With an estimated 1.8 million children born in the US with a developmental disability in the past decade and a 43% increase in the Latino population in the same time period, there are more Latino parents who have children born with a developmental disability than ever before. Due to factors such as language barriers and legal status, Latino parents of children with developmental disabilities tend to experience higher needs. This study explored the challenges and needs Latino parents faced when caring for a child with special needs. The design of the study was qualitative. Participants were a convenience sample of nine Latino women who had a child or children with a developmental disability. Results of the study suggested that there was a large need for more parental education regarding developmental disabilities, support groups, and a larger variety of services and programs available to both parents and children. Increased length and frequency of services were also identified as needs. The most common barriers to the accessibility of programs and services for Latino parents were language barriers and legal status. Other findings discussed focus on the programs and services that parents have found beneficial as well as the role social workers play in the accessibility and attainability of programs, services and resources.

The Latino immigrant population in the United States has grown rapidly, now standing at over 56 million people. Due to this increase in Latino immigrants, investigation of their mental and physical health is crucial. Few studies have investigated conjointly both physical and mental health in Latino immigrant adults. Daily discrimination and acculturative stress have been found to affect the mental and physical health of Latino immigrants. Cultural strengths including social support, religiosity, and enculturation have been linked to Latino immigrant health. In the minority stress model, cultural strengths have been theorized to moderate relationships between discrimination and health. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among acculturative stress, discrimination, and mental and physical health. A secondary aim was to examine whether direct and indirect effects among these series of variables are moderated by social support, religiosity, and enculturation. A community sample of 204 Latino immigrants were recruited. Generally, bivariate associations between variables were congruent with previous research. Anxiety was found to mediated the effects of both acculturative stress and discrimination on physical health. Depression was found to mediate the effect of discrimination on physical health. Social support was found to moderate indirect effect of discrimination on physical health through depression. Enculturation moderated the indirect effects of both acculturative stress and discrimination on physical health through anxiety. Results from this study indicate that minority stressors can impact physical health through mental health, and these relationships can be buffered by links to cultural strengths including social support and enculturation.

Few studies exist that examine Latino romantic relationships; even fewer assess interpersonal power among romantically involved Latino adolescent couples. This observational study investigated interaction, negotiation of power, and communication styles of Latino adolescents in current romantic relationships. Twenty-nine participating couples (ages 14-21) were recruited from a small Rocky Mountain community; all identified as being of Latino decent. Couples were digitally videotaped during problem solving conversations and completed a video recall procedure administered directly 11 following the recording. The Quality of Relationship Inventory (QRI) was completed by all couple members as a measure of their overall relationship quality. In addition to this, the Global Assessment Scale (GAS), which measured feelings of honesty, being attacked, misunderstood, and conversation control was administered to each couple member after videotaping. The video recall procedure captured positive and negative aspects of interaction, negotiation of power, and skillfulness in problem solving. Power dynamics for each conversation were also rated by an outside observer on dominance through talking and dominance through not listening scale. Overall, these couples rated their relationship quality positively and viewed their own and partner's behavior positively as well. Low levels of dominance through talking and dominance through not listening were observed to be used by couple members as a means to handle conflict during the conversation. The majority of the couples were observed to be mutually engaged in the conversations and appear to have good problem solving skills. However, higher ratings of power inequity by both couple members and observers were linked to lower overall relationship quality, with differing patterns of correlation for male and female couple members.

Mexican-origin youth represent a large and growing ethnic minority subgroup, and have disparate risk for early initiation of substance use. Therefore, it is crucial to understand factors that can prevent them from the initiation of substance use at an early age. Previous research has identified positive sibling relationships, lower rates of older sibling deviant behavior, and high levels of family values as important protective factors relevant for early substance use risk for European American youth. However, few studies have examined these influences among Mexican origin adolescents, and generalizability cannot be assumed given the notable differences between Mexican origin and EuropeanAmerican siblings. For example, Mexican origin siblings spend more time together than European-American siblings, and are shaped by many cultural factors, such as traditional family values (familism). The goal of this study was to understand the potential explanatory and interactive effects of familism and sibling relationships on Mexican origin youths’ intentions for using substances. I hypothesized that sibling relationship quality would serve as both a partial mediator and moderator between familism and ATOD use intentions, and that higher levels of older sibling deviance would partially mediate and/or moderate the association between familism and younger sibling ATOD use intentions. I used secondary data to analyze 409 pre-adolescent Mexican origin youth recruited from a metropolitan area in Northern California. None of our hypothesized models were confirmed. Specifically, negative sibling relationship quality did not serve as a moderator (b = -.27, SE = .87, OR = .77, p = .77), nor a mediator (b = -.01, SE = .04, 95% CI = -0.12, .05). between familism and ATOD use intentions. Further, older sibling deviant behavior did not serve as a moderator (b = .38, SEb = .94, OR = 1.47, p = .68), nor a mediator (b = -.00, SE = .04, 95% CI = -0.10, .05) between familism and ATOD use intentions. Despite the null findings, this study has important clinical implications, including the recommendation to promote sibling relationships in prevention programs for Latino youth. There were several limitations of the study which are discussed along with suggestions for future research directions.

The achievement gap has long been viewed as a persistent shortcoming of the public education system in the U.S. The achievement gap also highlights the challenges faced by Latino populations with educational achievements and future employment prospects. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to describe how four Latina adolescents, each of whom identified herself as a struggling or “not good” reader, reauthored their reading identities by acting as reading tutors to elementary students. This study combined elements of narrative inquiry with multiple case study research. The four participants—Paula, Lucia, Cassandra, and Amaia (all names are pseudonyms)—were selected from a cross-age tutoring program for Latino youth called Latinos in Action located in the state of Utah. As part of this class, ninth-graders received training on how to provide tutoring in reading to elementary students, and they tutored elementary students twice per week for 30 minutes. The participants underwent 6 months of tutoring. Prior to tutoring, the participants were interviewed to ascertain how their reader identities had developed through adolescence. Subsequent interviews with the participants, teachers, and family members, in addition to observed tutoring sessions, illustrated ways that tutoring provided an avenue for the participants to re-author their reader identities. Using these data, I worked with participants to develop narratives regarding their reading experiences and identities. I used an a priori Bakhtinian framework to explain what I viewed in the narratives, with conclusions confirmed by each participant. Finally, I used constant comparative analytic methods to identify common themes across the participants’ stories. From the analysis, I identified five major themes as the findings of this study: examples at home, school as authoritative, fluent oral reading in English, reading aloud in tutoring, and changes in reading practices. The process of tutoring younger students provided a place, within the authoritative space of the school setting, where the participants were able to practice this skill. The results of this study indicated that educators and policy makers can look to cross-age tutoring as one method to provide adolescent, struggling readers with opportunities to positively adjust their reader identities.

Breastfeeding confers immunological, physiological and psychological benefits for the infant and mother as well as social and economic benefits to the nation. The United States Department of Health and Human Servcies (HHS), Healthy People 2020 has established national objectives for the initiation and duration of breastfeeding at 82% initiation, 61% at six months and 34% at one year. In addition, they have set goals for exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months to be 46% and 25% at 6 months of infant's age. Currently breastfeeding initiation is at the highest recorded level of 76.9%, yet significant disparities exist (CDC, 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine the association of acculturation and self-efficacy on breastfeeding behavior of a sample of Hispanic women. Initially the plan was to focus on women from Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican countries of origin. However recruitiment goals for only the Mexican population were reached. Two valid and reliable bidimensional instruments were used in addition to collecting contextual information to foster a more comprehensive understanding of the acculturation process. The roles of self-efficacy and social support and their relationship with acculturation measures and breastfeeding behavior was explored. The Non-Hispanic domain subscale of the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale scores were significantly different for those breastfeeding compared to those formula feeding, indicating higher levels of Non-Hispanic domain acculturation associated with not breastfeeding. Acculturation and self efficacy (general and parental) were not found to be related. Breastfeeding outcomes and parental self-efficacy were found to have a significant negative correlation, a finding that was in an unexpected direction, with higher parental self-efficacy associated with decreased breastfeeding intensity. Mixed feeding or Las Dos, is a common finding among Hispanic women especially for the Mexican origin community and exclusivity may not have been perceived as higher value then mixed feeding or formula feeding (Bunik et al., 2006). Rates for exclusive breastfeeding at three months are 33% for both the US as well as for Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (National Immunization Survey, 2007). At six weeks the practice of exclusively breastfeeding (not giving formula) was 17% and this is about half of the 46% goal set for exclusive breastfeeding at three months by (HHS) Healthy People 2020. Of those that were exclusively breastfeeding in the hospital only three were still exclusively breastfeeding at the six week follow up call. This presents a unique opportunity in which targeting Hispanic mothers after discharge may assist in increasing further the rates of exclusive breastfeeding and recommendations are provided.

A convenience sample of 123 Hispanic/Latino students from a predominantly Hispanic/Latino South Texas community college was used to determine if gender and/or journal-writing had any effects on mathematics anxiety or achievement. Eight sections of college-algebra courses were administered the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) to determine levels of mathematics anxiety and the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) to determine levels of mathematical achievement. Results of the study suggest that journal-writing decreases levels of mathematics anxiety among students. In addition, the study suggests that males and females do not differ in terms of mathematical achievement. These finding are consistent with previous studies. However, the study also suggested that males and females report the same levels of mathematics anxiety and that journal-writing does not increase mathematical achievement. This is in contrast to previous published studies.

The Republican Party of California faces a serious demographic challenge as a burgeoning Latino population threatens to turn this majority-minority state a darker shade of blue. The purpose of my research and of this thesis is to explore the relationship between Latino voters in California and the Republican Party and to draw conclusions about the most viable and proven means of attracting Latino votes to Republican candidates. The Latino vote is by no means a lost cause for Republicans. My research supports several claims, which are laid out here and discussed throughout the paper. The first is that the Republican Party waits now at a crucial moment of opportunity for failure or survival in California. The next is that there are multiples issues with which the GOP can make inroads with Hispanic communities. The research available leads me to conclude that it matters less what Republicans might say about these issues, and more how and where (and even in what language) they say it.

Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFWs) in the United States live and work within ever changing contexts, which require researchers to take into account multiple environmental and psychosocial stressors influencing mental health. The current study examined factors of social support and social isolation for MSFWs in South Georgia. Social isolation and support characteristics were identified and examined in association with depression among 120 Latino, male, MSFWs in South Georgia. Several protective and risk factors for depression were identified. Depression symptoms varied based on MSFWs household composition, perceived social isolation stressors, the frequency in which they called home and having socially supportive relationships in the local area. Results highlight the importance of examining social support in the context of cultural and community fit.

Child maltreatment is a significant public health problem that increases when children live in homes in which intimate partner violence (IPV) is present. Child maltreatment and IPV often co-occur, and the sequelae of IPV frequently appear in both the victimized mother and her children. Home visitation programs, such as SafeCare®, are used as intervention strategies to reduce the risk of child maltreatment, but rarely are these programs adapted for Latino populations. The importance of cultural sensitivity in parenting programs has been highlighted as a means of producing successful outcomes when working with Latino families. The present single-case research design study evaluated the efficacy of SafeCare's Parent-Infant Interaction (PII) module when delivered in Spanish to a Latino mother with prior experiences of IPV. Observational data were used to document changes in parenting behaviors, while self-report measures assessed exposure to IPV and changes in mental health, parenting stress, and the risk of child maltreatment. Qualitative data provided suggestions for culturally adapting PII for Latino families. Data from this study suggest that PII improves parent-infant interactions when delivered in Spanish and reduces the risk of child maltreatment. Additionally, self-report measures indicate that IPV, parent mental health distress, and the risk of child maltreatment co-occur. This study also shares with the field the importance of providing culturally adapted programs when working with Latino families.