Latinos in American Society

Enid Zambrana Ruth

Description

It is well known that Latinos in the United States bear a disproportionate burden of low educational attainment, high residential segregation, and low visibility in the national political landscape. In Latinos in American Society, Ruth Enid Zambrana brings together the latest research on Latinos in the United States to demonstrate how national origin, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and education affect the well-being of families and individuals. By mapping out how these factors result in economic, social, and political disadvantage, Zambrana challenges the widespread negative perceptions of Latinos in America and the single story of Latinos in the United States as a monolithic group. Synthesizing an increasingly substantial body of social science research-much of it emerging from the interdisciplinary fields of Chicano studies, U.S. Latino studies, critical race studies, and family studies-the author adopts an intersectional "social inequality lens" as a means for understanding the broader sociopolitical dynamics of the Latino family, considering ethnic subgroup diversity, community context, institutional practices, and their intersections with family processes and well-being. Zambrana, a leading expert on Latino populations in America, demonstrates the value of this approach for capturing the contemporary complexity of and transitions within diverse U.S. Latino families and communities. This book offers the most up-to-date portrait we have of Latinos in America today.

Sujets

• Sociologie, société et politique
• USA
• Ethnic studies
• États-Unis
• Gender studies

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 juin 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801461040
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Latinos in American Society

Latinos in American Society

Families and Communities  in Transition

RUTH ENID ZAMBRANA

Cornell University Press Ithaca and London

Copyright © 2011 by Cornell University

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

First published 2011 by Cornell University Press First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 2011 Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data Zambrana, Ruth E.  Latinos in American society : families and communities in transition / Ruth Enid Zambrana.  p. cm.  Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN 9780801449383 (cloth : alk. paper)  ISBN 9780801476570 (pbk. : alk. paper)  1. Hispanic Americans—Social conditions. 2. Hispanic American families. 3. Hispanic Americans—Study and teaching (Higher) I. Title.  E184.S75Z37 2011  973'.0468—dc22 2011000870

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Paperback printing

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I dedicate this book to past and contemporary academics and practitioners who have provided incisive and powerful scholarship to make visible the impact of social inequality on the lives of historically underrepresented Latino subgroups. Su trabajo initiated an emerging oppositional discourse in mainstream social science research. I also dedicate this book to Latino families and communities, who continue to strive, thrive, resist, overcome, and triumph in spite of exclusionary practices. Their victories offer daily inspiration.

Contents

List of Figures and Tables ix Preface xi

1. Introduction: Why Study Latino Families? 1 2. Demographic Trends: Past, Present, and Future 14 3. How Have Latinos Been Studied? 35 4. The Importance of Education 61 5. Girlhood to Womanhood 89 6. Boyhood to Manhood 115 7. Physical and Mental WellBeing through Adulthood 136 8. Public Service Systems as Sites of the Reproduction of Inequality 163 9. Persistent Images and Changing Perceptions in the TwentyFirst Century 198 10. Capturing the Lives of Latinos in the United States: Advancing the Production of Critical Social Science Knowledge 226

References 247 Index 285

Figures and Tables

Figures

3.1 Intersectional Lens for Understanding the Patterns of Social Inequality and Social Location of Latinos 59 9.1 Change in Latino Elected Office by Level of Office, 1996 and 2007 221 9.2 Change in Latino Elected Office by State, 1996 and 2007 223

Tables

2.1 ForeignBorn Population by Year of Entry and Nation of Origin 21 2.2 U.S. Hispanic Population by Nation of Origin, 2007 22 2.3 The New Latino Destinations, 2000 23 2.4 Social and Economic Indicators by Hispanic Subgroup, 2007 24 2.5 Poverty Rates by Age, Race, and Latino Nativity, 2007 28 2.6 English Language Proficiency and U.S. Citizenship by Latino Subgroup, 2007 30 3.1 Median Age, Marital Status, Household Type, and Family Size by Nativity, Race, and Ethnicity, 2007 37 3.2 Examples of Definitions of the TermAcculturation42 4.1 Parental Perceptions of Education and Involvement in Children’s School and LiteracyRelated Activities, 2002–2003 63 4.2 Demographic, Family Structure, and Other Risk Factors among Children by Race and Ethnicity 71 4.3 Educational Attainment by Race and Hispanic Origin, 1940–2007 (percent of population age 25 and older, by years of school completed) 79

x

Figures and Tables

4.4 Average SAT Scores for Twelfth Grade TestTaking Population, by Race and Latino Subgroup, 1996–2006 82 4.5 Percentage of 18 to 24YearOlds Enrolled in DegreeGranting Institutions and Degrees Conferred by Race and Ethnicity, 2007 87 5.1 High School Dropout Rates among Females (16–24 Years Old) by Race and Ethnicity, 1975–2008 91 5.2 Percentage of Degrees Granted to Women by Race and Ethnicity 112 7.1 Maternal and Child Health Indicators by Latino Subgroup and Race 143 7.2 Selected Adolescent Health Behaviors by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity 148 7.3 Mental Health Indicators for Children and Adolescents (< 18 Years of Age) by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity 149 7.4 Selected Health Care Behavior Indicators for Women by Race and Ethnicity 151 7.5 Comparative Ranking of Leading Causes of Death by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity 154 7.6 SelfReported Health Status and Chronic Conditions for Adults 18 Years of Age and Older by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity 155 7.7 Depression Indicators by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity for Adults 18 Years of Age and Older 160 8.1 Income, Employment, and Poverty Indicators by Race and Ethnicity 169 8.2 Recipients of Public Benefits by Race and Ethnicity 172 8.3 Characteristics of Public Housing Residents by Type of Housing and Race and Ethnicity 177 8.4 Foster Care and Child Maltreatment Rates by Race and Ethnicity, 2006 188 8.5 Profile of Jail Inmates by Offense and Race and Ethnicity, 2002 195 8.6 Profile of Federal Prison Inmates by Offense and Race and Ethnicity, September2003 196 9.1 Change in Voter Turnout Rates among Eligible Voters (18–29), 2004 and 2008 218