Life experiences of hispanic adolescents: Developmental and language considerations in acculturation stress

Abstract

Hispanic youth currently constitute the largest and fastest growing of all ethnic and racial groups in the United States. In addition to normal developmental life stressors, Hispanic youth also face minority status and acculturation-related stress. This study examined the psychosocial and acculturative stressors of Hispanic youth (n=170) residing in the northeast and southwest United States through the use of focus group methodology. Findings are presented within a developmental perspective and suggest that Hispanic youth experience stressors broadly categorized across 6 domains, namely: (a) immigration, (b) communication and language, (c) school and academic, (d) peer, (e) family, and (f) social and economic. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.