Mexican immigrant moms happier and less tense, but read less to their children, says study: Mexican-American immigrant mothers, especially those in the U.S. for five years or less, show significantly less depressive symptoms and have less conflict and tension with their partners than Chinese or non-Latino white mothers, according to a new study published in the journal Child Development. The Mexican mothers’ “robust levels of mental health,” as the study says, have positive outcomes for the children. “One of the things we found is that Latino kids arrived in school with strong social and emotional development skills,” says Dr. Claudia Galindo, one of the co-authors of the study and assistant professor at the University of Maryland. Mexican immigrant mothers, for example, were also found to provide supportive family settings.
“Latino families have been going through rough times in the way they are perceived,” says Dr. Galindo. “Especially in schools, there are stereotypes about how badly Hispanic children are doing or how Latino families do not provide enough resources for their kids,” she says. “These are positive aspects, and it is part of the ‘immigrant paradox,’ since many of these Latino families come from backgrounds that aren’t easy,” Dr. Galindo adds.
