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Background: Latinos are disproportionately affected by diabetes. Studies examining acculturation and diabetes prevalence among Latinos have used diverse operational definitions of acculturation and have reported conflicting results. Objective: To examine the association between two acculturation measures--country of birth and predominant language spoken--with the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in adult U.S. Latinos. Methods: We used data from the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys , including Latinos aged 20-80 years old (n=3,214). We examined the association of country of origin (U.S.-born vs. non-U.S.-born) and predominant language spoken (English vs. Spanish) with diabetes. Covariates included in logistic regression analysis included, age, education, income, marital status, and BMI. Results: After adjusting for age, education, income, and marital status, Latinos born in the United States and those speaking English as their predominant language demonstrated greater odds of having diabetes than their foreign-born and Spanish-speaking counterparts (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.05-1.93 and OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.06-1.74, respectively). This positive association between acculturation and diabetes prevalence was mediated in part by body mass index. Conclusion: Latinos with high levels of acculturation--defined by country of birth and predominant language spoken--have an increased risk of diabetes compared to those with low levels of acculturation. Further research should explore the complex underlying processes that explain differences in the odds of DM by acculturation status. Our findings may inform clinicians and public health professionals in implementing interventions to prevent diabetes in U.S. Latinos, who are at high-risk for this disease. / Epidemiology

Parental involvement is highly important for children's success at school. Research has shown that parental involvement leads to higher student achievement, better school attendance, and a reduction in dropout rates. However, what happens with those parents who do not speak English or have limited communication skills in this language? How can they become involved in their children's schooling when the children attend school in a language foreign to the parents? This study examines the experiences of three Mexican immigrant mothers and one father getting involved in their children's education in the United States. Helena was an active participant of a service-learning program hosted by a medium-sized Land Grand University. Sandra also attended the program but only for some time. Finally, the Hernandez parents, Mercedes and Jose Luis, were randomly selected in the community and did not participate in the service-learning program. This qualitative study relied mainly upon semi-structure interviews with the participants along with observations and field notes. The conclusions from this study provide insight as to how Mexican-immigrant parents with low-income develop an understanding of the school system in the United States. Analysis revealed two main strategies that parents use to communicate with the school: 1) using interpreters as affordance networks for communication, and 2) using their own knowledge of English to take actions and comply with school requirements. Data show that, contrary to common assumptions, parents do not prefer children as their first option for interpreting functions. In terms of learning about standard cultural practices of parental involvement parents accommodate to school demands by using various strategies and resources from their funds of knowledge. Parents learn about standard cultural practices of parental involvement and at the same time they support their children's education; in this process parents rely on their own cultural repertoires. Besides, parents seek places where they can develop community ties in order to learn about the how-tos of life in the United States. Finally, findings demonstrate that parents feel frustration and anxiety about their relationship with the schools, since they are facing with great resilience the every life challenges of living in a culture and language different from their own. The main findings of this study and discussing on the implications provided a discussion for policy changes in the context of the NCLB act, and suggestions for teacher preparation programs, and local school or service programs. / Ph. D.

The increasing presence of "Latinos" in higher education presents a challenge to the academy, particularly in understanding their adjustment to the college environment (Umana-Taylor, Diversi & Fine, 2002). This study investigates how ethnically diverse "Latino\a" undergraduates construct and affirm ethnic identity. The findings suggest that a "Latino\a" pan-ethnicity is problematic because of the diversity of national origins, family histories, linguistic preferences, and cultural traditions that exists among the different nationalities that comprise this ethnic group. Unlike previous generations of immigrants, new diaspora "Latinos" seek integration into American society as bilinguals with linguistic command for both Spanish and English and resist abandonment of national identities and culture. These are suggestive of transnational identities that are multiple and adaptive to a variety of contexts and situations; rather than being fixed and constant. / Ph. D.