Understanding Immigration and Psychological Development: A Multilevel Ecological Approach.

Approximately one in live children in the U.S. are born to immigrant families in which at least one parent is foreign-horn. Existing theoretical frameworks suggest that immigration experiences can increase acculturative stress and lead to developmental psycholopathology in immigrant children. These models, however, do not account for levels in the environment that trigger this stress and/or serve as forms of resilience. Drawing from Brofenbronner's multilevel, hioecological model of development, this paper presents a framework that charts environmental processes which generate or huflër acculturative stress and, therefore, mediate the impact of immigration on psychological well-being. Empirical research shows that Mexican immigrants, on the whole, fare better than U.S.-born groups in terms of mental health outcomes. These results arc explained in the context of the presented theoretical model. Though further research is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that encouraging "enculturation," as opposed to "acculturation," has positive mental health repercussions for Mexican American children. Further research using the presented theoretical framework as well as policies and practices that incorporate and leverage the cultural strengths of Mexican immigrant children should he pursued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]