YDC Lab Boston

Experiences of Immigrant Origin Youth and Families

 

Our lab has a long history of studying the experiences, including the strengths and resilience factors, of immigrant origin youth and families in the U.S. Dr. Marks is a pioneer in research related to the immigrant paradox, a phenomenon wherein recent immigrants to the U.S. outperform other immigrants and U.S. natives in a variety of domains. Publications from our lab related to this topic include:

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• Tardif-Grenier, K., Olivier, E., Marks, A. K., Archambault, I., Dupéré, V., Gervais, C., & Hébert, C. (2022). Coping and its association with psychological adjustment: Differences between first-, second-, and third-plus generation adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 1-15. http://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12040

• Alegria, M., Yip, T., Marks, A. K., Juang, L., Cohen, L., & Cuervo-Torello, F. (2021) Editorial: Improving mental health for immigrant populations. Frontiers in Psychiatry: Public Mental Health. Special issue on “Improving Mental Health for Immigrant Populations.” http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.785137 

• Alegria, M., Juang, L., Marks, A., Yip, T., eds. (2021). Improving Mental Health for Immigrant Populations. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA. doi: 10.3389/978-2-88971-903-7

• Guarini, T. E., Marks, A. K., Patton, F., & Garcia Coll, C. (2015). The immigrant paradox in pregnancy: Explaining the first generation advantage for Latina adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence. 25(1), 14-19. DOI: 10.1111/jora.12096

• Marks, A. K., Ejesi, K., & Garcia Coll, C. (2014). The U.S. immigrant paradox in childhood and adolescence. Child Development Perspectives, 8(2), 59-64. DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12071

• McCullough, M., & Marks, A. K. (2014). The immigrant paradox and adolescent obesity: Examining health behaviors as potential mediators. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 35(2), 138-143. DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000027.

• Garcia Coll, C., & Marks, A. K. (2012). The Immigrant Paradox in Children and Adolescents: Is becoming American a developmental risk? Washington DC: APA Press.

• García Coll, C., Patton, F., Marks, A. K., Dimitrova, R., Yang, H., Suarez-Aviles, G., & Batchelor, A. (2012). Understanding the immigrant paradox in youth: Developmental and contextual considerations. In A. Masten (Ed.), Realizing the Potential of Immigrant Youth. (pp. 159-180). Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press.

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We also focus on experiences of wellness and resilience and challenges associated with migration experienced by immigrant origin youth and families. We are currently working on the final stages of a multi-year study, Legal Vulnerabilities in Immigrant Families (LVIF), which includes interviews with parents and children about their experiences migrating to the U.S., living in the U.S. post-migration, and how legal status affects daily life. Many of our lab members have been involved in data collection, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and publication planning. We also have focused recent publications on developmental adaptation and lived experiences associated with migration. Publications related to this topic include:

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• Roberg, R., Camargo, T., Garcia-Rodriguez, I., Marks, A.K. (Under review) A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Legal Liminality’s Psychological Impact on Immigrant Parent Mental Health and Well-Being. Submitted to the 2021 Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Minneapolis, MN.

• Marks, A. K., Woolverton, G. A., & Murry, M. (2021). Xenophobia and racism: Immigrant youth experiences, stress, & resilience. In U. Tummala-Narra (Ed.), Racial minority immigrants and trauma in the U.S. Washington DC: APA Press.

• Marks, A. K., Woolverton, G. A., & García Coll, C. (2020). Risk and resilience in minority youth populations. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 16, 151-163. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-071119-115839

• Marks, A. K., Woolverton, G. A., & Garcia Coll, C. (2019). Children’s migratory paths between cultures: The effects of immigration patterns on the adaptation of children and families. In R. D. Parke & G. H. Elder (Eds.), Children in Changing Worlds: Sociocultural and Temporal Perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• McCullough, M., Pieloch, K. A., & Marks, A. K. (2019). Body image, assimilation, and health of immigrant adolescents in the U.S.: A person-centered analysis. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.

• Suarez-Orozco, C., Motti-Stefanidi, F., Marks, A.K., & Katsiaficas, D. (2018). An integrative risk and resilience model for understanding the development and adaptation of immigrant origin children and youth. American Psychologist, 73(6), 781-796. DOI: 10.1037/amp0000265

• Bouza, J., Camacho-Thompson, D. E., Carlo, G., Franco, X., Garcia Coll, C., Halguseth, L. C., Marks, A. K., Stein, G. L., Suarez-Orozco, C., & White, R. M. (2018). The science is clear: Separating families has long-term damaging psychological and health consequences for children, families, and communities. Washington DC: Society for Research in Child Development, policy brief archived June 20, 2018. https://www.srcd.org/policy-media/statements-evidence/separating-families

• Marks, A. K.,  McKenna, J., & Garcia Coll, C. (2018). National receiving contexts: A critical aspect of native-born, immigrant, and refugee youth well-being. European Psychologist, 23(1), 6-20. DOI: 10.1027/1016-9040/a000311

• Marks, A. K., &  Pieloch, K. (2015). The school contexts of U.S. immigrant children and adolescents. In C. Suarez-Orozco, M. Abo-Zena, & A. K. Marks (Eds.), Transitions: The Development of Children of Immigrants. (pp. 47-60) New York: NYU Press.

• Marks, A. K.,  Seaboyer, L., & Garcia Coll, C. (2015). The academic achievement of U.S. immigrant children and adolescents. In C. Suarez-Orozco, M. Abo-Zena, & A. K. Marks (Eds.), Transitions: The Development of Children of Immigrants. (pp. 259-275) New York: NYU Press.

• Marks, A. K., Ejesi, K., McCullough, M. B., & Coll, C. G. (2015). Developmental implications of discrimination. Handbook of child psychology and developmental science, 1-42.

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How immigrant origin youth and families respond to traumatic experiences is another important area of research focus in our lab. We are interested in intergenerational trauma due to oppressive systems. Some of our work looks at effects of systemic oppression, including racial and migratory trauma, on mental health outcomes.

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• Luehrs, R. E., Camargo, T., Woolverton, G. A., & Marks, A. K. (2020, November – Conference online). A mixed methods investigation of trauma exposure and resilience in legally vulnerable immigrants in the U.S. Flash talk to be presented at the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies 36th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

• Luehrs, R. E., McCaughey, V. K., & Marks, A. K. (2020, November – Conference online). Associations between lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology: Evidence from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Poster to be presented at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 54th Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.

• Bouza, J., Camacho-Thompson, D. E., Carlo, G., Franco, X., Coll, C. G., Halgunseth, L. C., Marks, A. K., Stein, G. L., Suarez-Orozco, C., White, R. (2018). The science is clear: Separating families has long-term damaging psychological and health consequences for children, families, and communities. Society for Research in Child Development, 20.

• Pieloch, K.A.,  Garcia-Rodriguez, I.A., & Marks, A.K. (March, 2019). Multilevel resilience characteristics of children with trauma histories. Poster presentation at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Baltimore, MD.

• Almazan, I.,  Pieloch, K., & Marks, A. K. (November, 2017). Examining the effect of trauma on community-level resilience in children. Poster presentation at the National Collegiate Honors Council annual meeting. Atlanta, GA.

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Identity Factors (e.g. Ethnic/Racial Identity)

 

Our lab is committed to studying identity development, a critical component of development for all youth. Developing a strong and positive ethnic/racial identity is a protective factor for racially minoritized individuals throughout the lifespan. Additionally, new research is emerging about how White youth have unique ethnic/racial identity development experiences. We are interested in how identity affects internal developmental and psychological experiences as well as interpersonal, academic, and familial experiences. In other words, we are committed to studying identity in context. Publications related to this topic include:

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• Woolverton, G. A., & Marks, A. K. (Revise & Resubmit). “There isn’t anything interesting about White:” Exploring diverse adolescents’ ethnic/racial identities and related academic and interpersonal experiences at school. Journal of Adolescent Research.

• Woolverton, G. A., & Marks, A. K. (Revise & Resubmit). “I just check ‘other’”: Evidence to support expanding the measurement inclusivity and equity of ethnicity/race and cultural identifications of U.S. adolescents. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology.

• Williams, C. D., Byrd, C. M., Quintana, S. M., Anicama, C., Kiang, L., Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Calzada, E. J., Dyer, J., Gautier, M. P.,  Ejesi, K., Tuitt, N. R., Martinez-Fuentes, S., White, L., Marks, A. K., Rogers, L. O., Whitesell, N. (In press). A lifespan model of ethnic-racial identity. Research in Human Development.

• Rogers, L. O., Kiang, L., White, L., Calzada, E. J., Umaña-Taylor, A. J., Byrd, C., Williams, C. D., Marks, A. K., & Whitesell, N. (In press). Ten questionable assumptions that guide (and limit) research on ethnic-racial identity and its development. Research in Human Development.

• Marks, A.K., Calzada, E., Kiang, L., Pabón Gautier, M.C., Martinez-Fuentes, S., Tuitt, N.R., a Ejesi, K., Rogers, L.O., Williams, C.D., & Umaña-Taylor, A. (In press). Applying the lifespan model of ethnic-racial identity development: Exploring affect, behavior, and cognition to promote well-being. Research in Human Development.

• Murry, M., & Marks, A. K. (Under review). Adapting to college: Exploration of psychological well-being, coping, and ethnic-racial identity as markers of readiness. Poster to be presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Online.

• Marks, A. K., Martinez-Fuentes, S., Tuitt, N., & Gautier, M. P. (March, 2019). An application of the lifespan model of ethnic-racial identity development: Exploring identity’s A-B-C’s in context. Symposium presentation at the Society for Research in Child Development Conference, Baltimore MD.

• Marks, A. K. (May 3, 2018). Ethnic-racial identity development in childhood & adolescence. NSF Working Group Member Presentation, University of Texas at Austin.

• Ejesi, K.,  Nathan, N., Cipolla, G.,  Considine, T., Hillman, M., & Marks, A.K. (March, 2015). Relationships Among Parental Attachment and Ethnic/Racial Identity Exploration and Commitment in Emerging Adulthood. Poster presentation at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

 

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Equity in Youth and Families

 

Our lab has always been committed to understanding equity in youth experiences. This research has focused on interventions related to increasing equity in experiences such as learning. We are also focused on studying how racism affects development and how to increase equity by decreasing peer-directed racism. A newer avenue of our research explores how White children and families develop their racial ideologies and enact them in context. Drawing from muti-disciplinary frameworks, we are working to develop an anti-racist educational intervention for White children and their caregivers. Publications related to this topic include:

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• Woolverton, G. A. & Marks, A. K. (Under Review). An integrative model for the development of anti-racism in White youth. Abstract submitted to the Journal of Adolescent Research Special Issue: Critical approaches to adolescent development: Reflections on theories and methods for pursuing anti-racist developmental science.

• Woolverton, G. A., & Marks, A. K. (Revise & Resubmit). “There isn’t anything interesting about White:” Exploring diverse adolescents’ ethnic/racial identities and related academic and interpersonal experiences at school. Journal of Adolescent Research.

• Woolverton, G. A., & Marks, A. K. (Revise & Resubmit). “I just check ‘other’”: Evidence to support expanding the measurement inclusivity and equity of ethnicity/race and cultural identifications of U.S. adolescents. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology.

• Murry, M. D.,  Benavidez-Walsh, S. J., Browne, R. K., & Marks, A. K. (Under Review). School Based Interventions for Equitable Learning. To appear in: Halpern-Felsher, B (Ed). Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Health, Elsevier.

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Parent-Child Interactions and Collaborations

 

We are interested in the intra-family dynamics between parents and their children. For example, we have studied how acculturation affects the parent-child relationship in several studies. An upcoming study will focus on how parent-child relationship conflicts among Vietnamese families are affected by gender role socialization and acculturation gaps. An ongoing collaboration with Families First explores how a parenting education intervention impacts parents’ self-perceptions of their parenting abilities in a predominantly Latinx community. We are increasingly interested in understanding parent-child trainings that target specific challenges. We explored through a feasibility study how parents can use a workbook to talk to their children about their risk for deportation and the legal vulnerabilities within their families. An emerging study will examine the feasibility of an anti-racism training for White parent-child dyads. For both studies, we seek to understand from families themselves what is feasible, helpful, and effective for their families.

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• Benavidez-Walsh, S. J.,  Luehrs, R., Duté, K., DiBiase, R., Osborne, K., Speck, A., O'Brien, M., & Marks, A. K. (Under review). The Power of ParentingTM Program: parent identity and parenting transformations shown through parents’ self-reflective drawings [Poster session]. Submitted to the 2021 Society for Research in Child Development Virtual Biennial Meeting.

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Thoughtful Research Methods

 

We aim to perform research that benefits our participants and their communities and avoid doing harm, as has been done by the academic research institution on marginalized communities. Therefore, across all of the areas in which we produce research, the methods we use are highly important. Every step of our work is guided by inclusive and anti-oppressive theories for designing and utilizing research methods that are guided by our participants’ voices. We carefully attend to the implications and potential biases associated with measurement and data collection, often using mixed (qualitative and quantitative) methods and community participatory approaches to respectfully and comprehensively capture individuals’ experiences. When appropriate, we also are interested in inductive or bottom-up approaches (e.g. indicative thematic analyses, person centered analyses) to understanding our participants without applying pre-conceived notions to our participants’ experiences. A selection of publications that use unique methods or focus on evaluating research methods themselves include:

 

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• Woolverton, G. A., & Marks, A. K. (Revise & Resubmit). “I just check ‘other’”: Evidence to support expanding the measurement inclusivity and equity of ethnicity/race and cultural identifications of U.S. adolescents. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology.

• Bedard-Thomas, K. K., McKenna, J. L., Pantalone, D.W., Fireman, G., & Marks, A. K. (2019). A mixed-methods measurement study of female adolescent sexuality stress and support. Psychology & Sexuality. DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2019.1596972

• Marks, A.K., & Garcia Coll, C. (2018). Education and developmental competencies of ethnic minority children: Recent theoretical and methodological advances. Developmental Review, 50, 90-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2018.05.004

• Marks, A. K., & Abo-Zena, M. (2013). What we might have missed: Lessons from diverse methodologies in the study of immigrant families. Research in Human Development, 10(4), 285-288. DOI: 10.1080/15427609.2013.846040

• Bedard, K. K. & Marks, A. K. (2012). Mixed methods. In S. Loue & M. Sajatovic (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. (pp. 1093-1096) New York: Springer.

• Marks, A. K., Patton, F., & Garcia Coll, C. (2011) Being Bicultural: A mixed-methods study of adolescents’ implicitly and explicitly measured multiethnic identities. Developmental Psychology, 47(1), 270-288. DOI: 10.1037/a0020730