A new study led by Daisy Verduzco Reyes, a sociology professor at UC Merced and researcher with the Latina Futures 2050 Lab at UCLA, finds that many first-generation Mexican American college graduates view success as being able to support their parents financially. The research highlights how upward mobility for Latinx millennials, particularly children of immigrants, is often defined by helping elevate the social or financial status of their families.
Reyes’s study followed 61 millennials—defined as those born between 1981 and 1995—who identify as Latinx, attended college in California, and mostly still live in the state. According to Reyes, “As researchers, we do not have much documented data and analysis to help us see and understand the lives of this population.” She noted that her interviews reinforced earlier findings showing that millennials are more likely to have paid for college themselves. Among participants, 85 percent were the first in their family to attend and graduate from college, while 96 percent were of Mexican origin.
The research was published in the journal Sociology of Race and Ethnicity. It will also inform a forthcoming book following up on Reyes’ previous work “Learning to Be Latino,” which examined how undergraduate institutions influence Latino student life on campus.
Reyes explained that young Latinos define personal achievement differently than what sociologists describe as the five-stage Standard North American Adulthood: leaving home, finishing college, entering the workforce, getting married, and having children. Instead, responsibility toward family plays a central role for immigrant as well as second- and third-generation Latinx individuals. The study describes this dynamic as either the “Latinx mobility bargain” or “immigrant bargain,” referring to cultural expectations that those who achieve educational or economic gains should help their families.
The study surveyed 40 women and 21 men with questions such as whether they had achieved mobility relative to their parents or provided financial support for anyone else. Respondents ranged from high earners able to buy homes for their parents to others struggling with low-paying jobs.
“The one idea that none of the respondents questioned was the cultural imperative of the immigrant bargain, the idea of taking care of your parents. Some might expect this ‘burden’ to feed resentment, but none of my respondents expressed any such feelings,” Reyes said.
“For many Latinx millennials, providing for parents has constrained their mobility trajectories. Yet this constraint is perceived as an accomplishment.”
The report notes broader economic challenges facing Latinx families during recent years. During the Great Recession (2007–2016), middle-income Latinx households lost about 55 percent of their wealth compared with a loss of around 31 percent among white middle-income families. This reflects wider trends showing that millennials generally face greater difficulties than previous generations when it comes to income growth, accumulating wealth, homeownership rates and managing debt.
“Millennials are worse off economically than previous generations in terms of income, wealth, homeownership and debt,” Reyes said.
Sandra Baltazar Martínez serves as senior communications manager at Latina Futures 2050 Lab.
