Longitudinal links between maternal cultural socialization, peer ethnic‐racial discrimination, and ethnic‐racial pride in Mexican American youth

Abstract

AbstractThis paper used cross‐lagged panel models to test the longitudinal interplay between maternal cultural socialization, peer ethnic‐racial discrimination, and ethnic‐racial pride across 5th to 11th grade among Mexican American youth (N = 674, Mage = 10.86; 72% born in the United States; 50% girls; Wave 1 collected 2006–2008). Maternal cultural socialization predicted increases in subsequent youth ethnic‐racial pride, and youth ethnic‐racial pride prompted greater maternal cultural socialization. However, peer ethnic‐racial discrimination was associated with subsequent decreases in ethnic‐racial pride. The magnitude of these associations was consistent across 5th to 11th grades suggesting that maternal cultural socialization messages are necessary to maintain ethnic‐racial pride across adolescence, thus families must continually support the development of ethnic‐racial pride in their youth to counter the effects of discrimination.