with Rev. Peter Phan, Georgetown University; and Prof. Roberto Goizueta / Devlin Hall 008

Political trust is an important concept in a representative democracy because it defines citizens’ expectations of their elected officials, their willingness to allow government to act on their behalf, and the quality of democratic accountability. Distrust, or when government outcomes fail to meet citizens' expectations, has been linked to discontent and disaffection, and to a broad decline in the legitimacy of government institutions. Research consistently shows that Latinos are more trusting than non-Latinos--a finding which seems discordant in light of the socio-economic and cultural differences between these groups. The concept of expectations is especially interesting and useful in examining differences in levels of political trust among Latinos and non-Latinos. The literature on Latino trust lacks any comprehensive analysis of the determinants and consequences of political trust among Latinos. This dissertation attempts to answer the following questions: What are the determinants of political trust among Latinos? Why are Latinos more trusting of government than non-Latinos? What impact does political trust have on Latino policy preferences and vote choice? Utilizing survey data of Californians, evidence I find that acculturation and country-of-origin variables account for differences between Latinos and non-Latinos, and that socio-economic variables do not. Latinos of Mexican origin are less trusting that other Latinos. Political trust has a negative impact of Latino support for health care reform, but no impact on non-Latino policy preferences in this area. Once again, trust impacts Mexican and non-Mexican Latinos differently. Finally, I confirm the positive relationship between political trust and voting for an incumbent (the negative relationship between trust and support for a major or minor party challenger); this relationship is constant across Latino and non-Latino groups.

acase@tulane.edu / Research into the narrative and interpretation of how undocumented food vendors navigate formal systems raises questions about the relationship between labor, entrepreneurship, migration, and regulation. From taco truck owners to restaurateurs, Latinx food vendors are emblematic of the New Orleans post-Katrina recovery, initially feeding workers who were fundamental in rebuilding the devastated region. Despite the important role they continue to fill and their growing popularity among the non-Latinx community, these foodways purveyors face challenges in accessing political and cultural legitimacy. Using a multi-sited ethnographic framework this research follows workers from Honduras to New Orleans to analyze how these individuals negotiate social policies and precarious economies. Building on accompaniment methodology this study employs community-engaged research to get a more holistic analysis of these migration experiences and adds to the growing field of cultural producer-oriented scholarship. Centering on the shifts in policy and inconsistencies of legislation I argue that the regulation of food vendors maps onto the criminalization of undocumented individuals. Yet despite these vulnerabilities, these narratives demonstrate how Latinx communities are able to forge their own cultural, economic, and political spaces. / 1 / Sarah Fouts

Currently, there is a significant gap in the literature on what Latino students are subjected to at predominately white universities regarding white racism and discrimination. If students of color face racism on university campuses, this could negatively impact their experiences while in college and perhaps the likelihood of their matriculation. This research focuses on whether or not Latino students are being treated differently because of their race, what patterns of discrimination exist for this group, and whether or not regional factors, as well as demographic factors influence these experiences. Feagin’s theory of systemic racism was the guiding framework for this study. According to this perspective, white racism permeates various levels of our society and is a foundational aspect of our country, both historically and contemporarily. Individual actors operate in the context of a system of racism, which occurs at the individual, institutional, and societal levels all at once. This dynamic informs this research. In order to get at the lived experiences of Latino students, qualitative interview methodology was used. Approximately 28 students on three campuses participated in face-to-face, in-depth interviews. Overwhelmingly, students faced various types of discrimination and racism both on and off-campus. This study contributes to the race and education literature by providing an in-depth analysis of how mistreatment based on race plays out for these students on both the individual and institutional level. It also suggests that white racism is still an issue for students of color and that the system of racism can have an impact on their educational experiences. Suggestions are made about how the institution of education could change in order to better suit the needs of its increasingly diverse student population.

Currently, there is a significant gap in the literature on what Latino students are subjected to at predominately white universities regarding white racism and discrimination. If students of color face racism on university campuses, this could negatively impact their experiences while in college and perhaps the likelihood of their matriculation. This research focuses on whether or not Latino students are being treated differently because of their race, what patterns of discrimination exist for this group, and whether or not regional factors, as well as demographic factors influence these experiences. Feagin’s theory of systemic racism was the guiding framework for this study. According to this perspective, white racism permeates various levels of our society and is a foundational aspect of our country, both historically and contemporarily. Individual actors operate in the context of a system of racism, which occurs at the individual, institutional, and societal levels all at once. This dynamic informs this research. In order to get at the lived experiences of Latino students, qualitative interview methodology was used. Approximately 28 students on three campuses participated in face-to-face, in-depth interviews. Overwhelmingly, students faced various types of discrimination and racism both on and off-campus. This study contributes to the race and education literature by providing an in-depth analysis of how mistreatment based on race plays out for these students on both the individual and institutional level. It also suggests that white racism is still an issue for students of color and that the system of racism can have an impact on their educational experiences. Suggestions are made about how the institution of education could change in order to better suit the needs of its increasingly diverse student population.

No description available.

Research has extensively documented the mental health disparities that exist for ethnic and racial minorities living in the United States. With respect to Latinos, such disparities are marked by less access to care and poorer quality of mental health treatment. Studies on Latino mental health have found differences in mental health service utilization among ethnic subgroups and among different generations of Latinos. However, empirical data examining specific attitudes and barriers to mental health treatment among different generations of Latinos are limited. This study explored the relationships between Latino generational status, mental health service utilization, psychological distress, and barriers to mental health treatment. An online survey (N = 218) included samples of first-generation (n = 67), second-generation (n = 86), and third-generation or beyond Latinos (n = 65). Results indicated first-generation Latinos had the lowest rate of mental health service utilization and reported greater linguistic and structural knowledge barriers, however, they had lower perceived social stigma of mental health services when age at migration was considered. Implications of these findings for research, mental health service providers and mental health policy are discussed.

Teen dating violence is a serious problem that does not receive the attention it should. This paper examines the factors that contribute to teen dating violence and more specifically the factors that contribute to dating violence among Latino youth. After determining the factors that contribute to this problem, prevention programs are examined to assess how well they address those issues. Currently, multiple dating violence prevention programs are used across the country; however, most of them do not address the needs of Latino youth. Suggestions on how to make these programs more appropriate for Latinos are provided.

This dissertation explores the factors associated with religious switching among Latinos in Chicago churches. In the last few decades, some scholars have suggested that there is a growing trend among Latinos away from Catholicism and toward conservative Protestantism. Drawing on insights from previous literature on religious conversion more broadly, and from literature on ethnic and immigrant congregations, I examine the possibility that the way a church meets the various needs of congregants is associated with religious switching. More specifically, I explore whether having one's social, spiritual, and material needs met through one's congregation is associated with switching from participation in a Catholic church to participation in a Protestant church. To explore these potential associations, I use data from the Chicago Latino Congregations Study (CLCS), a multilevel study of predominantly Latino congregations in Chicago and the churchgoers who attend them. Using multilevel modeling, I examine both individual congregant-level factors and congregation-level factors, including characteristics of church leaders, and their association with religious switching. The results of this analysis suggest the importance of examining whether or not congregations have formalized ways of incorporating new members into the church, and whether or not the church leader is directly involved with helping congregants meet material needs such as finding a job. Also, results demonstrate that these two factors are more commonly found in evangelical and Pentecostal Protestant churches in Chicago than in Catholic churches. I propose that when congregations employ methods of reaching out to potential new members in personal, individualized ways—such as a church leader directly helping a potential new member with finding a job—affective ties are established and nurtured, setting the ground work for religious switching.

This study uses logistic regression to analyze how strength of American identity influences Latino/a racial self identification with traditional and integration measures such as discrimination and skin color. These integration measures are not considered in Latino/a racial identity research using Census data that focuses on traditional measures such as socioeconomic status and education. The primary hypothesis of the analysis is that those Latino/as who report seeing themselves strongly as American are more likely to choose "white" than "some other race" as their racial identity. The secondary hypothesis states that those Latino/as with darker skin tones and higher reports of discrimination will also be more likely to choose "some other race" than those Latino/as with lighter skin tones and no reports of discrimination. This is due to the concept that in America historically, only those considered white were allowed to be citizens of the United States and therefore American. Additionally, the concept of being American is still closely linked as someone with European decent and European features holding white values regardless of citizenship statues.