<p> The purpose of my study was to explore the role of cultural values in the lived experiences of Latino college and university presidents at four-year higher education institutions and to determine how cultural values contributed to and reflected their professional strengths. Using the Community Cultural Wealth framework developed by Tara Yosso (2005) to capture the assets or forms of capital that people of color bring with them to all settings, this study utilized a strengths-based approach to examine the ways in which Latino higher education executives translated their cultural upbringing and values into skills and approaches that facilitated their ascension in the field of higher education. In semi-structured conversational interviews with 14 of the 21 identified four-year Latino college presidents, I explored a). the factors that facilitated Latino college presidents' success, b). the ways in which presidents used their cultural background and cultural values to ascend to leadership roles, and c). how their cultural backgrounds guided their approaches to and view of their role in higher education. </p><p> I conducted a qualitative study using testimonio, a form of narrative inquiry that began in Latin American studies as a way to expose the experiences and injustices endured by oppressed groups. Through testimonios marginalized individuals tell of their lived experiences to raise awareness of racism, classism or other forms of oppression and to also effect change. Testimonio and critical race theory are also based on individual narratives representing the collective experience of communities. Since this study looked at how Latino college presidents viewed the role of their cultural backgrounds in their careers, testimonios allowed me to capture the commonalities of those experiences. </p><p> This study adds to the literature by using the Community Cultural Wealth model and an assets-based approach to examine different cultural aspects or forms of capital of Latino college presidents and the role of these cultural elements in their ascent to a presidency. This study uncovered the extent to which culture has been a positive force and inspiration in the professional careers of Latino college presidents.</p>

<p>The purpose of this study was to explore the health affects caregiver stress has on caregivers in the Latino community of patients with Alzheimer&rsquo;s and dementia. The purpose of this project was to identify a potential funding source and write a grant to fund a Latino caregiver psycho-educational support group in the city of Maywood, California. </p><p> Researchers and clinical practitioners have grown concerned with the underutilization of support programs in the Latino community. The Latino community has unique needs and responds to culturally sensitive support groups. The Alzheimer&rsquo;s Association identified caregiver intervention programs as an important area of study. Funded by the Archstone Foundation, this project examines research of the unique needs this large aging community has. VISTA Adult Day Health Care Center serves a large Latino community. This program is presented as a structured psycho-educational support group. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of this project. </p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the transition to higher education for undocumented immigrant students as part of the social investment in human capital. Each year, approximately 65,000 undocumented students in the United States graduate from public schools and only a low percentage pursue higher education. The study conducted in Massachusetts presents evidence of social transformation as participants were also affiliated with SIM (Student Immigrant Movement), to advocate for higher education opportunities for undocumented students, and change social perceptions of undocumented population. The participants&rsquo; experiences are analyzed using social theories of transmission and transformation along with human capital theory. Data were analyzed using NVivo9 software and multiple readings of the interview transcripts, with guiding research question, how did the immigration status play a role in the pursuit of access to higher education? The analysis in this study is focused on the investment in human capital through education, considering that the individual and social return ought to be greater. The data gathered from the experiences of 20 formerly undocumented students of Latin American descent in this qualitative case study showed that possibilities of changing immigrant status, like the proposed DREAM Act, influenced the motivation to continue education beyond high school. The major themes among the participants&rsquo; descriptions of their educational experiences as students were related to (a) immigrant status, (b) motivation to continue their postsecondary education, (c) support they received to continue with their education, (d) social return on their educational investment, and (e) their plans for the future. Recommendations for leaders and policy makers are presented, and suggestions for further research are indicated.</p>

<p> This historical analysis focuses on the Lower Rio Grande Valley, particularly Starr County. It reviewed thousands of pages of archival records, historical news reports, feature profiles, city, state, and federal government documents, interviews, videos, and academic examinations. </p><p> This thesis borrows biographical, narrative, and borderlands history approaches to portray Dr. Mario E. Ramirez as a man who believed that he could make a difference in many Valley lives. It argues and demonstrates that he successfully and repeatedly realized that belief throughout the fields of medicine, politics, and education. </p><p> The thesis examines 1967's Hurricane Beulah as a dramatic example of how Ramirez --who assumed a leadership role in the medical relief efforts on both sides of the Rio Grande -- utilized his community standing, his professional standing as a South Texas doctor, and his familiarity with a predominantly Mexican-American population to improve his Starr County community. The Beulah relief efforts enhanced his image as a role model, as a legitimate community voice, and as a state and national representative of Valley needs. </p><p> Ramirez's political and professional achievements enabled him to guide thousands of Valley residents into medical careers. Many of them returned to the Valley, as he did, to care for their communities. His ambitions also made him a cornerstone of efforts to build and strengthen medical education and health care throughout South Texas.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: A, page: 0571. Advisers: Debra Castillo; Ronald Sousa. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-171) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of California, San Francisco, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-07, Section: B, page: 4385. Adviser: Holly P. Kennedy.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: A, page: 1711. Adviser: James Anderson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 195-209) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Ann Bishop. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 176-184) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> Hispanic patients in the United States had increased incidence of cardiovascular disease as compared to non-Hispanic whites. The purpose of this project was to implement an evidence-based educational program to improve the health knowledge of adult Hispanic patients who have had percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) living in a community in the desert southwest. An educational improvement program on medication comprehension was in need to improve the healthcare continuum for adult Hispanics at risk post-PCI. Non-adherence to dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) could have resulted in stent thrombosis, a potentially fatal event. The human caring theory and the cultural care theory were the theoretical frameworks for this project. Adult Hispanic patients at a cardiac catheterization lab in the southern United States near the border were screened and 12 out of 33 eligible patients were enrolled. The questionnaires were conducted pre-procedure, followed by an investigator administered educational program. The same questionnaire was given to post-PCI patients prior to discharge to measure improvement in knowledge post-education. There was a statistically significant difference in the pre-/post-education scores following the education program with a <i> p</i>-value of &lt; 0.05. This improved understanding could increase medication adherence to DAPT medication for post-PCI patients, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality for these patients by reducing stent thrombosis rates. Inexpensive and highly efficacious, education should be emphasized as part of any procedural preparation. </p><p>

<p> The current doctoral dissertation project was conceived in response to the unmet need for moral injury research in minority populations. As a result, the specific aims were to (1) collect high-quality, in-depth information on the wartime experiences of recently separated Latino combat veterans, and (2) conduct a focused, systematic investigation of the emerging moral injury construct as revealed in Latino veterans&rsquo; combat narratives. Twenty-one (<i>N</i> = 21) Latino combat veterans were interviewed regarding potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) that they may have experienced during military training or while on a combat deployment. The findings suggest that PMIEs may encompass a wider range of experiences than previously thought, and that ordinary combat experiences may occasion moral conflicts that develop into chronic moral injuries. Such experiences include being fired upon by an enemy combatant; learning about injuries or deaths of comrades, including suicides and suicide attempts; and seeing the remains of dead enemy combatants. The current findings also suggest that experiences of perceived ethnic or racial discrimination occurring during combat deployments may be experienced by Latino service members as moral injury events. Finally, the current findings suggest that PMIEs may also occur during military training and that such events may occasion lasting moral conflicts or deleterious psychological effects. Further research is needed to extend these findings to additional veteran groups, including female veterans and other ethnic minorities. Future research should also investigate the conditions, including state and trait characteristics, under which PMIEs are likely to occasion long-term negative consequences.</p><p>