Toward a Typology of Transnational Communication among Venezuelan Immigrant Youth: Implications for Behavioral Health

J Immigr Minor Health. 2021 Oct;23(5):1045-1052. doi: 10.1007/s10903-020-01099-y. Epub 2020 Oct 8.

Abstract

We identify subtypes of Venezuelan youth based on patterns of technology-based communication with friends in their receiving (US) and sending (Venezuela) countries and, in turn, examine the behavioral health characteristics among different "subtypes" of youth. Using data from 402 recently-arrived Venezuelan immigrant youth (ages 10-17), latent profile analysis and multinomial regression are employed to examine the relationships between technology-based communication and key outcomes. We identified a four-class solution: [#1] "Daily Contact in US, In Touch with Venezuela" (32%), [#2] "Daily Communication in Both Countries" (19%), [#3] "Weekly Contact: More Voice/Text Than Social Media" (35%), and [#4] "Infrequent Communication with US and Venezuela" (14%). Compared to Class #1, youth in Classes #2 and #3 report elevated depressive symptomatology and more permissive substance use views. Findings suggest that how youth navigate and maintain transnational connections varies substantially, and that technology-based communication is related to key post-migration outcomes.

Keywords: Communication; Depression; Immigrants; Smartphones; Venezuela.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Communication
  • Emigrants and Immigrants*
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Humans
  • Substance-Related Disorders*