Norma J Perez‐brena
Biographic Data
| ID | 188618 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Norma J Perez‐brena |
| GIVEN NAMES | Norma J |
| FAMILY NAME | Perez‐brena |
| SIGNATURE | BRENA N J P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Texas State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7612-6246 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 73 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 28 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
A Scoping Review of Acculturation Challenges of Immigrants From the Former Soviet Union in the United States From a Life Course Perspective
The United States is home to over a million former Soviet Union (FSU) immigrants, yet literature on their familial dynamics and mental health and well-being is scarce. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, this scoping review synthesizes literature since 1990 about FSU immigrants’ acculturation and well-being across 10 databases. The scoping review included 39 studies. The selected articles revealed three themes: (a) maintaining cultural and…
Latinx adolescent parents' experiences with stigma and their school‐related outcomes: Examining the moderating effects of social support and ethnic‐racial identity
Adolescent parents are at risk for poorer school-related outcomes relative to their non-parenting peers. In part, poorer academic outcomes may reflect adolescents' need to balance multiple roles within systems that are unaccommodating to their unique needs. Concomitantly, adolescent parents hold cultural and familial assets that can help them achieve positive school-related outcomes (i.e., school belonging, aspirations, and expectations) despite …
Relations between ethnic‐racial identity statuses and critical consciousness among Latine adolescents
Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development reflects the processes through which adolescents learn about their ethnic-racial background (i.e., exploration) and develop clarity about what it means to them (i.e., resolution). Research on ERI has been critiqued for not examining connections between ERI and broader social beliefs, such as critical consciousness (i.e., individuals' level of reflection about social oppression, motivation to take action ag…
Navigating Acculturation: Overcoming Challenges and Creating Pathways to Well-Being for Central Asian Immigrants in the United States
This study explores the adaptations of recent immigrants from Central Asia (CA) to the United States. Using qualitative grounded theory analysis of narratives from 42 immigrants, gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, acculturation, life course development, resilience, and intersectionality frameworks were applied to the analysis. Participants included 21 women and 21 men aged 22 to 45. Three major themes emerged. The first…
Parental involvement in Mexican‐origin adolescents' romantic relationships: An examination of parents' cultural orientations and parent‐youth relationships
Romantic relationships are normative in adolescence, and parents can play a role in supporting or restricting adolescents' romantic experiences. This study examined parents' involvement in adolescents' romantic relationships in a sample of 226 Mexican‐origin families. Findings indicated that, on average, mothers were more supportive of adolescents' romantic relationships than fathers, and parents were more supportive of daughters than of sons. Fa…
A qualitative study of adaptation challenges of Ukrainian refugees in the United States
Mother-father and parent-grandmother coparenting conflict and caregiver involvement in adolescent parent families
Family systems theory recognizes the complex interconnected subsystems within families, yet little is known about how multigenerational coparenting affects coparenting and caregiving outcomes within adolescent parent families. The current study estimated auto-regressive cross-lag models to evaluate the interrelation between mother-father and parent-grandparent coparenting subsystems and caregiver involvement using reports of coparenting conflict …
Adapting a Coparenting‐Focused Prevention Program for Latinx Adolescent Parents in a School Context
The current study utilized a three‐step cultural adaptation process to adapt a universal‐coparenting program for Latinx adolescent parents in a school‐based setting. First, focus groups were conducted with adolescent parents ( n = 13; 100% Latinx; 69% female), their parents ( n = 17; 94% Latinx; 82% female), and school staff ( n = 7; 71% White; 100% female) to identify unique needs faced by this population. Second, the program was adapted to incl…
Progress and gaps: A systematic review of the family demographics and family subsystems represented in top family science journals 2008–2018
Recent critiques suggest family science is operating on a narrow definition of family that privileges US/western‐centric perspectives and White, heteronormative, and nuclear families. Understanding that self‐assessment is key to scientific growth, this study systematically assessed the publication patterns of the top six family science journals across 10 years (2008–2018) along two dimensions: the socio‐demographics (continent/country, ethnic‐rac…
Examining the Associations Between Latinx Adolescents’ Coping and School Functioning
Stress and coping frameworks posit that active coping may help mitigate stress experiences of individuals, such as the stress resulting from structural racism or anti-immigrant sentiments (i.e., sociocultural stress) Latinx adolescents experience in the United States. Active coping has been linked to better school functioning in mixed-ethnic adolescent populations. The current study examined the associations between active coping and school funct…
Parental Stress and Coparenting Among Adolescent Parents
Objective This research examines the association of parental stress and coparenting dynamics among adolescent mother and father dyads. The current study also examines potential differences between pregnant and parenting dyads in this association. Background The early transition to parenthood places adolescents at an elevated risk of negative outcomes. Thus, it is important to understand the mechanisms that might place adolescent parents at risk (…
The associations of maternal/paternal modeling, self‐efficacy, and ethnic fit on math/science achievement among Latinx students
INTRODUCTION: This paper examined individual, family, and peer roles in promoting Latinx youths' math and science performance. The role of maternal/paternal modeling in education was examined as shaping academic self-efficacy and, in turn, math/science grades among a population considered at risk of low academic achievement. Moreover, the study tested the moderating roles of class ethnic fit (i.e., feelings of fit based on having same-ethnic peer…
A Little Bit Closer”: A Mixed Method Analysis of the Effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Lives of Adolescent Parents
Using a Family Stress Model framework, we used quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the impact of the pandemic on Latinx pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families. Participants were 406 adolescents (ages 14–19) in the southwestern U.S. who participated in a school-based relationship education program for pregnant and parenting adolescents. In the quantitative analysis, we compared self-reported mental health (depressive…
Dating violence: A cross‐lag path model with pregnant and parenting adolescents
INTRODUCTION: Dating violence is a common problem among adolescents, particularly among Latinx pregnant and parenting adolescents, and can be detrimental to adolescent parents and their children. However, little is known about whether different forms of dating violence behaviors are stable over time or what influences changes in these behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use an exploratory autoregressive cross-lag path model to …
Cultural Orientation Gaps Within a Family Systems Perspective
The intersection of a family's heritage culture and new mainstream cultural norms results in person-to-person differences in values, beliefs, and behaviors, particularly among immigrant families. These differences often lead to divergent cultural views and patterns of behavior both within and between family members. According to the acculturation gap distress hypothesis, these cultural orientation gaps between family members have consequences for…
Patterns of Academic Risk and Resilience: Post–High School Educational Pathways in the Context of the 2007 Economic Recession
Academic resilience reflects individuals’ high levels of achievement and motivation despite the presence of stressful conditions that place them at risk for reduced performance. To understand what informs resilience, this study used narrative data from 274 Mexican-origin late adolescents/young adults (aged 19-25 years) to understand how a sociohistorical context— the 2007 U.S. economic recession — informed their experiences in college engagement …
Mexican-origin youth’s risk behavior from adolescence to young adulthood: The role of familism values
Engagement in risk behavior has implications for individuals' academic achievement, health, and well-being, yet there is a paucity of developmental research on the role of culturally relevant strengths in individual and family differences in risk behavior involvement among ethnic minority youth. In this study, we used a longitudinal cohort-sequential design to chart intraindividual trajectories of risk behavior and test variation by gender and fa…
Neighborhood and school ethnic structuring and cultural adaptations among Mexican-origin adolescents
The ethnic and racial structuring of U.S. neighborhoods may have important implications for developmental competencies during adolescence, including the development of heritage and mainstream cultural orientations. In particular, living in highly concentrated Latino neighborhoods during early adolescence-which channels adolescents into related school environments-may promote retention of the ethnic or heritage culture, but it also may constrain a…
Parental Modeling and Deidentification in Romantic Relationships Among Mexican-Origin Youth
This study investigated youth's modeling of and deidentification from parents in romantic relationships using two phases of data from adolescent siblings, mothers, and fathers in 246 Mexican-origin families. Each parent reported his and her marital satisfaction and conflict, and youth reported on parent-adolescent warmth and conflict at Time 1. Youth's reports of modeling of and deidentification from their mothers and fathers and three romantic r…
Mexican-American Adolescents’ Gender-Typed Characteristics: The Role of Sibling and Friend Characteristics
Emotional Closeness in Mexican-Origin Adolescents’ Relationships with Mothers, Fathers, and Same-Sex Friends
Mexican–American Adolescents’ Gender Role Attitude Development: The Role of Adolescents’ Gender and Nativity and Parents’ Gender Role Attitudes
Transmission of Cultural Values among Mexican‐Origin Parents and Their Adolescent and Emerging Adult Offspring
The integration of the U.S. and Mexican culture is an important process associated with Mexican-origin youths' adjustment and family dynamics. The current study examined the reciprocal associations in parents' and two offspring's cultural values (i.e., familism and respect) in 246 Mexican-origin families. Overall, mothers' values were associated with increases in youths' values 5 years later. In contrast, youths' familism values were associated w…
Youths’ Imitation and De-identification from Parents: A Process Associated with Parent–Youth Cultural Incongruence in Mexican-American Families
Father- and Mother-Adolescent Decision-Making in Mexican-Origin Families
Mexican–American Adolescents’ Gender Role Attitude Development: The Role of Adolescents’ Gender and Nativity and Parents’ Gender Role Attitudes
Transmission of Cultural Values among Mexican‐Origin Parents and Their Adolescent and Emerging Adult Offspring
The integration of the U.S. and Mexican culture is an important process associated with Mexican-origin youths' adjustment and family dynamics. The current study examined the reciprocal associations in parents' and two offspring's cultural values (i.e., familism and respect) in 246 Mexican-origin families. Overall, mothers' values were associated with increases in youths' values 5 years later. In contrast, youths' familism values were associated w…
Cultural Orientation Gaps Within a Family Systems Perspective
The intersection of a family's heritage culture and new mainstream cultural norms results in person-to-person differences in values, beliefs, and behaviors, particularly among immigrant families. These differences often lead to divergent cultural views and patterns of behavior both within and between family members. According to the acculturation gap distress hypothesis, these cultural orientation gaps between family members have consequences for…
Mexican-origin youth’s risk behavior from adolescence to young adulthood: The role of familism values
Engagement in risk behavior has implications for individuals' academic achievement, health, and well-being, yet there is a paucity of developmental research on the role of culturally relevant strengths in individual and family differences in risk behavior involvement among ethnic minority youth. In this study, we used a longitudinal cohort-sequential design to chart intraindividual trajectories of risk behavior and test variation by gender and fa…
Neighborhood and school ethnic structuring and cultural adaptations among Mexican-origin adolescents
The ethnic and racial structuring of U.S. neighborhoods may have important implications for developmental competencies during adolescence, including the development of heritage and mainstream cultural orientations. In particular, living in highly concentrated Latino neighborhoods during early adolescence-which channels adolescents into related school environments-may promote retention of the ethnic or heritage culture, but it also may constrain a…
Emotional Closeness in Mexican-Origin Adolescents’ Relationships with Mothers, Fathers, and Same-Sex Friends
Mother-daughter conflict and adjustment in Mexican-origin families: Exploring the role of family and sociocultural context
This study examined the role of mother-daughter conflict in both mothers' and daughters' adjustment. Drawing from ecologically oriented and person-environment fit models, the authors investigated how the family context, as defined by the transition to adolescent motherhood, and the sociocultural context, as measured by mother-daughter discrepancies in cultural orientations, shaped the associations between conflict and adjustment in Mexican-origin…
Youths’ Imitation and De-identification from Parents: A Process Associated with Parent–Youth Cultural Incongruence in Mexican-American Families
Mexican-Origin Mothers' and Fathers' Involvement in Adolescents' Peer Relationships: A Pattern-Analytic Approach
Using latent profile analysis, the authors examined patterns of mother - father involvement in adolescents' peer relationships along three dimensions-support, guidance, and restrictions-in 240 Mexican-origin families. Three profiles were identified: (a) High Mother Involvement (mothers higher than fathers on all three dimensions), (b) High Support/Congruent (mothers and fathers reported the highest levels of peer support and similar levels of gui…
Mother-father and parent-grandmother coparenting conflict and caregiver involvement in adolescent parent families
Family systems theory recognizes the complex interconnected subsystems within families, yet little is known about how multigenerational coparenting affects coparenting and caregiving outcomes within adolescent parent families. The current study estimated auto-regressive cross-lag models to evaluate the interrelation between mother-father and parent-grandparent coparenting subsystems and caregiver involvement using reports of coparenting conflict …
A Little Bit Closer”: A Mixed Method Analysis of the Effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Lives of Adolescent Parents
Using a Family Stress Model framework, we used quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the impact of the pandemic on Latinx pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families. Participants were 406 adolescents (ages 14–19) in the southwestern U.S. who participated in a school-based relationship education program for pregnant and parenting adolescents. In the quantitative analysis, we compared self-reported mental health (depressive…
Parental Modeling and Deidentification in Romantic Relationships Among Mexican-Origin Youth
This study investigated youth's modeling of and deidentification from parents in romantic relationships using two phases of data from adolescent siblings, mothers, and fathers in 246 Mexican-origin families. Each parent reported his and her marital satisfaction and conflict, and youth reported on parent-adolescent warmth and conflict at Time 1. Youth's reports of modeling of and deidentification from their mothers and fathers and three romantic r…
Father- and Mother-Adolescent Decision-Making in Mexican-Origin Families
A Mentor-Based Targeted Intervention for High-Risk Latino College Freshmen: A Pilot Study
This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a pilot mentoring program that provided support for Latino college freshmen at risk for poor academic outcomes. Latino is a term used in the United States to identify persons of Spanish-speaking origin or descent who designate themselves as Mexican American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or of some other Hispanic Origin. The study illustrates specific ways in which a mentoring program ca…
A qualitative study of adaptation challenges of Ukrainian refugees in the United States
Mexican-American Adolescents’ Gender-Typed Characteristics: The Role of Sibling and Friend Characteristics
A Mentor-Based Targeted Intervention for High-Risk Latino College Freshmen: A Pilot Study
This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a pilot mentoring program that provided support for Latino college freshmen at risk for poor academic outcomes. Latino is a term used in the United States to identify persons of Spanish-speaking origin or descent who designate themselves as Mexican American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or of some other Hispanic Origin. The study illustrates specific ways in which a mentoring program ca…
Father- and Mother-Adolescent Decision-Making in Mexican-Origin Families
Mother-daughter conflict and adjustment in Mexican-origin families: Exploring the role of family and sociocultural context
This study examined the role of mother-daughter conflict in both mothers' and daughters' adjustment. Drawing from ecologically oriented and person-environment fit models, the authors investigated how the family context, as defined by the transition to adolescent motherhood, and the sociocultural context, as measured by mother-daughter discrepancies in cultural orientations, shaped the associations between conflict and adjustment in Mexican-origin…
Mexican-Origin Mothers' and Fathers' Involvement in Adolescents' Peer Relationships: A Pattern-Analytic Approach
Using latent profile analysis, the authors examined patterns of mother - father involvement in adolescents' peer relationships along three dimensions-support, guidance, and restrictions-in 240 Mexican-origin families. Three profiles were identified: (a) High Mother Involvement (mothers higher than fathers on all three dimensions), (b) High Support/Congruent (mothers and fathers reported the highest levels of peer support and similar levels of gui…
Emotional Closeness in Mexican-Origin Adolescents’ Relationships with Mothers, Fathers, and Same-Sex Friends
Mexican–American Adolescents’ Gender Role Attitude Development: The Role of Adolescents’ Gender and Nativity and Parents’ Gender Role Attitudes
Transmission of Cultural Values among Mexican‐Origin Parents and Their Adolescent and Emerging Adult Offspring
The integration of the U.S. and Mexican culture is an important process associated with Mexican-origin youths' adjustment and family dynamics. The current study examined the reciprocal associations in parents' and two offspring's cultural values (i.e., familism and respect) in 246 Mexican-origin families. Overall, mothers' values were associated with increases in youths' values 5 years later. In contrast, youths' familism values were associated w…
Youths’ Imitation and De-identification from Parents: A Process Associated with Parent–Youth Cultural Incongruence in Mexican-American Families
Mexican-American Adolescents’ Gender-Typed Characteristics: The Role of Sibling and Friend Characteristics
Mexican-origin youth’s risk behavior from adolescence to young adulthood: The role of familism values
Engagement in risk behavior has implications for individuals' academic achievement, health, and well-being, yet there is a paucity of developmental research on the role of culturally relevant strengths in individual and family differences in risk behavior involvement among ethnic minority youth. In this study, we used a longitudinal cohort-sequential design to chart intraindividual trajectories of risk behavior and test variation by gender and fa…
Neighborhood and school ethnic structuring and cultural adaptations among Mexican-origin adolescents
The ethnic and racial structuring of U.S. neighborhoods may have important implications for developmental competencies during adolescence, including the development of heritage and mainstream cultural orientations. In particular, living in highly concentrated Latino neighborhoods during early adolescence-which channels adolescents into related school environments-may promote retention of the ethnic or heritage culture, but it also may constrain a…
Parental Modeling and Deidentification in Romantic Relationships Among Mexican-Origin Youth
This study investigated youth's modeling of and deidentification from parents in romantic relationships using two phases of data from adolescent siblings, mothers, and fathers in 246 Mexican-origin families. Each parent reported his and her marital satisfaction and conflict, and youth reported on parent-adolescent warmth and conflict at Time 1. Youth's reports of modeling of and deidentification from their mothers and fathers and three romantic r…
Patterns of Academic Risk and Resilience: Post–High School Educational Pathways in the Context of the 2007 Economic Recession
Academic resilience reflects individuals’ high levels of achievement and motivation despite the presence of stressful conditions that place them at risk for reduced performance. To understand what informs resilience, this study used narrative data from 274 Mexican-origin late adolescents/young adults (aged 19-25 years) to understand how a sociohistorical context— the 2007 U.S. economic recession — informed their experiences in college engagement …
Cultural Orientation Gaps Within a Family Systems Perspective
The intersection of a family's heritage culture and new mainstream cultural norms results in person-to-person differences in values, beliefs, and behaviors, particularly among immigrant families. These differences often lead to divergent cultural views and patterns of behavior both within and between family members. According to the acculturation gap distress hypothesis, these cultural orientation gaps between family members have consequences for…
Dating violence: A cross‐lag path model with pregnant and parenting adolescents
INTRODUCTION: Dating violence is a common problem among adolescents, particularly among Latinx pregnant and parenting adolescents, and can be detrimental to adolescent parents and their children. However, little is known about whether different forms of dating violence behaviors are stable over time or what influences changes in these behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use an exploratory autoregressive cross-lag path model to …
Parental Stress and Coparenting Among Adolescent Parents
Objective This research examines the association of parental stress and coparenting dynamics among adolescent mother and father dyads. The current study also examines potential differences between pregnant and parenting dyads in this association. Background The early transition to parenthood places adolescents at an elevated risk of negative outcomes. Thus, it is important to understand the mechanisms that might place adolescent parents at risk (…
The associations of maternal/paternal modeling, self‐efficacy, and ethnic fit on math/science achievement among Latinx students
INTRODUCTION: This paper examined individual, family, and peer roles in promoting Latinx youths' math and science performance. The role of maternal/paternal modeling in education was examined as shaping academic self-efficacy and, in turn, math/science grades among a population considered at risk of low academic achievement. Moreover, the study tested the moderating roles of class ethnic fit (i.e., feelings of fit based on having same-ethnic peer…
A Little Bit Closer”: A Mixed Method Analysis of the Effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Lives of Adolescent Parents
Using a Family Stress Model framework, we used quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the impact of the pandemic on Latinx pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families. Participants were 406 adolescents (ages 14–19) in the southwestern U.S. who participated in a school-based relationship education program for pregnant and parenting adolescents. In the quantitative analysis, we compared self-reported mental health (depressive…
Adapting a Coparenting‐Focused Prevention Program for Latinx Adolescent Parents in a School Context
The current study utilized a three‐step cultural adaptation process to adapt a universal‐coparenting program for Latinx adolescent parents in a school‐based setting. First, focus groups were conducted with adolescent parents ( n = 13; 100% Latinx; 69% female), their parents ( n = 17; 94% Latinx; 82% female), and school staff ( n = 7; 71% White; 100% female) to identify unique needs faced by this population. Second, the program was adapted to incl…
Progress and gaps: A systematic review of the family demographics and family subsystems represented in top family science journals 2008–2018
Recent critiques suggest family science is operating on a narrow definition of family that privileges US/western‐centric perspectives and White, heteronormative, and nuclear families. Understanding that self‐assessment is key to scientific growth, this study systematically assessed the publication patterns of the top six family science journals across 10 years (2008–2018) along two dimensions: the socio‐demographics (continent/country, ethnic‐rac…
Examining the Associations Between Latinx Adolescents’ Coping and School Functioning
Stress and coping frameworks posit that active coping may help mitigate stress experiences of individuals, such as the stress resulting from structural racism or anti-immigrant sentiments (i.e., sociocultural stress) Latinx adolescents experience in the United States. Active coping has been linked to better school functioning in mixed-ethnic adolescent populations. The current study examined the associations between active coping and school funct…
A qualitative study of adaptation challenges of Ukrainian refugees in the United States
Mother-father and parent-grandmother coparenting conflict and caregiver involvement in adolescent parent families
Family systems theory recognizes the complex interconnected subsystems within families, yet little is known about how multigenerational coparenting affects coparenting and caregiving outcomes within adolescent parent families. The current study estimated auto-regressive cross-lag models to evaluate the interrelation between mother-father and parent-grandparent coparenting subsystems and caregiver involvement using reports of coparenting conflict …
Navigating Acculturation: Overcoming Challenges and Creating Pathways to Well-Being for Central Asian Immigrants in the United States
This study explores the adaptations of recent immigrants from Central Asia (CA) to the United States. Using qualitative grounded theory analysis of narratives from 42 immigrants, gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, acculturation, life course development, resilience, and intersectionality frameworks were applied to the analysis. Participants included 21 women and 21 men aged 22 to 45. Three major themes emerged. The first…
Parental involvement in Mexican‐origin adolescents' romantic relationships: An examination of parents' cultural orientations and parent‐youth relationships
Romantic relationships are normative in adolescence, and parents can play a role in supporting or restricting adolescents' romantic experiences. This study examined parents' involvement in adolescents' romantic relationships in a sample of 226 Mexican‐origin families. Findings indicated that, on average, mothers were more supportive of adolescents' romantic relationships than fathers, and parents were more supportive of daughters than of sons. Fa…
Psychology (25 works) · Developmental psychology (20 works) · Social Psychology (12 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (8 works) · Early Childhood Education and Development (8 works) · Medicine (8 works) · Ethnic group (7 works)