For many first-generation Mexican American college graduates, success transcends personal achievement and embraces a more communal vision deeply rooted in familial responsibility. Unlike conventional definitions of upward mobility, which primarily focus on individual milestones such as career advancement or homeownership, many Latinx millennials view success through the lens of supporting and uplifting their parents financially and socially. This perspective draws from a rich cultural tradition that prioritizes family interdependence, underscoring the unique pathways of progress within immigrant communities.
A comprehensive study led by UC Merced sociology Professor Daisy Verduzco Reyes delves into this phenomenon, providing one of the most detailed accounts of Latinx millennials’ life trajectories after college. Spanning 14 years, the research meticulously followed 61 individuals, primarily second-generation Mexican Americans, who attended college in California and reside there. With a survey-based methodology and in-depth interviews, Reyes’s work uncovers the intricate ways in which upward mobility is negotiated and redefined among this demographic, which is often underrepresented in mainstream sociological research.
The Latinx college-educated millennials in Reyes’s research do not subscribe uniformly to the traditional five stages of Standard North American Adulthood—leaving home, completing education, entering the workforce, marrying, and having children. Instead, their life course is more complex and anchored by the “Latinx mobility bargain,” a term coined in the study to describe the implicit agreement between immigrant parents and their children. This bargain entails the offspring leveraging educational success to enhance not only their own social and economic status but to provide ongoing financial, emotional, and legal support to their family of origin.
About 85% of the participants in the study were the first in their families to attend and graduate from college, signaling both a significant achievement and the beginning of new sets of expectations. The overwhelming majority, 96%, were of Mexican origin, situating the research firmly in the context of a community navigating historical and contemporary challenges associated with immigrant status. This demographic framing allows for a more precise understanding of how cultural imperatives shape notions of responsibility and success differently compared to other groups.
The research reveals a pronounced tension in Latinx millennials between personal upward mobility and familial obligation. Many participants articulated a perception that providing economic support to parents effectively slows or alters their own trajectories towards conventional markers of success. Yet, rather than viewing this dynamic negatively, the respondents largely perceived fulfilling the immigrant bargain as a source of pride and accomplishment, reframing what it means to be mobile in a deeply interconnected social context.
This phenomenon is especially significant when considering the socio-economic landscape shaped by the Great Recession. The study highlights that between 2007 and 2016, middle-income Latinx families experienced a staggering 55% loss in wealth, markedly higher than the 31% loss experienced by their white counterparts. This economic instability exacerbated existing vulnerabilities and intensified the pressures on Latinx millennials to contribute to their families’ financial well-being, reinforcing the immigrant bargain’s centrality in their lives.
What emerges from Reyes’s study is not merely a depiction of constraint but a complex negotiation of identity, responsibility, and achievement. Despite facing economic disadvantages relative to other demographic groups, Latinx millennials in this study exhibit resilience and agency. Their navigation of upward mobility challenges conventional sociological models by spotlighting the role of cultural imperatives and transgenerational support systems in shaping life outcomes.
Beyond economic contributions, the study underscores the multifaceted nature of labor that these young adults perform for their families. Financial assistance is often intertwined with emotional support, legal guidance, and cultural maintenance, highlighting the diverse forms of caregiving that sustain immigrant families. This multidimensional labor challenges overly simplistic understandings of economic mobility and invites a more holistic view of success in immigrant communities.
The interviews also reveal a striking absence of resentment among participants, countering assumptions that the immigrant bargain might be perceived as a burdensome obligation. Instead, providing for parents and relatives is viewed as a reciprocal act of gratitude and fulfillment of cultural values. This insight challenges dominant narratives around upward mobility that prioritize individualism and highlight the need for academic frameworks to incorporate notions of relationality and collective responsibility.
The study’s findings carry significant implications for public policy, educational institutions, and social services aimed at supporting Latinx populations. Recognizing the immigrant bargain as a critical factor shaping life trajectories can lead to more culturally responsive programs that address financial pressures, mental health, and legal challenges faced by first-generation college graduates. This approach fosters a nuanced understanding of success that acknowledges both achievements and constraints.
Importantly, the forthcoming book that builds upon this study promises to extend these insights further, providing a rich qualitative and quantitative analysis that deepens our understanding of how Latinx young adults balance educational attainment with familial obligations. This ongoing work will be instrumental in redefining social mobility paradigms and contributing valuable empirical data to sociology of race and ethnicity discourses.
In sum, the study conducted by Professor Daisy Verduzco Reyes sheds critical light on the lived experiences of Latinx college graduates in California, portraying upward mobility as a culturally embedded and relationally complex process. It challenges prevailing narratives of individual achievement and offers a compelling framework that honors the interconnectedness of family, culture, and economic realities in shaping the American immigrant experience.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Complicating Upward Mobility: Latinx College-educated Millennials Reflect on Life after Graduation
News Publication Date: 30-Jun-2025
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/23326492251349228
References: Reyes, Daisy Verduzco. “Complicating Upward Mobility: Latinx College-educated Millennials Reflect on Life after Graduation.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 2025.
Keywords: Latinx millennials, upward mobility, immigrant bargain, Mexican American, college graduates, family obligation, socio-economic mobility, cultural imperative, Great Recession, intergenerational support, sociology of race and ethnicity
