Linguistic Acculturation and the Immigrant Paradox: Understanding the Role of Language and Time on Self-Esteem and Depressive Symptoms for Second Generation Latine Adolescents

This study explores the experiences of second-generation Latine adolescents by examining the impact of bilingualism on self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Drawing on Suarez-Orozco and colleagues' (2018) model, this study shows the multifaceted acculturation process, emphasizing linguistic acculturation as crucial for navigating two cultures. The current study evaluated the relationships between bilingualism and self-esteem and depressive symptoms in a sample of second generation Latine adolescents (n = 2005). The sample was obtained from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS) by Portes and Rumbaut (2018). Groups separated by levels of bilingualism were compared based on the participants' self-esteem and depressive scores. Fluent bilinguals' self-esteem scores were statistically different from bilinguals with English dominance, bilinguals with Spanish dominance, and monolinguals with fluent bilinguals, scoring higher scores on self-esteem, on average. Those with English dominance scored higher levels of self-esteem than Spanish dominance and monolinguals, but Spanish dominance and monolinguals did not have significant differences. The results were replicated at wave 2, three years later from the original data collection. Regarding depressive symptoms, fluent bilinguals scored fewer depressive symptoms when compared to monolinguals, on average. But no significant differences were observed among the other groups. Furthermore, the current study explored the immigrant paradox to understand if time has a relationship with this population regarding self-esteem and depressive symptoms. Groups with different lengths of stay were compared based on the participants' self-esteem and depressive symptom scores. Participants with less than five years in the country endorse lower self-esteem than participants with more time in the country, overall. The comparison based on depressive symptoms was inconclusive. A moderation regression analysis was performed to analyze if bilingualism could moderate participants' self-esteem and depressive symptoms over time. Bilingualism did not moderate the relationships between the participants scores at wave 1 and 2, but bilingualism was independently associated with participants' self-esteem scores. Findings suggest that bilingualism is a strong protective factor for second generation Latine adolescents. The findings contribute to understanding the unique experiences of second-generation Latine adolescents in the acculturation process. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]