Su Yeong Kim: Developmental Research

By Su Yeong Kim Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin Introduction: Dr. Su Yeong Kim’s Research Reflections The period of emerging adulthood is usually marked as a period of free time and discovery. However, to most college students, it is also a time of reckless ways. Studies have always indicated that alcohol intoxication, drug abuse, and risky sex activities are at their peak in these years. These risks, in combination with cultural and social experiences, affect the challenges and strengths of African American and Afro-Caribbean students. This study, published in the Journal of American College Health (2018), by Angela M. Bowman Heads, Angel M. Glover, Linda G. Castillo, Shelley Blozis, and Su Yeong Kim posed the following critical question: Is strong ethnic identity able to help African American college students prevent substance use and sexual risk behaviors? The response, the research concluded, is yes, but the narrative is subtle. Und...

By Su Yeong Kim Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin The Correlation between Families and Confidence in Adolescents  Children raised in many immigrant families are raised to live in two worlds. They use their heritage language at home. They speak English in school. This is not only a linguistic bilingual experience. It is often associated with the practice of responsibility in adulthood. Language brokering is one of the widespread tasks. Teenagers are commonly used to translate documents, discussions, and official messages of their parents. They are cultural and language intermediaries between their families and American society. Meanwhile, these teenagers do not lack social problems. Some of them are subjected to racial and ethnic discrimination within academies and neighborhoods as well as in everyday life. Such experiences of prejudice cause stress that may influence their self-esteem, motivation and school performance. One of the mos...

By Su Yeong Kim Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin How Culture Adaptation Influences Identity, Behavior and Success The fact that adolescents of migrant families have to move between two cultures can be a challenge and an opportunity simultaneously. The Mexican-origin youth in the United States are mostly anchored between maintaining the heritage culture as practiced by the parents to other contemporary American culture that surrounds them.  But what effect do these cultural identity issues have on their mental health, academic performance, and developmental dynamics over time? A longitudinal study conducted by Jinjin Yan, Lester Sim, Seth J. Schwartz, Yishan Shen, Deborah Parra-Medina, Su Yeong Kim , published in New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development illuminates this question by tracing the patterns of acculturation among Mexican-origin adolescents in families who immigrated to the United States. Findings of the research...