Parenting, Family Processes, Relationships, and Parental Support in Multiracial and Multiethnic Families: An Exploratory Study of Youth Perceptions

• Author: Elma I. Lorenzo‐Blanco,Cristina B. Bares,Jorge Delva
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00751.x
• Date: 01 February 2013
• Published date: 01 February 2013

ELMA I. LORENZO-BLANCO University of Michigan

CRISTINA B. BARES Virginia Commonwealth University∗

JORGE DELVA University of Michigan∗∗

Parenting, Family Processes, Relationships,

and Parental Support in Multiracial and Multiethnic

Families: An Exploratory Study of Youth

Perceptions

Mixed-race or multiethnic youth are at risk

for mental and physical health problems.

We used data from the National Longitudi-

nal Study of Youth 1997 to compare family

characteristics of adolescents of a mixed-race

or multiethnic background with those of a

monoracial or monoethnic background. Mixed-

race or multiethnic youth reported feeling less

supported by parents and reported less

satisfactory parent-adolescent relationships.

Mixed-race/multiethnic youth were more like

monoracial White youth in terms of being inde-

pendent but were more like racial or ethnic

minorities (African Americans, Hispanics) in

regard to family activities. Reasons for these

f‌indings are explored. We discuss the need for

future research on the experiences of mixed-

race/multiethnic youth.

Departments of Psychology and Women’s Studies,

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043

(elmalb@umich.edu).

∗School of Social Work, Virginia Commonwealth Univer-

sity, Richmond, VA 23284.

∗∗School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann

Arbor, MI 48109.

Key Words: adolescents, family, multiethnic, multiracial,

parenting, support.

A growing number of people in the United

States are born into interracial, multiethnic, or

mixed-race families. From 2000 to 2009, the

number of self-identif‌ied mixed-race individuals

increased by 32% (from 6,826,222 to 9,009,073;

U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). This mixed-race,

multiethnic population appears to be young,

as over 50% reported being under the age

of 24 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). As the

number of mixed-race or multiethnic (MR/ME)

children in the United States continues to

grow, it is important to understand their

development. Furthermore, nascent research

with MR/ME youth indicates that these youth

are at higher risk for mental, physical, and

behavior problems compared to monoracial

and monoethnic youth (e.g., Bolland et al.,

2007; Udry, Li, & Hendrickson-Smith, 2003).

Research with these youth has not examined the

relationships these youth have with their parents

and families, factors that may be associated

with their apparently higher risk. Building

on prior work (Bolland et al., 2007; Udry

et al., 2003), we examined perceived parenting

and family-related variables associated with

youth well-being. Specif‌ically, the present

study examined how parenting (e.g., parental

control, monitoring, and supportiveness) and

family experience (e.g., eating dinner as a

Family Relations 62 (February 2013): 125 –139125

DOI:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00751.x