UCLA International Institute

Social contexts are often ignored as a possible explanation for ethnic group differences in reports of family obligation. One reason is that too often, social scientists rely on the false dichotomy between economic versus cultural explanations as the culprit behind ethnic differences in family behavior. This study adds much needed nuance to the literature on family obligation among ethnic minority youth by using data from urban and rural North Carolina and Southern California to investigate how social contexts are associated with family obligation. Using a sample of Latino adolescents we find that attending schools in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of co-ethnics is positively associated with family obligation, as is having a strong sense of ethnic identity. In addition, we find that among adolescents attending schools in neighborhoods with other Hispanics, levels of family obligation are higher for those with a stronger, rather than a weaker sense of ethnic belonging.