Sociolinguists working in Northern urban areas have shown that Hispanics who come in contact with African Americans sometimes acquire features of African American vernacular English (AAVE). However, the acquisition of AAVE features by Hispanics in the South has yet to be documented. Specifically, no one has studied the kind of English that Hispanics in Texas are acquiring. The present study investigates this issue through research in an inner-city area of Dallas: Oak Cliff. During the past twenty-five years, the population of Oak Cliff has changed from a largely African American community to include a substantial number of Hispanics. Though their neighborhoods remain fairly separate, sports and gangs provide an arena for extended contact. This study investigates the extent to which AAVE grammatical features are being acquired by bilingual Hispanic adolescents who hang out with African Americans. The analysis for this paper focuses on the relationship between contact and depth of acquisition of AAVE syntactic constraints on the use the copula (is/are, be). Preliminary results show that be+V+ing as an habitual form has been incorporated into the grammar of these subjects, suggesting fundamental changes towards an AAVE grammatical system.

The present study explores how children of Hispanic immigrants (CHIs) perceive life in the U.S., and how they view cultural diversity. Questionnaires were given to 92 non-U.S. born CHIs and one of their non-U.S. born Hispanic immigrant parents (HIPs) who have lived in the U.S. between 1 and 17 years (M yrs = 8.43); their views of the U.S. were assessed along with their acceptance of diversity, acculturative stress, and levels of acculturation. In this study, I found that CHIs generally hold positive views of the lives in the U.S. and also hold favorable views toward cultural diversity. Furthermore, this study hypothesized that HIPs significantly influence their CHIs attitudes toward both the U.S. and toward cultural diversity. Overall, my findings validated the theoretically based expectation that demonstrates the power of parental attitudes on their children’s attitudes. A significant correlation was found between HIPs’ attitudes toward the U.S. and their children’s attitudes, as well as, CHIs’ attitudes toward the U.S. correlating significantly with their perceptions of their parents’ attitudes toward the U.S. Multiple and stepwise regressions further confirmed the importance of parental attitudes toward their children’s attitudes toward the U.S. and their openness to cultural diversity. Findings from this study provide implications for future research.

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Latino college enrollment rates in South Carolina do not reflect the overall increase in the Latino population in the state, which suggests that schools, colleges, and universities may be unprepared to serve the unique needs of Latino students. Consequently, Latino students are less likely to pursue opportunities in higher education than their non-Latino counterparts, which raises significant public policy concerns about equity and the potential economic contributions of the Latino communities. The purpose of this narrative policy analysis (NPA), based upon critical race theory, was to explore the perceptions of Latino students, parents, and advocates related to opportunities in pursuing education after high school in Greenville County, SC. Criterion and snowball sampling identified 15 individuals from whom interview data were acquired. Participants included 7 Latino students, 3 of their parents, and 5 advocates of Latino student attainment of college education. Secondary data consisted of higher education related legislation, policy documents, and reports. Data were inductively coded and analyzed using Roe's NPA procedure. These findings suggest that, at least according to these 15 participants, multiple barriers to college enrollment exist, including cultural expectations and unfamiliarity with the college application and financial aid processes. This study could encourage policy makers to consider perspectives of critical race theory as they create policies and support culturally relevant programs and financial aid guidance to Latino parents, students, and high school counselors. Such programs would lead to positive social change by promoting higher educational achievement, which is essential for the profitable employment of Latinos in the private and public sectors in South Carolina.

The growing number of minority populations living in the United States makes it mandatory that all health care organizations seek to be culturally sensitive. There is no consensus on the definition of the term cultural sensitivity. The goal of this thesis is to define what cultural sensitivity means in a rural health center, from the perspective of the staff as well as the Hispanic patient. Anthropological methods, such as participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and archival data analysis, show that the qualities that Hispanic patients value in a clinic are 1) attention, 2) availability of Spanish language, 3) financial assistance, 4) solution to their health problems, 5) presence of Hispanics around the clinic, and 6) clinic services. Furthermore, 90% of staff responses indicate acceptance and respect of patients health beliefs and practices. Results demonstrate that while the clinic is culturally sensitive, there are a few recommendations that would improve the quality of care that Hispanics receive. Based on the results of the data collection, a practical model for other rural health centers to build upon a culturally sensitive health care system is developed.

Curricula throughout the country, specifically in the School District of Hillsborough County (SDHC), do not encompass diverse subject matter as it relates to Latino/a students. The primary argument posed in this thesis is that consistent engagement to Latino/a writings in the English language arts classroom can be a positive force that contributes to an increased rate of retention of Latino/a youths in high school and a higher percentage of Latino/a high school graduates. This Latino/a literature can be in the form of supplementary reading material that teachers will have access to that will include Latino/a literature from various authors that represent the full spectrum of what the Latino/a experience is and how it is an integral part of the American kaleidoscope of literature. This thesis examines how culture-based education, currently used with American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians, directly correlates to Latinos/as in regards to culture, learning methodology and academic achievement. Included is a full unit plan and a literature guide for teachers to use that includes a plethora of Latino/a literature divided by specific country of origin of author(s) as well as genre.

Background: Hispanics are the largest minority group in the U.S. and by the year 2060 the number of Hispanics is projected to double. They are disproportionately affected by obesity and chronic diseases which translate into decreased quality of life, loss of work opportunities and perceptions of injustice for the Hispanic population. The Dietary Guidelines (DG) provide information to help Americans make healthy food and physical activity choices and if followed can be a means of reducing the health disparity gap. However, culturally relevant recommendations specific to Hispanics’ health and nutritional habits are often lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine Hispanics’ knowledge, perceptions, benefits and barriers to the recommendations in the DG for Americans, Choose MyPlate, and the Department of Health and Human Services physical activity guidelines. Methods: A qualitative research design was used. Focus groups were conducted in Spanish and audiotapes were transcribed and then, translated into English. Thematic analysis was used to identify different key concepts subgrouping these topics according to common emergent themes. Results: A total of 24 participants took part in the study. Participants viewed healthy eating in terms of portion sizes. They viewed the DG as helpful but felt they needed more information to follow the guidelines. Several barriers were identified in following the MyPlate: lack of availability of healthy, fresh, inexpensive grocery options in Hispanic neighborhoods. Participants described the benefits of physical activity as related to improved mental health and quality of life such as looking and feeling better. Conclusion and Implications: Promoting nutrition education that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for Hispanics might help facilitate the adoption of the DG and MyPlate recommendations. Also, improving the design of existing low-income neighborhoods is still a challenge to improve participation in physical activity among Hispanics’.

Serum vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and elevated blood pressure are important health concerns especially among minorities with type 2 diabetes. The effect of vitamin D3 supplementation (cholecalciferol) at 6,000 IU/day (d) vs. 4,000 IU/d on kidney function and cardiovascular disease markers among Hispanics and African Americans with type 2 diabetes and hypovitaminosis D (/ml) was evaluated. Subjects (n=63) were recruited from two clinics in Miami-Dade County, FL. Fasting venous blood and fresh, single-voided first morning urine samples were collected from each participant by a certified phlebotomist and analyzed by Solstas Lab Partners, Davie, FL. Linear mixed models were used to compare the interaction between time and intervention. Least Significant Difference (LSD) comparisons were used to detect significant differences within and between 4,000 IU/d and 6,000 IU/d groups from baseline, 3 and 6 months. In the 4,000 IU/d and 6,000 IU/d groups, a significant increase in serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were observed from baseline [(19.9±1.1 ng/mL) and (21.4±1.3 ng/mL)] to 3 months [(36.1±2.2 ng/mL, p3 longer than 6 months may be needed to determine sustained long term effects in kidney and cardiovascular disease markers. Further research could provide more information for translation of these findings into recommendations for individuals with CKD, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The efficacy of vitamin D3 supplementation as complementary therapy for CKD and blood pressure in minority and other ethnic groups needs further investigation in larger and longer duration randomized controlled trials.

This study expanded on current research on study abroad and global learning, using the Global Perspective Inventory (GPI), and conducted at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, FL. The GPI assesses the holistic development of a global perspective in higher education within three domains and their respective FIU-determined equivalents: cognitive (global awareness), intrapersonal (global perspective), and interpersonal (global engagement). The main purpose of this study was to assess FIU’s undergraduate students’ perceptions of study abroad on their level of achievement of global awareness, global perspective, and global engagement. The secondary purpose was to determine how the students described their study abroad experience and achievement of global learning. The research design for this study consisted of parallel mixed methods. The quantitative component was an ex post facto with hypothesis design, using a pretest/posttest nonequivalent group methodology. FIU undergraduates (N=147) who studied abroad for one semester or more completed the GPI pre- and post-tests. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were conducted to compare the means. The interviews included 10 students, and were analyzed through Structural coding, Saldaña’s In Vivo coding, and Value coding. Quantitative analyses indicated positive changes in the students’ global awareness and global perspective. These analyses also showed that the FIU students achieved higher post-test means on all the domains of the GPI compared to other studies. Qualitative analyses showed that the students’ experiences incorporated all three global learning outcomes, most notably global awareness and perspective.

Hispanic children in the United States are more likely to fall behind in several literacy measures even before they enroll in prekindergarten programs. There are some structural and non-structural factors that have a direct impact on Hispanic children’s early literacy skills. Among the non-structural factors this mixed-method study explored Hispanic caregivers’ beliefs about education as well as their literacy practices at home. The study compared two groups: diverse Hispanic caregivers with 4-year-old children enrolled in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK) and diverse Hispanic caregivers whose 4-year-old children were not enrolled in VPK. A total of 125 diverse Hispanic caregivers responded to two surveys: the Parental Reading Belief Inventory and the Adaptation of the Stony Brooks Reading Survey. Twenty Hispanic parents were later interviewed to better understand their beliefs about education as well as their literacy practices at home. The surveys and interviews revealed playing games, drawing pictures and looking at books with their children were the most common literacy practices in which Hispanic caregivers engaged. All participants in the study stated how much they value their children’s education. Some, particularly caregivers whose children were participating in VPK programs, were more likely to engage in their children’s education and experience fewer barriers to reading at home. Country of origin played an important role in differentiating Hispanic parents in their beliefs about education as well as in their literacy practices at home. From the diverse group of participants in the study, Mexican caregivers were less likely to perceive themselves as playing a key role in their children’s education and they also shared experiencing more barriers in their literacy activities when compared with parents from Cuba and Puerto Rico. Overall, enrollment in VPK was dependent upon the type of barriers to reading activities that Hispanic parents experience as well their country of origin.