Extended Kin, Acculturation and Asian Adolescent Well-Being

Holly Heard, Rice University
Adrianne Frech, Rice University
Rachel T. Kimbro, Rice University

The tendency for immigrant ethnic groups, particularly Asians, to co-reside with extended kin is well-established, but few studies have examined the prevalence of extended family living among Asian adolescents, and none have considered the role of living with relatives on adolescent well-being. We use Wave I of Add Health to examine the impacts of residing with extended kin and immigrant acculturation (generation status and English language use) on the health, substance use, and educational well-being of 1,380 Asian adolescents living in the U.S. We also examine competing explanations, such as family integration and peer attachment. We find that both living with relatives and greater acculturation increase the likelihood of being overweight and reduce the likelihood of having high college expectations, while acculturation is also positively associated with binge drinking. Although family integration and peer attachment have independent influences, they do little to mediate effects of kin co-residence or immigrant acculturation.