Latino Immigrant Children’s Acculturative Stress in Music Classes: A Structural Equation Model

Research shows that the process of acculturation (adjustment to a new environment) determines psychological outcomes, such as acculturative stress. This relationship is affected by mediator variables, including social support and self-perceptions. Using structural equation modeling, this study explored how support in and through music and music self-perceptions affected the relationship between acculturation and acculturative stress in music classes. Data were collected among Latino immigrant students ( N = 501) ages 6 to 11 from two Title I elementary schools in a large city in the southeastern United States. Findings showed that higher levels of acculturative stress in music classes were linked to lower levels of American acculturation and higher levels of Latino acculturation. In addition, the indirect effect of American acculturation through U.S. music support and music self-perceptions was linked to higher levels of acculturative stress, whereas the indirect effect of Latino acculturation through Latino music support was linked to lower levels of stress. It could be hypothesized that U.S. music support may increase academic expectations, contributing to higher levels of acculturative stress. Conversely, Latino music support could help immigrant children connect with their ethnic musical heritage with lower academic pressure.