U-UCANGAN

Schools are important for the academic and socio-emotional development, as well as acculturation of immigrant-and refugee-background youth. We highlight individual differences which shape their unique experiences, while considering three levels of the school context in terms of how they may affect adaptation outcomes: (1) interindividual interactions in the classroom (such as peer relations, student-teacher relations, teacher beliefs, and teaching practices), (2) characteristics of the classroom or school (such as ethnic composition and diversity climate), and (3) relevant school-and nation-level policies (such as diversity policies and school tracking). Given the complexity of the topic, there is a need for more research taking an integrated and interdisciplinary perspective to address migration related issues in the school context. Teacher beliefs and the normative climate in schools seem particularly promising points for intervention, which may be easier to change than structural aspects of the school context. More inclusive schools are also an important step toward more peaceful interethnic relations in diverse societies

Promoting positive development among refugee adolescents

Of the estimated 35.3 million refugees around the world (UNHCR, Figures at a Glance, 2022), approximately 50% are children under the age of 18. Refugee adolescents represent a unique group as they navigate developmental tasks in an unstable and often threatening environment or in resettlement contexts in which they often face marginalization. In addition to physiological, social, and psychological changes that mark adolescence, refugee youth often face traumatic experiences, acculturative stress, discrimination, and a lack of basic resources. In this consensus statement, we examine research on refugee adolescents' developmental tasks, acculturative tasks, and psychological adjustment using Suárez-Orozco and colleague's integrative risk and resilience model for immigrant-origin children and youth proposed by Suárez-Orozco et al. Finally, we discuss recommendations-moving from proximal to more distal contexts

Do Dimensions of Ethnic Identity Mediate the Association Between Perceived Ethnic Group Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms?

Ethnic group discrimination represents a notable risk factor that may contribute to mental health problems among ethnic minority college students. However, cultural resources (e.g., ethnic identity) may promote psychological adjustment in the context of group-based discriminatory experiences. In the current study, we examined the associations between perceptions of ethnic group discrimination and depressive symptoms, and explored dimensions of ethnic identity (i.e., exploration, resolution, and affirmation) as mediators of this process among 2,315 ethnic minority college students (age 18 to 30 years; 37% Black, 63% Latino). Results indicated that perceived ethnic group discrimination was associated positively with depressive symptoms among students from both ethnic groups. The relationship between perceived ethnic group discrimination and depressive symptoms was mediated by ethnic identity affirmation for Latino students, but not for Black students. Ethnic identity resolution was negatively and indirectly associated with depressive symptoms through ethnic identity affirmation for both Black and Latino students. Implications for promoting ethnic minority college students’ mental health and directions for future research are discussed

Person-Centered Trajectories of Cultural Values and Behaviors among Chinese American Adolescents

This study examined change in acculturation values and behavior among 310 Chinese American adolescents, and how patterns of change were related to key demographic variables and indicators of positive youth development. Dual process group-based trajectory models of change in U.S. and Chinese values and behaviors indicated a six-group solution for each. The results showed that acculturation value patterns were not related to gender, nativity, or parent education, but were related to family cohesion, self-esteem, general and academic self-efficacy, and GPA. Acculturation behavior patterns were not related to gender but were related to nativity and parent education, and were also related to general self-efficacy and family cohesion. Taken together, our findings suggest that most trajectories of development are associated with positive outcomes, but there are small groups of adolescents that function very well (those who maintain higher behavioral involvement in both) and some not very well, especially those whose behaviors are becoming more disparate over time

White ≠ European (American): Comment on APA’s Updated Inclusive Language Guide

The American Psychological Association (APA) released the second edition of the Inclusive Language Guide in late 2023. One aspect of this guide that was not updated from the previous version was the recommendation for authors to use either “White” or “European [nationality]” when “writing about people of European ancestry.” In this comment, we argue that “white” and “European” or “European American,” for instance, are not terms that can or should be used interchangeably. Although most individuals racialized as white have European ancestry, it is generally not their ethnic heritage that is most impactful for their opportunities and experiences, but their perceived and ascribed inclusion in whiteness. Regardless of research topic, employing the term “European (American)” rather than “white” obscures whiteness and the concomitant role of systemic racism shaping the lives of all individuals, including those racialized as white. Moreover, using the terms “white” and “European (American)” interchangeably implies that only people racialized as white can be European, masking the history and current reality of millions of Europeans of Color. Labels that limit being European to those racialized as white perpetuate othering and uphold a hierarchy where being white is the only acceptable embodiment of being European. With racism on the rise in Europe, it is important for researchers to recognize the power in the language we use. We suggest that APA and scholars following APA style consider the implications of these terms and not use them interchangeably, as doing so reinforces inequity across the globe

The relationship between adolescent academic capability beliefs, parenting and school grades

The purpose of this study was to examine the interplay between parenting, adolescent academic capability beliefs and school grades. First, we examined how aspects of parenting and adolescent's cognitive ability predicted adolescent academic capability beliefs and school grades at 6th grade, which, in turn, predicted adolescent school outcomes at 9th grade. Second, we examined how configurations of adolescents (based on cognitive ability, parental involvement, and capability beliefs) at 6th grade, related to their school grades at 9th grade. The sample included 641 German adolescents. The first set of analyses suggest that parents who demonstrated more warmth, engaged in more discussions concerning academic and intellectual matters with their adolescents, had higher school aspirations for their adolescents, and reported more interest/ involvement in their adolescent's schooling, had adolescents with higher capability beliefs at 6th grade, and this, in turn, related to better school grades for adolescents at 9th grade. In the second set of analyses, results show that adolescents who were characterized by the configuration of having above average ability, parental school involvement and capability beliefs, received the best school grades. In contrast, adolescents who were characterized by below average ability, parental school involvement and capability beliefs, demonstrated the worst school performance

Toward a New Understanding of Ethnic/Racial Settings for Ethnic/Racial Identity Development

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to advance theory and research on one critical aspect of the context of ethnic/racial identity (ERI) development: ethnic/racial settings, or the objective and subjective nature of group representation within an individual’s context. We present a new conceptual framework that consists of four dimensions: 1) perspective (that settings can be understood in both objective and subjective terms); 2) differentiation (how groups are defined in a setting); 3) heterogeneity (the range of groups in a setting); and 4) proximity (the distance between the individual and the setting). Clarifying this complexity is crucial for advancing a more coherent understanding of how ethnic/racial settings are related to ERI development