Peer-reviewed article
Navigating family: Immigrant‐origin Latinx youth perspectives on parental sociopolitical socialization
Wendy de los Reyes, Victoria Vezaldenos, Corissa Draper, Rosaria Barraza ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This qualitative study looked at how 23 older adolescents from immigrant-origin Latinx families in the United States saw their parents' role in their sociopolitical development. Participants had an average age of about 20. Parents shaped this development in indirect ways, such as affirming Latin American identity and passing on communal values, and in direct ways, such as modeling engagement and giving encouragement. Most socialization happened through conversation. Tensions with parents sometimes got in the way of development but at other times led to deeper engagement.
Key points
- 23 immigrant-origin Latinx older adolescents (mean age 20.22) took part.
- Indirect socialization included affirming Latin American identity and imparting communal values.
- Direct socialization included modeling engagement and providing encouragement.
- Socialization occurred mainly through dialogue, with tensions at times emerging.
- Tensions were sometimes obstacles but also catalyzed deeper engagement.
Limitations
The abstract describes a small qualitative sample reporting their own perceptions, so the findings cannot be generalised or show cause and effect. Parents' views and the setting or recruitment details are not given in the abstract. Participants were around 20 years old, so they are at the upper edge of or beyond childhood.
Abstract
Abstract Latinx youth navigate unique sociopolitical contexts shaped by anti‐immigrant rhetoric and cultural values like familism. This qualitative study examined how 23 immigrant‐origin Latinx older adolescents ( M age = 20.22) perceived their parents' role in their sociopolitical development. Using a modified constructivist grounded theory, we found that parents contributed to participants' sociopolitical development through indirect (affirming Latin American identity, imparting communal values) and direct (modeling engagement, providing encouragement) socialization practices. Socialization occurred primarily through dialogue, with tensions at times emerging. These tensions sometimes were obstacles to development but also catalyzed deeper engagement. Findings extend sociopolitical development theory by documenting how family relationships function as early life experiences (i.e., socialization), showcasing the complex interplay between parents and sociopolitical development.