Intergenerational Cultural Conflict, Mental Health, and Educational Outcomes Among Asian and Latino/a Americans: Qualitative and Meta-Analytic Review

• Published in: Psychological bulletin Vol. 141; no. 2; pp. 404 - 446
• Main Author: Lui, P. Priscilla
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Psychological Association 01-03-2015
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Acculturation; Adolescent; Adult; Asian Americans - psychology; Clinical outcomes; Collectivism; Conflict; Correlation; Cross-sectional analysis; Educational Status; Emigrants and Immigrants - psychology; Emotional Adjustment; Ethnicity; Family; Female; Hispanic Americans - psychology; Human; Humans; Intergenerational Relations; Intergenerational Relations - ethnology; Intergenerational relationships; Latinos/Latinas; Male; Mental Health; Mental Health - ethnology; Meta Analysis; Methodology; Minority & ethnic groups; Noncitizens; Psychopathology; Quantitative psychology; Second-generation immigrants; Sociocultural Factors; Systematic review; United States; Young Adult; United States; United States > US; meta-analysis; collectivism; acculturation; family; psychopathology
• ISSN: 0033-2909; 1939-1455
• DOI: 10.1037/a0038449

Among immigrant Asian and Latino groups, the contrast between collectivism in traditional heritage and individualism in the mainstream American cultures presents unique challenges for their family relationships. This systematic review was designed to answer 3 fundamental questions: to what extent do(es) (a) acculturation mismatch (AM) correlate with intergenerational cultural conflict (ICC); (b) ICC correlate with offspring's mental health and educational outcomes; and (c) demographic and study characteristics moderate these relationships. Sixty-one research reports were reviewed, with 68 independent study samples (N = 14,453; 41 and 27 Asian and Latino/a samples, respectively) subjected to 3 meta-analyses. AM positively correlated with ICC (r = .23), which in turn negatively correlated with offspring mental health (r = −.20) and educational outcomes (r = −.09). Findings provided support for acculturation gap-distress theory. While these effect size estimates were small, participant and methodological variables affected their magnitude. Contrary to findings on intergenerational conflict within mainstream nonimmigrant families, the relationships among AM, ICC, and mental health were larger in young adult than adolescent groups within immigrant families. ICC significantly correlated with internalizing problems and adaptive functioning, but not externalizing problems. AM was more closely related to ICC among women and second-generation immigrant offspring. AM and ICC were more problematic among offspring who were low-risk and lived in less ethnically disperse regions, particularly when studied in cross-sectional studies. Effect sizes also differed significantly across measurement tools for the key constructs. Limitations to generalizability (few studies on educational outcomes, relative underrepresentation of Latino/a to Asian American samples), and implications for intervention and future research are discussed.