Cultural Mismatch and Academic Problems Among First-Generation College Students: The Protective Role of Cultural Harmonization

First-generation college students from historically marginalized backgrounds often face a cultural mismatch between interdependent family obligations and independent academic demands during the transition to college. Guided by cultural mismatch and biculturalism theories, this study examined whether internalizing symptoms mediated the association between cultural mismatch and academic problems, and whether this indirect effect was moderated by cultural harmonization (tendency to balance family and academic obligations). Participants were 561 first-generation college students from historically marginalized backgrounds (93.4% Latinx; M _age = 18.0) attending Hispanic-Serving Institutions in California. Greater mismatch between family and academic obligations was associated with greater internalizing symptoms, which in turn were associated with more academic problems. However, the cultural mismatch → internalizing symptoms → academic problems indirect effect was not significant among students who harmonized. Students who harmonized also reported lower internalizing symptoms and fewer academic problems. Findings identify cultural harmonization as a protective factor, informing individual- and institutional-level efforts to support first-generation college students.