Latent Structure of Multi-Domain Pathways to Adulthood: Intersection of Race and Parental Nativity

Han Soo Woo, Johns Hopkins University

Racial differences in transition to adulthood have focused on black-white and more recently Hispanic-white gaps. At the same time, an immigrant paradox characterizes the advantage of children whose parents are immigrants and mostly non-white. Much empirical work on either side of the story examines a single developmental domain. Yet, a child's pathway to adulthood encompasses multiple developmental domains. We propose that in each domain exist at least two distinct classes of individual trajectories - a healthy class and a less healthy class. The configuration of these latent classes constitutes pathways to adulthood. This paper seeks to understand how race/ethnicity and parental nativity interact to determine this latent structure. Using latent class analysis of trajectories in mental health, school engagement, and academic achievement with data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study describes and estimates how the role of race/ethnicity is contingent upon parental nativity in influencing an individual's successful transition to adulthood.