Towards a Multisystem, Strength-Based Model of Social Inequities in US Latinx Youth

Abstract

US Latinx youth are overrepresented across numerous social inequity domains (e.g., education, incarceration, health) in US society. Such concerning data call for culturally sensitive and strength-based models to guide future research to better understand, and perhaps mitigate, such inequities. The present paper presents a conceptual model that highlights the roles of multiple systems (cultural, relational, intrapersonal, behavioral) that predict US Latinx youth social inequities. The proposed model incorporates a culture- and strength-based approach to further our understanding of US Latinx youth developmental trajectories associated with social inequalities. We also highlight a set of culture-specific and non-culture-specific risk and protective factors (e.g., ethnic identity, social support, neighborhood characteristics) that can exacerbate or mitigate social inequities, with a focus on positive social behaviors. The extant research literature that yields supportive evidence for the model and gaps in the research are briefly reviewed. The essay concludes with recommendations for future research.