Sociology Commons^™

Cultural And Structural Barriers Of Utilizing Mental Health Services In A School-Based Setting For Latinx Populations, Silvia Lozano, Bridgette Guadalupe Calderon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative research study aimed to reduce mental health service disparities in Latinx communities and helps fill in the gap by addressing cultural and structural barriers to utilizing MHS in a school-based setting for Latinx youth. There is limited research regarding Latinx parents’ perspectives and the reservations they have on utilizing school-based mental health services (MHS) for their children. This study identified six important themes: cultural factors, trust and rapport, reservations, access and awareness, parental involvement and challenges, and school-based resources. Implications for school districts are that they can use these findings to increase early intervention mental behavioral health programs …

Developing More Equitable And Critically Conscious Organizations: Testimonios And Critical Platicas With Black And Latino/X Lgbtq+ Male Chrd Leaders, Mario Burton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation connects the recent DEIB movement within organizations to larger social justice movements, specifically those that impact workers and the workplace. Critical human resource development (CHRD) professionals, who serve as “insider activists”, are highlighted due to their work to continue movement objectives within organizations. Through testimonios and critical platicas, this study explores how Black and Latino/x LGBTQ+ CHRD professionals, in particular, are experiencing the workplace, especially as it relates to their engagement with how DEIB is practiced within organizations. Through this study, these professionals provide insights into the ways that workplaces can be redesigned and reimagined to be …

Colonial Geographies Of Gendered Violence And Mental Health In The United States And Puerto Rico, Lorraine Lizbeth L. Torres Colon

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As of January 2021, after years of community organizing and protests, the Puerto Rican island government announced a state of emergency due to the high rates of gendered violence on the island. At the same time, within the field of psychiatric epidemiology, consistent findings have indicated higher frequencies of mood disorders and substance abuse disorders among Puerto Ricans both on and off the island, relative to all other US Latinx ethnic groups. This dissertation frames Puerto Ricans experiences with psychological distress and gendered violence as public health issues nested within differing geographies of colonial divestment. I explore the relationships between …

[2023 Winner] The Removal Of Beach Flats Community Garden: A Case Of Environmental Racism, Melissa June Boose, Alexandra De La Cruz Reyes, Palia Vang, Nizhoni Hawthorne

Ethnic Studies Research Paper Award

The Removal of Beach Flats Community Garden: A Case of Environmental Racism is a podcast that details the plight of the Latinx community in the Santa Cruz County area of the Beach Flats. The community reclaimed an abandoned plot of land over 25 years that was being used for drug deals and prostitution. The community changed it into a community garden celebrating the various cultures from South America. The Seaside Corporation owns the land, which, despite not using it for years, decided in 2016 they would like to reclaim the land to pave a storage parking lot. This podcast details …

A Cultural Analysis Of Ethnic Identity, Socialization, And Familism From The Perspective Of Latino Csumb Students, Angelica Gutierrez Del Toro

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone aims to study the gender differences within Latino communities from the perspective of California State University, Monterey Bay students and whether these gender differences affect their ethnic identity/pride. This research intends on exploring two questions 1) Are there gender differences among college-going students and the way they are socialized to understand their ethnic identity? 2) If so, Are the respondents' ethnic identity index score and Familism index scores influenced based on their gender? These research questions will be tested by a convenience sample survey by two replicated survey scales. The first replicated study involved surveying 127 Latino adults …

Obesity Heterogeneity By Neighborhood Context In A Largely Latinx Sample, Ashley W. Kranjac, Dinko Kranjac, Zeev N. Kain, Louis Ehwerhemuepha, Brooke N. Jenkins

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Neighborhood socioeconomic context where Latinx children live may influence body weight status. Los Angeles County and Orange County of Southern California both are on the list of the top ten counties with the largest Latinx population in the USA. This heterogeneity allowed us to estimate differential impacts of neighborhood environment on children’s body mass index z-scores by race/ethnicity using novel methods and a rich data source. We geocoded pediatric electronic medical record data from a predominantly Latinx sample and characterized neighborhoods into unique residential contexts using latent profile modeling techniques. We estimated multilevel linear regression models that adjust for …

The Effect Of Race On Housing Stratification Among Latinos, Julia T. Gomez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Housing discrimination has been an ethical, social, and economic blight on the American society. Among the negative outcomes of this practice are higher crime rates, lower educational attainment, and concentrated poverty. Beyond the moral injustice of this practice, housing discrimination adversely affects the socio-economic mobility of those victimized and this extends across generations. The research on the intersection of race and Latino identity demonstrates the complexity of the issue and suggests that an examination such as done in this study can add to the current knowledge. The purpose of this study was to determine what, if any, association race has …

Latinx Community Language Barriers: Local Food Sustainability And Food Insecurity, Joan C. Echols

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This service learning project researched food sustainability and food insecurity issues with a focus on the local Hispanic community. Often the available resources to combat food insecurity do not get to the communities that need them the most due to language barriers and accessibility of information. I created a newsletter in English and Spanish and posted it on my website TelaWeb.Org. The link for the website was shared through social media, and provided to various stakeholders involved in the project to share on their own social media pages or websites. This newsletter addresses the value of food sustainability, provides information …

Parent And Child Acculturation Differences: Sleep And Weight Outcomes In Latinx Pre-Adolescents, Kelsey K. Zaugg

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The present study aimed to evaluate associations between parent-child acculturation differences and sleep and weight outcomes in Latinx pre-adolescents aged 10-12 years. Parent and child stress were considered as possible mediators through which parent-child discordance in acculturation may negatively impact sleep quality and body fatness. Pre-adolescent resilience and ethnic pride were explored as possible personal strengths that may ameliorate the impact of this association. Method: Data from mothers, fathers, and pre-adolescents were collected on two occasions separated by one year. In our sample, only language-specific acculturation was significantly different between parents and children. Thus, parent-child language difference was a …

Historical Underpinnings And Consequent Effects Of Labor Exploitation Of Mexican And Central Americans In The United States, Andrew Elkins

World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Undergraduate Honors Theses

The experience immigrants have today working and living in the southern United States is defined by systems that have developed out of lingering racist attitudes and reactions toward these individuals. The flow of people across the U.S.-Mexico border has a long history, and it is characterized by patterns that have continued from early guest worker programs to the present-day flow of migrants, both legal and undocumented. Also continually present is the racialization of these migrants, which has often forced them to work and live as marginalized members of American society. This project will explore the establishment of Mexican American citizen …

Assessing Professionals Working With Latinx Families With Special Needs In Monterey County, Jose Francisco Hernandez Rivera

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Special Kids Connect (SKC) is a nonprofit organization serving children with disabilities and their families in Monterey County. This capstone project concentrated on the professionals working with children as part of SKC’s Early Start Intervention Program. The project’s objective was to discover local agencies' professional development training needs that serve Latinx families with disabled children between 2 to 8 years. Seventy-five child-care providers, early intervention service professionals, regional center staff, and school district personnel responded to the survey. They indicated an overall 60 % needed an understanding of systems related to IEPs, Early Start Services, Developmental Screenings, Social-Emotional Screenings, Regional …

Cuando Llega La Muerte: How Undocumented Latinx Navigate The Financial And Emotional Burdens Of Death, Marilyn Valadez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Research on death in the United States primarily focuses on the experience of citizens in the country with legal documentation. As a result, there exists a gap in knowledge on the experiences of undocumented people dealing with death in the country. This thesis examines how undocumented Latinx people navigate the financial and emotional burdens of death. Specifically, the methods that are utilized by this population to overcome challenges despite their unique circumstances. The results of this thesis suggest that social networks play a significant role in helping undocumented participants move forward with burial processes and overcoming grief. Social Networks provided …

Regulating Latina Sexuality: Unlearning An At-Risk Framework To Make Meaning Of Sexual Autonomy, Victoria Jaqueline Amezcua

Senior Projects Spring 2022

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College.

A Discourse Analysis On The Importance Of Outdoor Recreation For Latinx First-Generation College Students Attending California Polytechnic Humboldt, Juan Anzada

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Historically, marginalized groups, including people of color and those from low socioeconomic populations, have been at a disadvantage in accessing outdoor recreation on public lands. This project explores whether this phenomenon is mirrored in undergraduate student populations, specifically within Latinx first-generation college students. This project had a sample size of twenty undergraduate students who identified as first-generation Latinx students attending Cal Poly Humboldt. Utilizing a semi-structured interview, participants were presented with survey questions which were intended to elicit their response on how the natural environment and their participation in the environment through outdoor recreation were significant factors in their decision …

Impact Of Formative Childhood And Adolescent Experiences In Latinx Children Of Immigrants Adulthood: Analysis Of Educational, Health, And Social Implications, Alma P. Lopez

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

As the rates of immigration rise within the United States, it is essential to discuss and bring awareness to the neglect and discrimination that immigrants and subsequently the children of immigrants face within the nation. We know about the journey of immigrants and the effects of such but what about their children? Those who did not specifically make the travel to a foreign country but had the “privilege” to be born there? The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of children of immigrants’ experience in their childhood with this identity and their potential effects into their adulthood …

The Lived Experiences Of Latinx Parents And Their Perception Of Bilingual Programs: A Phenomenological Reflection, Manuel O. Adrianzen

Dissertations

The aim of this study is two-fold. First, to better understand and capture the lived experiences of Latinx parents as they navigate the registration/enrollment process at the school and select a language program for their Pre-kindergarten child. Second, to understand what lived experiences influence their perception about bilingual education programs. Using Van Manen’s (2016) concept of human sciences and phenomenology, data was collected through the use of conversational interviews. The responses provided by the parents and school clerk revealed five themes, fear & anxiousness, hope for things to come & for a brighter future, use of social networks to understand …

"We Had To Rely On Each Other": Voices Of Latinx Foster Youth With Experiences In Care With Siblings, Isabella B. Ginsberg

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Relationships between members of sibling groups have been found to impact well-being for children who enter foster care (Herrick & Piccus, 2005). Being placed in stranger foster care is often challenging and can be traumatic with children reporting confusion, worry, and loss of identity and sense of belonging (Herrick & Piccus, 2005, Unrau et al, 2008). While there is some research that explores the experiences of siblings groups in foster care and others separately that examines Latinx children in foster care, there is very little information that looks into the potentially unique experiences of Latinx individuals who were in care …

Diversity And Inclusion_Lunch & Learn_Latinx Heritage Month Poster, University Of Maine Office For Diversity And Inclusion

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Poster for the University of Maine Office for Diversity and Inclusion's Lunch & Learn event for Latinx Heritage Month.

Traversing Barriers To Health Care Among Lgbtq+ Latinx Emerging Adults: Utilizing Patient Experiences To Model Access, Rachel M. Schmitz, Jennifer Tabler

Patient Experience Journal

Enduring multiple sources of marginalization, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ+) youth of color living at the United States-Mexico border navigate stigma and health challenges surrounding their LGBTQ+ and ethnic identities. This study sought to delineate barriers to health care experienced by marginalized young adult patients.

We qualitatively examined the patient experiences of 41 LGBTQ+ Latinx young adults (ages 18-24) in the Rio Grande Valley between 2016 and 2017. Often tied to their experiences of emerging adulthood, most respondents emphasized how financial barriers, including cost of services and disruptions to insurance status, prevented them from seeking care (barriers to …

Assessing Latinx Colorism And Skin Tone Dating Preferences In Adults, Yessica M. Berumen Martinez

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

Colorism is favoring by individuals of lighter skin over darker skin. This differs from racism because racism is discrimination directed towards racial or ethnic minorities, while colorism typically refers to within-group prejudice. The purpose of this study is to find out whether and how Latinx individuals’ self-perceived skin color, family, and friends influence their dating skin color preference. 145 respondents ages 18 and over completed the In-group Colorism Scale by Harvey, Banks, and Tennial (2017) and answered additional questions on skin tone perceptions on dating, and parent and friend influences. There was no significant connection between self-perceived skin color and …

Latinx Political Leadership In Massachusetts (2021), Leyi Andrea Perez, Fabián Torres-Ardila, Christa Kelleher

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

Fact Sheet provides an overview of Latinx political leadership and representation in Massachusetts.

Brown Moral Panic: Racism In The Trump Era, Carlos Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to examine the language used by news media to report Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric against Mexican immigrants, from the beginning of his presidential campaign to the El Paso Massacre on August 3rd, 2019. The study focuses on the latest moral panic in the United States against Mexican immigrants (2015 to 2019) using qualitative methods. The research examines how Trump’s racist anti-immigration rhetoric is depicted in news media categorized as neutral. The study focuses on the Associated Press (Neutral Center), New York Times (Neutral Left) and Reuters (Neutral Right).

Here To Stay: Understanding The Political Activism And Legal Consciousness Of Undocumented Latinx Students, Ashley Arely Sanchez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study seeks to understand why undocumented Latinx students tend to engage or disengage in political activism. The study discusses undocumented legal consciousness development to bring awareness to how policies can impact students’ sense of belonging and agency when entering higher education institutions. Data comes from eleven in-depth interviews with undocumented Latinx students who have or are attending a public or private college or university in Illinois. Results suggest that students will become engaged when the following three factors are present: an academic political opportunity, connection with an activist network, a shift in legal consciousness. Results also suggest that students …

Dialogic Identity Construction: The Influence Of Latinx Women's Identities In Their Health Information Management Practice, Maria A. Caban Alizondo

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this qualitative research was to study the experiences of Latinx women who lead in health information management in the United States. Latinx health information management professionals are faced with everchanging workplace dynamics and biases in which they are repeatedly reminded of their individual and ethnic differences that require them to construct and co-construct new facets to their identities in social contexts. By grounding this work in narrative inquiry and viewing identities critically, space is given for delving deeper into the specifics of how gender, ethnicity, culture, and class influenced Latinx women’s leadership practice. Interviews offered the opportunity …

Analyzing Wrongful Convictions Beyond The Traditional Canonical List Of Errors, For Enduring Structural And Sociological Attributes, (Juveniles, Racism, Adversary System, Policing Policies), Leona D. Jochnowitz, Tonya Kendall

Touro Law Review

Researchers identify possible structural causes for wrongful convictions: racism, justice system culture, adversary system, plea bargaining, media, juvenile and mentally impaired accused, and wars on drugs and crime. They indicate that unless the root causes of conviction error are identified, the routine explanations of error (e.g., eyewitness identifications; false confessions) will continue to re-occur. Identifying structural problems may help to prevent future wrongful convictions. The research involves the coding of archival data from the Innocence Project for seventeen cases, including the one for the Central Park Five exonerees. The data were coded by Hartwick College and Northern Vermont University students …

The Experience Of Being Gender Nonbinary: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Gene Crofts

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

The call for research on the growing population of persons who identify as gender nonbinary includes the need for in-depth explorations of lived experience, especially among Persons of Color. This study focuses on four individuals, 27 to 32 years of age, who identify as gender nonbinary as well as Hispanic/Latinx and reside in the unique minority-majority, conservative/progressive state of New Mexico. Interpretative phenomenological analysis, with its idiographic approach, was used to gather data through interviews and present the findings in both descriptive and interpreted terms. Results focus on three themes: realization required a unique journey, allowances are made for mothers …

Ethnic Identity, Stress, And Anxiety In Latinx University Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Anel Arias

Dissertations

Research indicates that ethnic minority-related stressors contribute to poor mental health outcomes in Latinx university students. There are inconsistent results of the moderating role of ethnic identity in ethnic minority stress and mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether ethnic identity moderates the relationship between ethnic minority stress and trait anxiety in Latinx university students attending predominantly White institutions (PWI). The secondary purpose of this study was to explore the effects of ethnic minority stress on trait anxiety symptoms.

Participants were 256 Latinx (67.6% women, n = 173; 31.3% men, n = 80) undergraduate and …

“I’M Real I Thought I Told Ya”: Developing Critical Media Literacy Through U.S. Latinx Digital Media Representations, Solange T. Castellar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis explores how audiences engage with U.S. Latinx media representations through the practice of critical media literacy. I interrogate how media consumers construct critical media literacy through interacting with U.S. Latinx figures on digital media platforms, particularly on the social-media app, Twitter, and the user-generated video content platform, YouTube. Throughout this thesis, I argue that users on these platforms who engage with U.S. Latinx pop culture figures, like Jennifer Lopez and Belcalis Almanzar (Cardi B), read, digest, and comprehend a variety of multimedia images, texts, or videos, and that this engagement becomes an accessible form of critical media literacy, …

Mental Health And You, Sierra Salvatierra

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Latinx community at the Epicenter in Salinas dealt with mental health illnesses, as well as were brought up with machismo attitudes. This population has a strong stigma against getting help with their mental health. Being faced with immigration, poverty, discrimination and inadequite conversations about health, drives a spike in anxiety levels. Consequences of not dealing with mental health illnesses include unresolved emotions are generational trauma, self harm, substance abuse, and unhealthy relationships. The project created to get in front of this problem was a dialogue series of conversation starters for people who want to open up. The purpose of …

The Foundations Of A Mexican American Bias Scale, Kendra Quiroz, Cynthia Willis-Esqueda

UCARE Research Products

Mexican Americans are the largest group of Latino/a/x in the US. The purpose of this study was to provide information on the current stereotypes concerning Mexican American males and females with a university student sample. A total of four hundred and four students volunteered from a large midwestern university. Participants spontaneously provided their notions of unfair advantages, unfair disadvantages, and stereotypes for Mexican American males and females. All data was collected through an online survey. The responses were provided with randomized introduction of the group to be described. In addition, items to measure essentialism were included. Results indicated that there …