This multiple case study explores the ways in which Latina/a immigrant children make sense of immigration by reading critical multicultural texts and blogging. As U.S. immigration policy shifts have created more punitive policies for immigrant adults, these changes place both documented and undocumented children in difficult situations. With many children born in the U.S. as citizens, these families are identified as "mixed-status" families because of the rights and privileges that immigrant children and parents are afforded or denied (Capps & Fortuny, 2006). What appears to be missing from the research around immigration status and children of immigrants is how literacy, in particular digital literacy or blogging can play a role in the understanding of immigration. Studies have illustrated that critical literacy discussions often help facilitate Latina/a immigrant youth's understandings of the multiple communities and larger social spaces and their identities. Moreover, blogging also gives students an opportunity to express themselves in a way which will make them feel comfortable, which is not always possible in a classroom setting (Bloch, 2011, p. 159). The questions guiding this study are: How does reading critical multicultural texts around immigration issues and discussions in computer-mediated discourse communities help children make meaning of a larger social issue like immigration? and (2) How do children use computer mediated discussions to deepen their understandings of literature? Three lines of inquiry guided the research: social constructivist learning theories (Gee, 2004; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Vygotsky, 1978), critical literacy theory (Lewison, Flint, & Van Sluys, 2002: Luke, 2012; Luke & Freebody, 2012), and transactional theory (Rosenblatt, 1978, 2005; Smagorinsky, 2001). Participants in the study were third grade Latina/a students. Data sources included students' blog posts, audio recordings of classroom discussions, student writing samples, field notes, and interviews. Constant comparative approach (Glaser & Strauss, 1965) was used to analyze the data. Findings demonstrate that discussions and blogging afforded students a space to deconstruct the complexities surrounding immigration and immigration policies. Students' gained a greater sense of agency when disrupting the status quo and taking action on such issues. The broader implications from this study highlight the need to use varied modalities and formats when working with culturally diverse students and critical multicultural texts.

This paper explores and analyzes the political incorporation of Latino immigrants in California over the last several decades. Political incorporation refers to the process through which immigrants and their descendants claim their political rights and exercise their voice in politics. In order to understand the impact of Latino immigration on California state politics, the paper first examines the demographic changes in the state. This paper then provides an overview of all of the major immigration legislation in California, beginning from the anti-immigration initiatives to the California Dream Act and immigration-friendly legislation that Governor Jerry Brown signed into law in 2013.

This research included male adolescents living on the U.S./Mexico border and the possible effects of a LD and racial and ethnic identification on support seeking behaviour within a bioecological framework. A sample of 34 male Caucasian, Hispanic and Latino students with and without a LD were recruited from two school sites in separate states in the southwest United States. Participants completed a social support questionnaire, selecting support options for managing various life stressors common to adolescents. Research yielded contradicting results from previous explorations of Hispanic and Latino social support behaviours. A one-way ANOVA found no significant differences between the four groups. Independent t-tests clustered students based on racial and ethnic identification with no significant differences. Significant differences were found between LD and non-LD groups in their choice of teachers, with students with a LD being significantly less likely to select teachers for support. In contrast to past research, Caucasian participants were more than twice as likely to select nobody for social support, and less likely to select their parent/guardian, peer/friend, sibling, or teacher for support. Future research should focus on students who are of community and school minority in various contexts across time to gain a more holistic understanding of social support seeking behaviour. / Graduate

The current study is part of a larger program evaluation of Caminar Latino, a community-based organization that works with Latino families affected by domestic violence. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects that community-based programs have on children. We wanted to investigate the relationship between children’s knowledge of violence and their attitude towards it. We hypothesized that children who have more educational awareness of violence can better recognize it when it happens, and therefore have better coping skills. Sixteen Latino children were interviewed and results showed that there was no significant relationship between violence knowledge and attitudes. This study found correlations between the number of siblings and attitudes towards violence: The more siblings a child had, the more he/she endorsed “if you are mad at someone you can just ignore them” and the less likely he/she endorsed “you try to talk out a problem instead of fighting”. Findings show that it is important to consider siblings when exploring attitudes towards violence. The biggest limitation of this study was that these preliminary data’s sample size may have been too small to show effects. The current study is part of a larger program evaluation of Caminar Latino, a community-based organization that works with Latino families affected by domestic violence. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects that community-based programs have on children. We wanted to investigate the relationship between children’s knowledge of violence and their attitude towards it. We hypothesized that children who have more educational awareness of violence can better recognize it when it happens, and therefore have better coping skills. Sixteen Latino children were interviewed and results showed that there was no significant relationship between violence knowledge and attitudes. This study found correlations between the number of siblings and attitudes towards violence: The more siblings a child had, the more he/she endorsed “if you are mad at someone you can just ignore them” and the less likely he/she endorsed “you try to talk out a problem instead of fighting”. Findings show that it is important to consider siblings when exploring attitudes towards violence. The biggest limitation of this study was that these preliminary data’s sample size may have been too small to show effects.

Thèses (Ph.D.)--Université de Sherbrooke (Canada), 1997. / Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le 20 juin 2006). Publié aussi en version papier.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-75).

Th. doct.--Phil.-Lettr.--Madrid, 1967.

abstract: Wage theft is a national epidemic that only recently became the focus of increasing research, critical public questioning, and activism. Given the socio- political climate in Maricopa County, Arizona and the heightened national attention on the state, this study answers important questions about the work experiences of immigrant workers in the region. Through an analysis of interviews with 14 low-wage Mexican workers from a local worker rights center, I explore workers' access to traditional recourse, the effects of wage theft on workers and families, and the survival strategies they utilize to mitigate the effects of sudden income loss. By providing an historical overview of immigration and employment law, I show how a dehumanized and racialized labor force has been structurally maintained and exploited. Furthermore, I describe the implications of two simultaneous cultures on the state of labor: the culture of fear among immigrants to assert their rights and utilize recourse, and the culture of criminality and impunity among employers who face virtually no sanctions when they are non-compliant with labor law. The results indicate that unless the rights of immigrant workers are equally enforced and recourse is made equally accessible, not only will the standards for pay and working conditions continue to collapse, but the health of Latino communities will also deteriorate. I assert that in addition to structural change, a shift in national public discourse and ideology is critical to substantive socio-political transformation. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Social Justice and Human Rights 2011

abstract: Dating violence in ethnic minority populations is an understudied phenomenon and little attention has been paid to the experiences of Mexican American youth; less research has been done on how those experiences alter perceptions and acceptance of participation in prevention programs. This study advances knowledge on how Mexican American adolescents view dating violence prevention programs and how cultural beliefs and values may hinder or encourage effective participation. Focus groups (N = 9) were form with Mexican American youth aged 15-17 years separated by gender and acculturation status (Mexican Oriented/Bicultural/Anglo Oriented), as determined previously by acculturation scores measured by the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans (ARMSA; 0 or below = Mexican Oriented, 0-1 = Bicultural, 1 or above = Anglo Oriented). Several themes emerged throughout the focus group discussions that were derived from culturally-based needs. Mexican American adolescents made recommendations for program development (e.g., a broad curriculum beyond the topic of dating violence) and delivery (e.g., barriers to participation, the implications of peer involvement) within the context of their cultural values and needs. Low acculturated and bicultural teens identified specific cultural needs and their relevance within a dating violence prevention program. However, across all groups, adolescents felt that the needs of Mexican American youth were similar to other youth in regards to dating violence prevention programs. Implications for how social work can best design and implement prevention programs for Mexican American adolescents are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S.W. Social Work 2011

abstract: The term "White flight" and its effects are well documented in large urban city centers. However, few studies consider the same effects on smaller American communities. This case study investigates Lexington, Nebraska, a rural community of approximately 10,000 citizens, that has experienced a population influx of minorities in the last 25 years. The population shift has increased the representation of Hispanic, Asian, and now Somali students in the Lexington Public School system, which, in turn, has been accompanied by a dramatic decrease in White, Anglo students. This study attempts to identify and describe the reasons for the exodus of White students from the public school setting. Possible reasons that might explain the decreases in White student enrollment may include overcrowding in schools, unsafe school environments, and/or less one-on-one attention with classroom teachers. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2011