Do Mothers’ Experiences Count? An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model of Language Brokering Experiences in Mexican Immigrant Families

Jiaxiu Song, Yang Hou, Nancy L. Hazen, Elma I. Lorenzo-Blanco, Su Yeong Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Language brokering is a shared parent-child experience with implications for parent-child relationships and, in turn, individuals’ psychological well-being; however, few studies recognize the role of parents. This study took a dyadic approach to investigate the association between brokering experiences and internalizing symptoms, and the mediating role of parent-child alienation. Participants were 604 Mexican-origin adolescents (54% female, Mage = 12.41) and their mothers (N = 595). Both adolescents’ and their mothers’ brokering experiences were related to their own internalizing symptoms via their self-reported parent-child alienation. Mothers’ brokering experiences also affected adolescents so that when mothers experienced more negative brokering experiences, adolescents perceived greater parent-child alienation, and in turn more internalizing symptoms, suggesting the necessity of considering language brokering’s influence on members involved as a dyadic process.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)888-903
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of Youth and Adolescence
Volume51
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Support for this research was provided through awards to Su Yeong Kim from (1) National Science Foundation, Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, 1651128 and 0956123, (2) National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities 1R21MD012706-01A1 and 3R21MD-012706-02S1, (3) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 5R03HD060045-02, (4) Russell Sage Foundation, 2699, (5) Spencer Foundation, 10023427, (6) Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, JRG-102, (7) Office of the Vice President for Research and Creative Grant and Special Research Grant from the University of Texas at Austin, (8) College of Natural Sciences Catalyst Grant from the University of Texas at Austin, and (9) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 2P2CHD042849-19 grant awarded to the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin. These funding sources had no role other than financial support.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Keywords

  • Actor-partner interdependence model
  • Internalizing symptoms
  • Language brokering
  • Mexican-origin adolescents and mothers
  • Parent-child alienation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Education
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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