processes research has used single-domain measures of and approaches to cultural orientation, acculturation, and ethnic identity. The current study examined the latent cultural profiles that emerged from the intrapersonal (i.e., ethnic identity and generational status), interpersonal (i.e., language use), and familial (i.e., familial ethnic socialization) domains among 338 Mexican-origin girls in 7th (n = 170; M-age = 12.27, SD = .28; 63.6% U.S.-born) and 10th grades (n = 168; M-age = 15.21, SD = .46; 60.6% U.S.-born). Further, we examined how these profiles were associated with self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and discrimination. Four cultural profiles emerged from a latent profile analysis (i.e., strong-positive, strong-negative, Spanish-dominant low, and English-dominant low). Results indicated that the strong-positive profile (i.e., high on ethnic identity and familial ethnic socialization, bilingual, second generation) was most adaptive, in that this group had the highest self-esteem. Profiles did not differ in perceived discrimination or depressive symptoms. Results highlight the multifaceted nature of cultural profiles and suggest that affiliation with heritage culture across intrapersonal, interpersonal, and familial domains is beneficial for the psychosocial adjustment of Mexican-origin girls. Implications of the use of a multidomain conceptualization of cultural processes in research and positive youth adjustment programs are discussed.