Hello, silverstork-ga!
I am afraid this answer is starting to get a bit out of control and I
had better stop! There is a wealth of information concerning the
Hispanic, or Latino, population in the United States, but not very
much focused specifically on mothers. I have spent a multitude of
hours piecing information together from various reports and articles
to try to paint a picture of Latina mothers. I hope I have presented
the research with some semblance of order, as opposed to overwhelming
you with scattered bits of information.
I included quite a few resources pertaining to Latina teen mothers
since it is quite an important issue in the community at large.
The best statistical resource I found - "Revised Birth and Fertility
Rates for the 1990s and New Rates for Hispanic Populations, 2000 and
2001 - would not open for me. I sure hope you have better luck!
A 1995 OVERVIEW OF LATINA MOTHERS IN THE UNITED STATES
======================================================
The following excerpt is from an Urban Institute Executive Summary:
"On average, Latina mothers displayed patterns that fell intermediate
to the patterns of Anglo and Black mothers, though there was no single
pattern that characterized all Latino subgroups. Puerto Rican mothers
stand out as being considerably worse off than other groups: they are
less likely to be married, less likely to be living with parents or
other adults, more likely to be living in poverty and more likely to
be receiving welfare. Cuban mothers stand out in the opposite way,
with the highest household incomes of any group and the lowest rates
of receiving welfare. Mexican and Central and South American mothers
look more like Anglos than any other group in terms of their marriage
patterns and living arrangements, although their poverty rates are
much higher."
"The results suggest a distinctive immigrant strategy, especially for
Mexicans, whereby foreign born mothers are considerably more likely
than their U.S. born counterparts to rely on family or kin resources.
The strategy of living with parents or relatives appears to take the
place of welfare for many immigrants, but it does not make them any
less impoverished than non-immigrants."
"The most vulnerable young mothers appear to be teenagers raising
their children on their own. Our results suggest that if these teen
mothers were living with their parents or other adults, they would be
more likely to remain in school, and less likely to be living in
poverty. Although married teen mothers are better off than single
mothers raising their children alone, they are clearly worse off than
single mothers who live with their parents or other adults. Moreover,
married teen mothers have lower rates of school enrollment than their
unmarried counterparts and this will likely result in lower
educational attainment overall."
See "SOURCES OF SUPPORT FOR YOUNG LATINA MOTHERS," by Joan R. Kahn and
Rosalind E. Berkowitz. The Urban Institute (August 16, 1995)
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/cyp/xslatina.htm
* The Executive Summary lists a number of statistics tables that may
be of interest, even if they are outdated. You may order the 63-page
publication from the Urban Institute for $8.50.
http://www.uipress.org/Template.cfm?Section=Bookstore&Template=/Ecommerce/ProductDisplay.cfm&ProductID=2938
STATISTICS
==========
"Revised Birth and Fertility Rates for the 1990s and New Rates for
Hispanic Populations, 2000 and 2001: United States." NVSR Report 51,
No. 12. 94 pp. (PHS) 2003-1120.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/releases/03facts/revisesrates.htm
I was not able to get the 94-page document to download successfully,
but you may have better luck. Click on the link from the above
reference.
==
"Hispanic women nationwide had the highest fertility rate among all
race and ethnic groups in 2000. (95 births per 1,000 women of
childbearing age). Asian and Pacific Islander women had the lowest
(54.6). The Infant Mortality Rates (IMR) for Hispanics (5.7) are lower
than that of non-Hispanics (7.3). The National Center for Health
Statistics finds that infants of Cuban (4.7), Central and South
American (4.7), and Mexican (5.5) mothers had lower rates of infant
death than non-Hispanic whites (5.8) and non-Hispanic blacks (14.1)."
"42% of Hispanic mothers of infant children (under 1 year old) were in
the labor force in 2000, compared to 57% of non-Hispanic whites, 66%
of blacks, and 56% of Asian mothers."
From "Ohio Population News: Hispanics in the Midwest. (May 2002)
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:aSO-7njImGEJ:www.bgsu.edu/organizations/cfdr/ohiopop/opn7.pdf+%2Blatinos+%2Bhispanics+%2Bmothers&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
==
Statistics about Latina Mothers and Birth rates in Massachusetts may
be found in the following document:
"New Report on Hispanic Births Released." Massachusetts Department of
Public Health. (November 2001)
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:SDEiCBNmz9EJ:www.state.ma.us/dph/media/2001/pr1120.htm+Hispanic+mothers+in+the+US++&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
==
As provided in my initial clarification:
Please take a look at the following prelimary census data for births
to Hispanic mothers by age group in 2001.
See Table 1 for numbers and Table 4 for birth rates by state
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr50/nvsr50_10.pdf
==
According to a 1998 census statistics, "White mother-headed families
have a poverty rate of 27.7 percent, Black, 39.8 percent, and
Hispanic, 47.6 percent."
From "Mothering and Motherhood: A Decade Review," by Teresa Arendell.
April 1999. http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/wfnetwork/berkeley/papers/3.pdf
TEEN-AGED LATINA MOTHERS
========================
* Fifty-one percent of Latina girls in the U.S. become pregnant at least once
by age 20.
* Latinas have the highest teen birth rate among the major racial/ethnic
groups in the United States.
* The teen birth and pregnancy rates for Latinas have not decreased as much in
recent years as have the overall U.S. teen birth and pregnancy rates.
"In 2000, Latina teens aged 15-19 had a pregnancy rate of 137.9 per
1,000, well above the national average of 83.6 per 1,000 15-19 year
old girls (but below the rate for African-American girls aged 15-19,
153.3 per 1,000) While 35% of girls in the US become pregnant at leas
once as a teen, for Hispanic girls this proportion is 51%.
"The 2002 birth rate for Latina 15-19 year-olds was 83.4 per 1,000,
nearly double the national rate of 43.0 per 1,000. Thirty percent of
the births in 2002 to teens aged 15 to 19 were to Latinas."
"Teen birth rates also vary widely among Latino subgroups. Of the
three subgroups for which rates were available in 2002,
Mexican-Americans had the highest teen birth rate (94.5 per 1,000)
among Latina 15-19 year olds, followed by Latina girls of "other
unknown" origin (including Central and South America) with a birth
rate of 63.0 per 1,000, while teen of Puerto Rican descent claimed the
lowest teen birth rate (61.4 per 1,000.)
Read more...
From "Fact Sheet: Teen Sexual Activity, Pregnancy and Childbearing
Among Latinos in the United States." (Feb 2004)
http://www.teenpregnancy.org/resources/reading/pdf/latinofs.pdf
==
"Minnesota's African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian and Native
American communities are experiencing the highest teen pregnancy and
birth rates nationwide.....And, while teen pregnancy rates among many
Minnesota populations are decreasing, there is an alarming increase in
pregnancy rates for Asian and Hispanic/Latino teens."
"The 1998 Hispanic/Latino teen birth rate in Minnesota was 130.2; in
the U.S., it was 93.6. This represents a 29 percent increase since
1991, when the birth rate was 100.9 per 1,000. In 1999 the
Hispanic/Latino birth rate in Minnesota climbed to 160."
Also read "Minnesotan teens of color have highest birth rates in
nation." Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. 8/10/2002
http://spokesman-recorder.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=14151&sID=20
==
"While childbearing rates among teenagers have been declining for
African-Americans and Whites, Hispanic girls have shown increases in
rates of teenage childbearing in the past fifteen years. According to
recent research this is because, although less likely to engage in sex
than other girls, Hispanic girls are also less likely to use birth
control or to abort once pregnant."
"Recent evidence on adolescent pregnancy has implications for future
research," by Rachel Dunifon. Joint Center for Poverty Research News.
(Winter 1999) http://www.jcpr.org/99winter/article6.html
=
"White girls have considerably lower rates of adolescent births (39.3
per 1000 15-19 year olds in 1995) than Hispanics (106.7) or African
Americans (99.3; Ventura et al., 1997). While childbearing rates in
white and African American populations have shown substantial
declines, rates for Hispanic girls have risen steadily in the past
fifteen years. Although Latina girls have lower rates of early sexual
experience, they are less likely to use birth control and, once
pregnant, less likely to abort than white and African American girls
(Perez & Duany, 1992).
"In general, the negative effects of teenage childbearing on later
income and poverty rates are less severe for African Americans than
for whites and Hispanics. It has been proposed that this difference is
due to the high rates of single parenthood and poverty among all
African American families, such that families headed by teenage
mothers are not that different from older-mother African American
families (Astone, 1993; Moore et al., 1993). In addition, white young
mothers are most likely to marry, followed by Hispanics and African
Americans (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1995), while
African American teenage mothers are more likely than whites or
Hispanics to stay in their family home, continue in school, and delay
marriage, practices which likely serve to increase their access to
family help with childrearing and financial support (Rosenheim &
Testa, 1992)."
"Somewhat surprisingly, given the low rates of marriage and high
incidence of divorce among teenage mothers and their partners, 50% of
teenage fathers live with their children sometime after birth, though
this situation often does not last long (Marsiglio, 1987) Rates vary
greatly by race: white fathers have the highest rates of cohabitation,
followed by Hispanics and then African Americans."
From "Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenthood: Recent Evidence and Future
Directions," by Rebekah Levine Coley and P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale.
American Psychologist.
http://www.qolsandiego.net/docs/Teen%20Parents%20Research%20Paper.htm
==
(The following article excerpts include some information by subgroup)
"Young Latina mothers are likely to face quite different circumstances
than white, non-Hispanic mothers; not only do they have lower
educational and income levels, but they are also more likely to be
concentrated in high poverty neighborhoods. Additionally, Latino
cultural norms tend to be more family-oriented, favoring strong family
ties and higher levels of fertility."
"Puerto Rican mothers are worse off than other Latino groups: they are
less likely to be married or to be living with parents or other
adults, and more likely to be living in poverty and receiving welfare.
In contrast, Cuban mothers have the highest household incomes of any
group and the lowest rates of welfare participation."
"Foreign born teen mothers are considerably more likely than their
U.S. born counterparts to rely on family or kin resources. The
strategy of living with parents or relatives appears to take the place
of welfare for many immigrants."
"Among teen mothers, almost 32 percent of Latinas are currently
married, compared with less than five percent of blacks and 41 percent
of whites. Of the Latina sub-groups, Mexicans are the most likely to
be married (35 percent) and Puerto Ricans the least likely (20
percent). While married teen mothers are better off than single teen
mothers raising their children alone, recent studies show they are
clearly worse off than single mothers who live with their parents or
other adults."
"Teen mothers are more likely than mothers who have their first birth
in their twenties or thirties to come from poor or low-income
families, live in poverty and depend on welfare. Overall, about 15
percent of all teen mothers receive welfare payments, compared to 26
percent of Puerto Rican teen mothers receiving payments. Other Latino
groups are less likely to receive welfare, in part because of the
large proportion of immigrants who are not eligible to receive it."
"Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school or attend
college, although those who live with parents or other adults are at
least twice as likely to remain in school as those living alone. This
is especially true for black and Mexican mothers: if they live with
parents or other adults, they are three to four times more likely to
remain in school. Over 80 percent of all unmarried Latina teen mothers
live with their parents or other adults, except Puerto Ricans. While
only 65 percent of Puerto Rican single teens raise their children in
extended families, only 41 percent of teens born in Puerto Rico do
so."
From "Executive Summary: LATINA TEEN PREGNANCY: Problems and
Prevention." Population Resource Center (2001)
http://www.prcdc.org/summaries/latinapreg/latinapreg.html
LATINA MOTHERS FROM CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
==============================================
"Latina mothers from El Salvador and other Central and South American
countries living in California give birth to healthier babies than
expected based on their access to health care and education levels,
according to a UCLA study."
"In addition, the study by the Center for the Study of Latino Health
and Culture at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA found that
while U.S.-born Latinas have a higher level of education, they have a
higher teen pregnancy rate than immigrant Latinas from Central and
South America. Researchers also found that U.S.-born mothers of
Central and South American origin have a higher percentage of low
birth-weight babies than immigrant mothers."
"In looking at birth data, researchers found that Salvadoran and
Central and South American mothers, like Latinas from Mexico who live
in California, fall within the "Latino epidemiological paradox," a
phenomenon in which Latinos are in better health than non-Hispanic
whites, despite the fact that their access to and use of health-care
systems, socioeconomic status and education levels are lower."
"Researchers found that teen pregnancies are higher among U.S.-born
mothers of Central and South American origin than their immigrant
counterparts. The teen pregnancy rate among the U.S.-born mothers was
20.2 percent, compared to 6.4 percent for immigrant mothers. The rate
for U.S.-born mothers of Central and South American origin is higher
than the state rate of 9.49 percent and even higher than the overall
U.S.-born Latina rate of 19.4 percent."
From "Immigrant Mothers From Central and South American Countries Give
Birth to Healthier Babies Than Expected, UCLA Study Finds." UCLA News.
(Oct 2, 2003)
http://www.cesla.med.ucla.edu/html/pdf/new%20web10203/page1%20(english).htm
HEALTH PROBLEMS AND PREGNANCY ISSUES AMONG HISPANIC MOTHERS
============================================================
"New research shows that Hispanic women born in the United States are
more likely to experience problems during pregnancy than their
immigrant counterparts. Scientists at UCLA say U.S. born Hispanics
smoke, drink and do drugs more than those born elsewhere. They also
have more sexual partners."
Read "Pregnancy Problem for U.S. Born Hispanic Mothers." ABC7 (December 3, 2003)
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/health/120303_hs_hispanics_women_pregnancy.html
Diabetes
=========
"Hispanic women have higher rates of both pregestational and
gestational diabetes than do African American or non-Hispanic white
women, yet this is the first study to examine congenital anomalies in
an exclusively Hispanic population.
"Gestational diabetes in Hispanics tied to anomalies." OB/GYN News,
Dec 1, 2002, by Betsy Bates
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0CYD/23_37/95514134/p1/article.jhtml
(If link does not work, please type in title and click on "cached version")
==
Research shows that US-born Puerto-Rican babies are healthier than
island-born babies, despite the stress brought on by a lack of social
networks.
"Puerto Rican women living in the United States have significantly
less social and emotional support at the time of childbirth than their
peers in Puerto Rico, yet this does not adversely impact their
infant's health, a Penn State study shows."
"The process of being uprooted and resettled does not occur without
stress, as reflected in the much higher smoking rates among Puerto
Rican women in the United States, according to the study. Only 4
percent of Puerto Rican women in Puerto Rico reported smoking during
pregnancy, compared to 13 percent of women who emigrated to the United
States and 16 percent of women born in the U.S. Maternal smoking
during pregnancy is a risk factor for poor infant health."
"However, Landale and Oropesa, faculty in Penn State?s College of the
Liberal Arts, note, the risk of giving birth to an infant weighing
under 1,500 grams, or 3.3 pounds, was significantly higher for Puerto
Rican women in Puerto Rico than for Puerto Rican migrants to the
United States. The timing of prenatal care and maternal weight gain
during pregnancy are roughly equal between the two groups."
"As compensation for weaker social networks, pregnant Puerto Rican
women may have access to information and assistance through channels
that are independent of family and friends," Oropesa notes."
"Participation in the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program and
other social programs may help these women engage in protective health
practices and give birth to healthy babies, even when social support
from other sources is lacking," the researchers add."
"Weakened Social Networks For Puerto Rican Mothers In U.S. Contribute
To High Stress. PSU 2001
http://www.psu.edu/ur/2001/puertoricanmothers.html
BREAST VERSUS BOTTLE FEEDING
=============================
".. Hispanic mothers in the U.S. tend to be less educated, and
research suggests that women with less education are more likely to
bottle-feed their babies. Critics say that also means Hispanic
mothers, who lack fluency in English, won't get enough medical advice
to make an informed choice. And, for many immigrant women from
deprived backgrounds, bottle feeding has an aura of acculturation and
prosperity."
"Some Hispanic mothers dispute the claim that breast-feeding is
better. At the Anaheim hospital where she gave birth, Eva Hernandez
said the nurses encouraged her to breast-feed, but she didn't see any
health benefits for Marcos, her firstborn son. He "got colds, ear
infections and sore throats," she says. She breast-fed her second
child only four months, then switched to formula and "he was much
healthier," she says. She didn't breast-feed her third child at all."
"Nestle officials first advertised Nan last year on billboards in
Hispanic enclaves of Los Angeles and Houston. But recently it kicked
off a national campaign, placing ads in Spanish-language parenting
magazines and radio."
"Back at the Anaheim baby fair, Rosie Sanchez, who works as a clerk,
has formula-fed her two American-born children, and plans to do so
with the third on the way: "Women only breast-feed in Latin America
because they can't afford to buy formula."
From "Nestle targets Hispanic mothers with formula," by Miriam Jordan.
News Leader.com March 4, 2004
http://springfield.news-leader.com/health/thisweek/0309-Nestletarg-34209.html
HISPANIC MOTHERS AND COHABITATION
==================================
"Manning (2001) shows that Hispanic and Black women are 77% and 69%
more likely than White women to conceive a child while cohabiting.
Among those who do become pregnant, Hispanics are twice as likely and
Blacks three times as likely to remain cohabiting with their partner,
rather than marry, when their child is born. In addition, children
born to Hispanic women in cohabiting unions are 70% more likely to be
"intended" than among Whites (see also Loomis & Landale 1994; Musick
2002). These findings are consistent with the idea that cohabitation
may be more normative for Hispanics. While approval of cohabitation is
relatively high across the board, Hispanics express more approval of
cohabitation than Whites and some scholars have suggested that
Hispanics perceive a cultural context supportive of cohabitation
(e.g., Fennelly, Kadiah & Ortiz 1989; Oropesa)
From "Living Together Unmarried in the United States: Demographic
Perspectives and Implications for Family PSC Research Report Report
No. 04-555 (March 2004)
http://www.bgsu.edu/organizations/cfdr/research/pdf/2004/2004-03.pdf
OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS AND MARRIAGE TRENDS AMONG HISPANIC WOMEN
===============================================================
"Marriage trends among Hispanics have been studied less often than
trends among others. High overall marriage rates among Hispanic women
(especially in the context of their low socioeconomic status) set them
apart from other ethnicities, as does their greater propensity to
marry even when marriage markets are tight (i.e., when the number of
potential partners is low relative to the number of unmarried women).
At the same time, however, trends toward greater social and economic
assimilation among Hispanic immigrants have fueled increases in
divorce, as many have adopted mainstream American cultural patterns.
"Among blacks, for example, the stigma associated with nonmarital
childbearing is not strong enough to motivate marriage in the event of
an out-of-wedlock pregnancy or birth; among Hispanics, on the other
hand, nonmarital cohabitation is common, but pregnancies often lead to
marriage among cohabiting couples."
"Among Hispanic women, only 62% of those who gave birth out of wedlock
had ever married by age 40, compared with 93% of women who avoided
nonmarital childbearing. The cumulative proportion ever marrying by
age 40 among Hispanic women who miscarried or aborted a nonmarital
pregnancy was 82%. Clearly, unmeasured factors cannot explain the
large difference between the marriage trajectories of unwed mothers
and women who had no nonmarital birth; the presence of the child or
stigma surrounding a nonmarital birth appears to be a major impediment
to marriage among Hispanics. Those who avoid nonmarital childbearing
have a significantly higher risk of marriage than other women at
almost all ages. However, Hispanic women who give birth outside of
marriage are significantly less likely to marry by age 40 than are
similar white women (62% vs. 82%; p<.01--not shown).
"Interestingly, whites and Hispanics are more likely than blacks to
marry in the first few years following a nonmarital birth. For
example, by the third year afterward, approximately one-fifth of
Hispanic women and one-third of white women have married, compared
with about one in seven black women."
From "Marriage Among Unwed Mothers: Whites, Blacks and Hispanics
Compared," by Deborah Roempke Graefe and Daniel T. Lichter.
Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Volume 34, Number 6,
November/December http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/journals/3428602.html
INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE
=====================
"Hispanics and Asian Americans have higher levels of interracial
marriage than African Americans, despite the greater prevalence of
immigrants in the former two groups."
"Who intermarries? Education, nativity, region, and interracial
marriage, 1980 and 1990." Z. Qian. JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE FAMILY
STUDIES, Autumn 1999, Vol. 30, N° 4.
http://www.cicred.ined.fr/rdr/rdr_uni/revue99-100/14-99-100.html
SHARING THE FAMILY BED
=======================
"In one study of Hispanic-Americans in East Harlem in New York City,
21 percent of the children from six months to four years of age slept
with their parents, as compared to 6 percent of a matched sample of
white middle-class children. Eighty percent of the Hispanic children
shared the same room with their parents, and this sharing was not due
solely to space constraints."
"Sleep with Me: A Trans-cultural Look at the Power--and Protection--of
Sharing a Bed," by Meredith F. Small. Mothering Magazine. Issue 91,
November/December 1998.
http://www.mothering.com/9-0-0/html/9-4-0/9-4-sleepwithme91.shtml
DISCIPLINE AND NURTURING
==========================
"Latina mothers reported a higher frequency of discipline and a lower
frequency of nurturing than Anglo mothers;"
See "Parenting Among Hispanic and Anglo-American Mothers with Young
Children. Abstract. THE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, 2000, 140 (3),
357-365
http://www.cyfc.umn.edu/databases/spanishpc/viewcurr.asp?currID=12
RELIANCE ON PARTNER AND FAMILY SUPPORT
=======================================
"Hispanic mothers rely mostly on their resident partner and other
adults or children who live in the household and less than either
Black or White mothers on extended family or nonrelatives, even when
taking residential proximity into account."
From "Mothering and Motherhood: A Decade Review," by Teresa Arendell.
April 1999. http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/wfnetwork/berkeley/papers/3.pdf
LATINA PARENTS PUSH FOR EARLY TOILET TRAINING
================================================
"In regards to the question of why Latin parents want to accelerate
the training process, the specialist indicated various attitudes
usually found in Hispanic families: large expectations from their
children at a very early age and hopes that the child will find his or
her own individuality. Also Dr. Rosa - Olivares noted there is the
belief that early training is a reflection of the parents? success and
competence and the baby?s advanced development. There are also
external factors that put pressure on parents to start potty training
their babies, like preschools that require children be trained before
they start classes.
From "MORE PRESSURE ON HISPANIC BABIES TO STOP USING DIAPERS." TodoBebe.com (2001)
http://devel.todobebe.com/sites/wrapper/39c225354fd46/static/espanol/comunicados/feb_26_2001_diapers.html
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION
==================================
The Parents as Teachers Program in Salinas California provides some
insight into Latina mothers:
"Families with Latina mothers were different in many respects from
those with non-Latina mothers. Latino parents, as a group, were
younger, less well educated, less likely to be working, and less
likely to be married than non-Latino parents. Latina mothers were less
likely to be well informed about parenting and children."
"However, Latina-mother families were not homogeneous. For example,
primarily Spanish-speaking Latino parents (usually first-generation
immigrants) were older and more likely to be married than their
English-speaking or bilingual counterparts. They were less well
educated, and mothers were less likely to be working and felt less
informed regarding children and parenting. To the extent that these
differences influenced the parent and child outcomes studied, quite
different results would be expected across these groups."
"PAT Effectiveness for Families with Latina Mothers." The Future of Children.
http://www.futureofchildren.org/information2827/information_show.htm?doc_id=70430
==
While the following articles are reflective of both parents, it
certainly applies to mothering as well!
"Hispanic parents have consistently demonstrated low rates of school
involvement; when their involvement has increased, this increase has
not necessarily led to parents' more positive perceptions of schools
(Bauch, 1992; Costas, 1991). If Hispanic parents feel coerced and not
listened to, they do not necessarily benefit from increased contact
with the school. To determine effective strategies for connecting
Hispanic parents and their children's early childhood programs,
educators need to develop a greater understanding of the features of
the Hispanic culture that influence parents' childrearing and
socialization practices, communication styles, and orientation toward
formal education."
"In many Latin American countries it is considered rude for a parent
to intrude into the life of the school. Parents believe that it is the
school's job to educate and the parent's job to nurture and that the
two jobs do not mix. A child who is well educated is one who has
learned moral and ethical behavior."
Read "Hispanic Parent Involvement in Early Childhood Programs, by
Linda M. Espinosa. (1995) ERIC DIGEST
http://npinil.crc.uiuc.edu/digests/espino95.html
Also see: "Hispanic Parental Involvement in Home Literacy," by Nancy
Hyslop. ERIC DIGEST (2000)
http://reading.indiana.edu/ieo/digests/d158.html
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND STYLES IN LATINO PARENTING
====================================================
"Hispanic households are similar to European American in regards to
academic success. Authoritative parenting leads to a healthy attitude
toward school, while authoritarian increases distress and decreases
productivity (Steinberg, et al., 1992). In other areas however, it has
been found that Hispanic parents tend to be more authoritarian than
authoritative. This may again be a result of socioeconomic status or a
result of cultural ideals. Studies have shown that families with
Hispanic ethnicity tend to have lower incidence of unengaged parenting
then other racial and ethnic groups (Radziszewska, et al., 1996),
possibly due to the high level of importance placed on family within
Hispanic culture."
From "Parenting Styles."
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/j/m/jmv163/research%20paper.pdf
TRADITIONAL HISPANIC CULTURE AND PARENTING
=============================================
(This general information also includes mothers)
"Despite their differences, traditional Latinos from diverse countries
often have common values and cultural norms, such as:
Familismo (family)
-------------------
"The family is at the center of everyday life, providing members with
support and a deep sense of belonging, identity, and purpose.
Traits/actions that reflect a Latino?s role in the family include:
* Obedience and respect towards authority figures
* Honesty, helpfulness, generosity, and loyalty towards the family
* Responsibility, sacrifice, and hard work for the benefit of the family
* Familismo is particularly important for Hispanic mothers, since they
are the family?s primary nurturers and caretakers. Mothers play a
vital role in preservation of the family as a unit, as well as in
sustaining contact with the extended family." (Castellanos, 1986).
*Because family is so central, Latinos hesitate to go outside their
communities for help, and they treat strangers with caution.
Especially if they are new to this country, Latinos may be reluctant
to ask public agencies for assistance. Instead, they will turn to
those they know for help." (Grayson, 2001).
Value of Children
------------------
"Latino families are child-centered. Parents are often very
affectionate, and may playfully call young children papito (little
father) or mamita (little mother). Yet in some homes (but certainly
not all) children are expected to be seen and not heard." (Union
County, 2002; Pajewski & Enriquez, 1996).
"The value Latinos place on children is reflected in the size of their
families: 13% of Hispanic households in North Carolina have four
children under age 18, compared with just 3% of non-Hispanics.
Nationally, the average Latino household contains 3.63 people;
non-Hispanics average 2.6 people per household." (Census, 2000).
From "Latinos in North Carolina." Jordan Institute for Families. Vol.
7, No. 3 (June 2002)
http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:4yXDOB7EIkMJ:sswnt7.sowo.unc.edu/fcrp/Cspn/vol7_no3/Latinos%2520in%2520NC.htm+Latinos+in+North+Carolina&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
* This is a cached version - You may need to cut and paste this URL or
the title into your search engine to view the article)
MOTHERS IN THE WORK FORCE
=========================
"Many Mexican American wives and mothers work in the paid labor force.
In those cases, wives highly valued the roles of wife and mother but
leaned toward nontraditional sex-role attitudes, expecting their
husbands to be flexible and assume some responsibility for housework
and child care (Herrera & Del Campo, 1995). About 70 percent of
Hispanic families are maintained by married couples, about 9 percent
by a male with no wife present, and 22 percent by a female with no
husband present. It is reported that 23.4 percent of Mexican American
families live in poverty."
"Chicanas continue to describe high levels of ambivalence concerning
the interplay between motherhood and employment (Segura, 1991). This
may be because, as Flores-Ortiz (1991) reports, "blue collar workers'
marital distress increased as they shifted away from a traditional
value orientation with regard to gender roles" (p. 172). That is,
these women struggled with the dilemmas that arose from trying to meet
expectations of their families and their employers. For many women,
there are two primary contributing factors to this tension: the work
is similar in both settings (such as housework and other service
jobs), and they occupy subordinate positions both at work and at home.
Even those women who described "egalitarian relationships in their
marriages" did not think their influence was equal to their husband's
(p. 173). The gap between financial obligations and inadequate income
is a major factor in the stress levels experienced by these women and
their families (Romero, Castro, & Cervantes, 1988). Additionally, the
cycles of unemployment--common in their types of jobs--sever social
networks and decrease psychological well-being."
From "Mexican American Women: Schooling, Work, and Family," by Flora
Ida Ortiz. ERIC Digest. (1995)
http://www.ericfacility.net/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed388490.html
==
"Latinos may be having a more subtle influence on social changes. A
Census Bureau study released this week showed that the number of
children with stay-at-home mothers had increased by 13% in less than a
decade. Experts attributed some of that increase to the growing number
of Latina mothers."
From "Latinos Now Top Minority; Census Bureau Estimates Group's U.S.
Population at 38.8 Million, Ahead of Blacks for the First Time.
Demographers See Even More Growth Ahead," by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar.
Los Angeles Times. (June 19, 2003)
http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/LPRU/newsarchive/Art2386.txt
MENTAL HEALTH
=============
Abstract of article:
"Differences in depression between Puerto Rican and non-Latina White
mothers providing care to their adult child with mental retardation
were examined. The focus of this study is on how family problems may
mediate the effect of the adult's behavior problems on the mother's
level of depressive symptoms and how this process differs across the
two groups of mothers. As hypothesized, family problems was a stronger
predictor of depressive symptoms for Puerto Rican mothers than for
non-Latina White mothers. In addition, Puerto Rican mothers were in
poorer physical health, which further accounted for differences in
depression between the two groups."
From "Cultural Context of Caregiving: Differences in Depression
Between Puerto Rican and Non-Latina White Mothers of Adults With
Mental Retardation," by A Magaña, Sandra, Seltzer, Marsha Mailick,
Krauss, Marty Wyngaarden. AAMR (order full article)
http://aamr.allenpress.com/aamronline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1352%2F0047-6765(2004)42%3C1:CCOCDI%3E2.0.CO%3B2
MARKETING TO HISPANIC MOTHERS
==============================
"Once you understand Hispanic culture and language, research and
develop a broad strategy and message that is relevant to U.S. Hispanic
consumers and influential stakeholders.
* For example, if you are targeting Hispanic mothers, you might design
a campaign around children and education because of the importance of
these issues to the target audience."
From "Reaching the U.S. Hispanic Market: A Multidimensional Approach."
Burston-Marsteller. http://www.bm.com/pages/pov/functional-ush
==
"When marketing to the exploding Hispanic youth market be sure to
include "Mom" - Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic youth population
will soar 25% (vs. a 6% decline for non-Hispanic youth). Los Angeles
will post the greatest increase of any metro area, adding 300,000
Hispanic youths between 1998 and 2003. "The family- centric Hispanic
culture mandates that U.S. marketers include Latino mothers in their
communication in order to be successful," asserts Valdés.
From "New Insights Into Hispanic Marketing Released," by Isabel
Valdés. La Prensa San Diego. June 2000
http://www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/june09/market.htm
==
"With 1 in 5 births in the U.S. being to Hispanic mothers (1 in 2 in
California), Hispanics have become one of the most sought after
markets for retailers in the U.S."
From "Reaching Hispanic Residents: Don't Let Your Message Get Lost in
Translation Multifamilypro Magazine - March/April, 2004
http://www.transperfect.com/tp/eng/multifamilypro.html
TELEVISION CHOICE
=================
"Hispanic mothers buy the cable channels best suited for their
children first, and then choose networks that meet the husbands?
taste." (Schramm Telemedia, 2001)
From La Familia Network. http://www.ncta.com/guidebook_pdfs/LaFamilia2.pdf
======================================
POTENTIAL EXPERTS ON LATINA MOTHERING
======================================
While there are many prominent individuals involved in Hispanic
issues, I did not run across any who were identified as experts in
Latina mothering issues, specifically. However, the following
individuals and organization may provide a start:
Flora Ida Ortiz
---------------
Author of "Mexican American Women: Schooling, Work, and Family."
Contact info: http://www.education.ucr.edu/facilities/drortiz.htm
Isabel Valdés
-------------
Founder of Hispanic Market Connections, chairperson of Cultural Access
Group and author of "Marketing to American Latinos, Part I: A Guide to
the In-Culture Approach."
http://www.isabelvaldes.com/
Mary Pardo
----------
Professor of Chicana/o Studies at California State University,
Northridge. She is the author of several articles on women and
grassroots organizing and has been active in the Chicano Movement in
Los Angeles for about twenty-five years. Author of the book, "Mexican
American Women Activists."
http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/1115_reg.html
You may be able to contact her through this page:
http://www.csun.edu/academic.affairs/grtf/grtf_contact.htm
Lynet Uttal
-----------
Lynet Uttal is a sociologist She is currently conducting a
community-based action research project about the childrearing
knowledge of Latino families and the training of Latino family
childcare providers
http://www.iastate.edu/~wsprogram/Conference_Itinerary.html
About her - including email contact
http://www.sohe.wisc.edu/webadmin/FileDownLoad.asp?FileName=24791
National Council of La Raza
----------------------------
"The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is a private, nonprofit,
nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization established in 1968 to reduce
poverty and discrimination, and improve life opportunities for
Hispanic Americans."
http://www.nclr.org/
Radio Producers for La Plactia Bilingue (see contact information in article)
---------------------------------------
"La Placita Bilingüe" allows parents to talk openly about their
concerns, and the expert panelists to introduce listeners to the
various agencies in the community they can access."
From "Parents Are the Experts on "La Placita Bilingüe". Sound Partners
for Community Health.
http://www.soundpartners.org/content2005/content_show.htm?doc_id=27544&attrib_id_list=1169,6488,1187
Contacts from the TodoBebe website
----------------------------------
http://www.todobebe.com/sites/sitectl/39c225354fd46/
==
* Any of the writers of the different scholarly articles centering on
Hispanic Americans noted above.
========================
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
========================
"Mamá - Latino Daughters Celebrate Their Mothers," by "María Pérez-Brown,
"Through the fascinating personal histories of some of the most
influential Latinas in America, Mamá is a testament to the love, hard
work, and commitment Latina mothers traditionally have for their
daughters. María Pérez-Brown spoke with Latinas from a variety of
nationalities, races, and lifestyles; some are famous, and some not so
well known. In their own words, these daughters tell us about their
relationship with their mothers- and of a bond every Latina will
recognize."
http://www.hispaniconline.com/hh03/mainpages/culture/books_perez_brown.html
"Mexican-American Mothers' Socialization Strategies: Effects of
Education, Acculturation, and Health Locus of Control," by Cousins JH,
Power TG, Olvera-Ezzell N. J Exp Child Psychol. 1993 Apr;55(2):258-76.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8501427&dopt=Abstract
(full text available)
"Topics in Minority Health Childbearing Patterns Among Puerto Rican
Hispanics in New York City and Puerto Rico." MMWR Weekly. January 30,
1987 / 36(3);34,39-41
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000858.htm
"2004 U.S. Hispanic Women in Profile" from Hispantelligance -
available for $60.00 https://secure.hbinc.com/product/view.asp?id=82
Some excerpts from the abstract: "By 2050, according to the
HispanTelligence® research report, the number of Hispanic females in
the United States will reach 48.9 million - an increase of nearly 340
percent from 1990, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. During
the same time, the total U.S. female population will grow only 62
percent, to 206.6 million
====
I hope the information I have provided is helpful. I wish there had
been more comprehensive resources focused on Latina mothers as opposed
to the snippets I ferreted out. It would have made my research proceed
much faster and likely provided easier reading for you. Perhaps there
is a market for a good book on this subject!
If you would like me to research any future questions that focus on
specific topics concening Latina issues, I would be happy to do so.
Specific topics are generally easier to define and research.
Thank your for a most enjoyable and interesting research question!
Sincerely,
umiat
Google Search Strategy
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magazines for Hispanic mothers
+experts on Hispanic mothering
+experts on Hispanic parenting
+hispanic OR latina mothers parenting style
Latina mothering styles
cultural differences Hispanics AND whites
mothering differences Hispanics AND whites
latino birth rates in the US
cultural differences in latino mothers
+latinos +hispanics +mothers
mexican american mothers
puerto rican mothers |
,
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