Virginia W. Huynh

A longitudinal study of the simultaneous influence of mothers' and teachers' educational expectations on low-income youth's academic achievement.

This short-term longitudinal study investigated the simultaneous influences of adults’ (mothers and teachers) educational expectations and youth’s achievement (standardized test scores and teachers’ ratings of academic performance) across a 3-year time span on youth’s performance in school (GPA). Participants were an ethnically diverse sample of 426 low-income urban youth, ages 6 through 16 at T1. Results from cross-lagged and autoregressive path analyses indicated stability in adults’ expectations and youth’s standardized test scores; cross-lagged influences of teachers’, but not mothers’, expectations across time; and effects of youth’s achievement outcomes on adults’ expectations at T2, but not vice versa. Overall, the pattern of findings demonstrate that adults’ educational expectations are dynamic and responsive to how youth are faring in school and to changes in academic performance across time.

Ethnicity and Gender in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence: Group Identity and Awareness of Bias

The current study examined awareness of gender and ethnic bias and gender and ethnic identity in 350 African American, White/European American, and Latino/Hispanic students (Mage = 11.21 years, SD = 1.59) from the 4th, 6th, and 8th grades of diverse middle and elementary schools. The study collected (a) qualitative data to best capture the types of bias that were most salient to children and (b) daily diaries and individual measures to examine the multiple components of childrens gender and ethnic identities. Results revealed ethnic, gender, and grade-level differences in awareness of ethnic and gender bias. Overall, more children were aware of gender bias than ethnic bias. This effect was most pronounced among White/European American youths. Among those in 4th grade, African American and Latino youths were more likely to be aware of ethnic bias than were White/European American youths. Analyses also examined how awareness of bias was related to gender and ethnic identity. For example, children who had a salient and important gender identity, and a devalued ethnic identity, were less likely than other children to be aware of ethnic bias.

A Longitudinal Study of Religious Identity and Participation During Adolescence

To examine the development of religious identity during the teenage years, adolescents (N = 477) from Latin American, Asian, and European backgrounds completed questionnaires in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades (10th grade age: M = 15.81, SD = 0.36). Results indicated that religious identity remained stable across high school whereas religious participation declined. Even after controlling for ethnic differences in religious affiliation, socioeconomic background, and generational status, adolescents from Latin American and Asian backgrounds reported higher levels of religious identity and adolescents from Latin American backgrounds reported higher rates of religious participation. Within individual adolescents, changes in religious identity were associated with changes in ethnic and family identities, suggesting important linkages in the development of these social identities during adolescence.

Understanding Differences in College Persistence: A Longitudinal Examination of Financial Circumstances, Family Obligations, and Discrimination in an Ethnically Diverse Sample.

Ethnic and generational differences in motivation and achievement have been well-established. However, minimal research has examined the role of social factors on educational outcomes among individuals from diverse backgrounds. With a longitudinal sample of 408 Latino, Asian, and European-American students, we examine family, discrimination, and financial factors in 12th grade and two years later as predictors of persistence four years after high school, and as mediators of ethnic and generational differences in persistence. Results indicate that family obligations, discrimination, and financial burdens are associated with reduced rates of persistence, while high school GPA, SES, and financial aid are associated with higher rates of persistence. Ethnic differences in persistence are related to high school GPA and SES, as well as financial circumstances. Reducing ethnic disparities in college persistence should thus involve attention not only to academic factors, but also to family circumstances that may cause college attendance to be a hardship.

Sexual minority youth of color: A content analysis and critical review of the literature

ABSTRACT This study analyzed the content of 125 unique reports published since 1990 that have examined the health and well-being—as well as the interpersonal and contextual experiences—of sexual minority youth of color (SMYoC). One-half of reports sampled only young men, 73% were noncomparative samples of sexual minority youth, and 68% of samples included multiple racial-ethnic groups (i.e., 32% of samples were mono-racial/ethnic). Most reports focused on health-related outcomes (i.e., sexual and mental health, substance use), while substantially fewer attended to normative developmental processes (i.e., identity development) or contextual and interpersonal relationships (i.e., family, school, community, or violence). Few reports intentionally examined how intersecting oppressions and privileges related to sexual orientation and race-ethnicity contributed to outcomes of interest. Findings suggest that research with SMYoC has been framed by a lingering deficit perspective, rather than emphasizing normative developmental processes or cultural strengths. The findings highlight areas for future research focused on minority stress, coping, and resilience of SMYoC.

Discrimination and Sleep: The Protective Role of School Belonging

Ethnic minority adolescents experience certain sleep problems, yet factors that affect their sleep are poorly understood. This study examined the association between ethnic discrimination and sleep during adolescence and the extent to which perceived stress mediated these associations. This study also examined whether school belonging can protect adolescents from discrimination’s negative association with sleep. Latino (n = 247) and Asian American (n = 113) adolescents (Mage=17.18, SD = .75; 57% female) completed self-reports of overt and subtle discrimination, sleep quality, sleep hours, perceived stress, and school belonging. Both overt and subtle discrimination were associated with worse sleep quality. Only subtle discrimination was associated with getting less sleep. The associations between discrimination and sleep hold even after controlling for perceived stress. School belonging buffered the negative effect of overt discrimination on sleep. Findings suggest that discrimination is a unique type of vigilance that affects sleep; however, school belonging may be a positive resource for adolescents.

Subjective Social Status and Adolescent Health: The Role of Stress and Sleep

Despite adolescence being a period marked by significant social changes, research on social status focuses largely on adults. This study examined whether school and societal subjective social status (SSS) are differentially associated with adolescent health above and beyond objective socioeconomic status (SES), and explored pathways linking SSS to health. Latino (n = 169) and Asian American (n = 77) adolescents (M age = 17.23, SD = 0.74; 59% female) completed self-reports of SSS, sleep, stress, and somatic symptoms. Parents reported income and education. Blood pressure (BP) measurements were obtained. Results indicate that independent of objective SES, lower school SSS was associated with higher diastolic BP whereas lower societal SSS was associated with more somatic symptoms. Sleep disruptions and perceived stress mediated the association between societal SSS and somatic symptoms. Results suggest that SSS may be more important to adolescent health than objective SES. Furthermore, school and societal SSS may differentially affect indicators of health through different pathways.

Discrimination and Sleep Difficulties during Adolescence: The Mediating Roles of Loneliness and Perceived Stress

Irregular and insufficient sleep place youth at risk for adverse psychological and physical health outcomes. Recent research indicates that discrimination constitutes a type of stressor that interferes with adolescent sleep; however, the mechanisms through which discrimination affects sleep are not well understood. This study examined whether ethnic and non-ethnic (i.e., gender, age, and height/weight) discrimination were associated with adolescents’ sleep duration, variability, and quality, and whether loneliness and perceived stress mediated these associations. An ethnically-diverse sample (42% Latino, 29% European American, 23% Asian) of adolescents (N = 316; Mage = 16.40 years, 57% girls) reported on their experiences of discrimination, perceived stress, and loneliness. Sleep duration and variability were assessed by actigraphy and sleep quality through self-reports. Ethnic discrimination was related to shorter sleep duration and both ethnic and non-ethnic discrimination were associated with worse sleep quality. Loneliness and perceived stress partially mediated the relation between discrimination and sleep quality. Discriminatory experiences can heighten feelings of loneliness and stress, which, in turn, may contribute to diminished sleep quality during adolescence.