Reconsidering the Acculturation Gap: Su Yeong Kim’s Research on Resilience and Family Meaning

By Dr. Su Yeong Kim Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin

Rethinking the Acculturation Gap: Su Yeong Kim Highlights Strengths in Mexican-Origin Families

Much of the prior research on the “acculturation gap” has relied upon what scholars call a deficit perspective, focusing on how mismatches between parents’ and children’s levels of cultural adaptation generate conflict and predict negative outcomes such as depression or poor academic performance. While these findings are valuable, they leave out an equally important question: Can cultural mismatches also generate positive outcomes for immigrant families?

Our study, published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence (2022), takes a strengths-based approach to explore precisely this question. We examined how mother-adolescent cultural adaptation mis/matches across four key domains, acculturation (U.S. orientation), enculturation (heritage cultural orientation), English proficiency, and Spanish proficiency, relate not only to challenges, but also to the building blocks of thriving: resilience and meaning in life.

The Families Behind the Research

We drew on survey data from 604 Mexican-origin families living in Texas, with adolescents ranging from 11 to 15 years old. Nearly all mothers were born in Mexico, while three-quarters of the adolescents were born in the United States.

Adolescents and mothers completed measures of:

● Acculturation & Enculturation: attitudes toward U.S. and Mexican culture using the Vancouver Index of Acculturation.

● Language Proficiency: self-rated English and Spanish skills.

● Resilience: the ability to adapt and “bounce back” in the face of adversity.

● Life Meaning: perceptions of purpose and significance in life.

To analyze this complex dyadic data, we used Response Surface Analysis (RSA), a statistical approach that allows us to distinguish between matches (parent and child similar) and mismatches (differences in levels) in cultural adaptation.

Key Discoveries from Su Yeong Kim’s

Research:

The Role of Matches and Mismatches

Our findings challenge the traditional “gap = distress” model by uncovering meaningful ways in which both matches and mismatches can promote well-being.

1. High-High Matches Drive Resilience and Meaning

When mothers and adolescents both scored high on acculturation, enculturation, or Spanish proficiency, both generations reported stronger resilience and greater life meaning. In other words, thriving together at high levels of cultural adaptation created opportunities for personal growth and strengthened psychological resources.

This was especially true for language: shared proficiency in Spanish facilitated deeper communication and bonding, which supported resilience. Shared high enculturation was also linked to a stronger sense of identity and purpose, consistent with prior studies showing that ethnic pride nurtures psychosocial health.

2. Mismatches Are Not Always Harmful—Sometimes They’re Beneficial

Interestingly, the directionality of mismatch mattered.

● When adolescents were more acculturated or English/Spanish proficient than mothers, they tended to show stronger resilience and life meaning. This reflects the well-documented phenomenon of language brokering, where youth help parents navigate U.S. society. Through these responsibilities, adolescents acquire coping skills that deepen both personal resilience and a sense of life purpose.

● Conversely, when mothers were more enculturated or acculturated than adolescents, mothers benefited. They reported higher resilience and meaning, likely because greater cultural knowledge and language skills positioned them as effective guides in their children’s development—reinforcing their caregiving role and sense of purpose.

3. Not All Matches Are Equal

A particularly interesting finding emerged when examining moderate (mid-mid) matches. Adolescents and mothers who matched at moderate levels of enculturation reported the lowest resilience. This suggests that matching alone is insufficient; the level of matching matters. High-high or even low-low matches produced stronger outcomes than mid-level alignment.

Why This Research Matters

This study offers several new insights into how immigrant families thrive:

● Moving Beyond Deficits: Instead of framing cultural mismatches as inherently problematic, we show that some mismatches can foster unique strengths, including resilience-building and opportunities for adolescent growth.

● Interdependence Across Generations: Mothers benefit when they can lead in cultural knowledge or language proficiency; adolescents benefit when they take on adaptive roles in navigating U.S. society Well-being flows in both directions.

● Level of Alignment Matters: It is not just whether parents and children “match,” but whether they match at high, medium, or low levels that determines outcomes.

Practical and Policy Implications

Our results suggest that family programs and policy interventions should be reframed around strengths and assets, rather than risks:

1. Promote High-Level Cultural Competence in Both Generations. Supporting bilingualism and fostering bicultural identities can simultaneously benefit adolescents and their mothers.

2. Recognize Adolescents’ Roles as Cultural Bridges. Youth often support parents by brokering language and navigating systems. Programs can help adolescents manage the stress of this role while also recognizing the resilience and skills it builds.

3. Support Mothers’ Cultural Teaching and Leadership. Mothers who maintain strong ethnic traditions and language often find increased meaning and resilience. Encouraging cultural socialization can therefore strengthen both generations.

4. Tailor Interventions Culturally. General parenting or resilience programs may miss the mark unless designed to reflect families’ lived experiences—such as discrimination, bicultural navigation, and heritage value transmission.

Conclusion: Strength in Adaptation

The “acculturation gap” is too often seen as a source of breakdown within immigrant families. But our findings among Mexican-origin families suggest a richer story. Whether through shared high-level adaptation, strengthened cultural identity, or adaptive mismatches where one generation leads the other, families are actively building resilience and meaning together.

By recognizing these dynamics, policymakers, educators, and practitioners can move away from fear-driven narratives of the immigrant family experience and instead promote the strategies that help families not just survive cultural change, but thrive within it.

Read the full research: Reconsidering the ‘Acculturation Gap’: Mother–Adolescent Cultural Adaptation Mis/Matches and Positive Psychosocial Outcomes Among Mexican-Origin Families

Forfurtherresearchupdatesandresourcesonimmigrantfamilydynamicsandadolescent developmentpleasevisit suyeongkim.com | suyeongkimresearch.com