Category: Hispanics

Introduction

Hispanic is a term taken from Hispanics, which in turn derived from Hispania. The term is used for people living in Hispania during Roman times. The word Hispanic is usually used to describe the culture and people usually governed or used to be governed by the Spanish. They are characteristically Spanish-speaking people with most of the people sharing Spanish heritage and culture, from food to preference of dress. They are more ethnically and linguistically diverse than other minority groups in the United States. These comprise of people from a lot of nationalities from Argentineans with strong European heritage to Dominicans with a predominantly black population. The Case Study Hispanic Nation talks about English-speaking people Mexican migrants in the US with the Hispanic origin and their influence on the US economy and culture. This growing ethnic group has its strengths, weakness, opportunity, and threats. So there is a need to identify them in detail, so a clear direction may be developed so that it can help Hispanics in the future.

Strength

Hispanics as any other ethnic group have some strength of their own. Demographics is one of the main strengths of Hispanics. The number of the baby born to Hispanics in comparison to other groups is very high. This is the reason they are also called baby boomers. They are nearly 30 million in population that includes 8 million illegal immigrants in the United States. They have a population growth of about 3%, which is very high compared with others at just 0.8%. (Grover, Weintrab & Palmeri, 182)A large population in a democratic state like the United States of America means more power. They have now crossed African Americans to become U.S.s largest minority group. This huge population has its effects on the economy.

Take for example half of all new workers past decade come from Hispanics. There are cultural changes also happening to their advantage like most under-18 or around in Los Angeles, Miami and San Antonio are changing as rap culture did way back in the 1980s of African Americans. Disposable income of Hispanics is at 29% in 2001 to $652 billion last year with Latino businessmen growing at a healthy rate of around 30%. There is an annual influx of around 400,000 immigrants which also adds to the demographics. They have another strong point that they are almost are car ride or bus ride from their native land Mexico, where the money goes back and forth. So they have fewer chances of failure because they can always go back. Due to their skin color, they face less racism in comparison to other ethnic groups like African Americans.

Weakness

With all those strengths Hispanics also have weakness due to their culture and living style. Most of the Hispanics who came to America in the early years were poorly educated and Non-English speaking. This tradition doesnt seem to change even after all these years. Still now almost 50% of the Hispanics dont graduate from high school. Graduation rate stands at 57% which in comparison for non Hispanic whites is at 88% and African American at 80 %, which is very low. This is the reason they get low paying jobs mostly as day construction workers. This is what affects the family income which stands at $33000 in comparison to $42000, which is the national average. Another weakness is the slow pace of assimilation of the Hispanics into American society which is hurting their own interests. This is due to the fact that live in neighborhood eat and live in their native way. They enter in schools with little or no English language skills, which is national language of US. And this is the very reason they have less paying jobs. Failure to develop new skills due to linguistic problems also stops advancement in job and bleak job prospects. This less paying job is also for the reason that quite a most of them have crossed over with no documentation papers and legal identity. Another weakness is that 78% speak Spanish even if they know English, change of attitudes is needed.

Opportunities

The future has lot many opportunities for Hispanics. They are becoming driving force in US economy, politics and culture. Various companies revamping their product line to the culture of suite Hispanics and Latinos. They have now been recognized as the fastest growing consumer group in US. The slowing US population growth and birth rate along with graying people of United States has put upon trust on growing Hispanics. They are new considered as a key catalyst in economic growth. This growing population is forcing US to accommodate a second linguistic group of Spanish; such official recognition will be boon for next generation of Hispanics. Even Labor department and departments connected to social security are hiring Spanish language speaking administrators, for this obvious reason. Politicians are now reaching out to Hispanics for votes and representation. So Hispanics are better of than other ethnic groups and more than ever they have better opportunities than before. And chances of assimilation to American society are better and brighter.

Changing corporate attitude towards Hispanics is helping them by and large. As they try to tab into large Latino population they are hiring more and more Hispanics to sell products to their choice. Companies like Procter & Gamble have started to increase spending on advertisement related to Spanish products. For the very reason, to understand their cultural preferences and likes and dislikes, they are in turn hiring people from the origin. A famous example was addition of smell to detergents, as it has been found in survey 57% that Hispanics like to smell their purchases. This trend is now every where across all sections of products from healthcare to detergents to health insurance policies. Similarly some of the companies are changing linguistically to adapt to needs of Hispanics, like advertising in Spanish to teaching Spanish language skill to administrators and mangers, while some are even going all Spanish. And the consequence is that many Hispanic super stores are now coming up in the neighborhood. Companies like Univision through its cable channel tried to assimilate Hispanics by trying to teach them English speaking skills, but has also switched back to Spanish. This is an indication of Hispanic opportunities in the future to come.

Threats

Even after all the opportunities the future holds for Hispanics, there are many impending threats to their otherwise bright future. The huge influx of immigrants from Mexico as well as the baby boom has some undesired results. There is a common perception that Latino dominance in Texas and California might encourage separatism. One of the basic reasons being that, Hispanics live in communities follow their native culture of food or language, rather than try to assimilate with the Americans. Another threat is of the low skill set of the Hispanics and their ability to learn new skill for their advancement in future. This also affects their ability to earn. Thats the reason the are offered petty jobs like tendering gardens, floor cleaning, construction daily day jobs etc.

They are often at the lower end of salary structure and with lower bottom lines. Another reason for their low wage jobs is their education profile where only 57% do their graduation, so good white collar jobs will be impossible. Another threat is that their inability to assimilate in common stream American society. Cultures are often found to surrender native language and culture and melt in the middle class, when they move to new countries, like as Germans in 1800s when they settled in Pennsylvania to Minnesota. In comparison with other immigrants, the Hispanics like to keep their native language four times more than other immigrants like Chinese, Filipino or Vietnamese, which is opposite to natural trends. This will be better if moved out of the barrios and assimilated in US main stream society. If they leave the neighborhood in to non-Hispanic neighborhoods marry non-Hispanics and melt into US society.

Conclusion

Changing demographics of Hispanics in American society brings up many challenges. Hispanics can not just dominate American society by population figures alone; they have to rise above it terms of education and jobs as well. Also there is need for the greater society at large that Hispanics assimilate and melt into American society for the betterment of Hispanics as well as United States of America. And with changing demographics America has to learn to live with diversity of different cultures as well.

Work cited:

Grover, R, Ariene Weintrab & C Palmeri. Hispanic Nation: Case in the News. Business Week. 2007. 181-184.

Introduction

The United States is a multicultural society. People from different races and ethnicity have different opportunities especially in educational attainment. The non-Hispanic whites make up about 67 % of the total population and the blacks 12 % (Suro et al 1). Generally, the educational attainment in both populations has increased significantly over the years. However, there are educational disparities between the two groups and this paper will seek to explore the reasons for these disparities.

Inequality in the education system

The educational disparity goes back in history in the United States. This was due to segregation that the Supreme Court upheld in 1886 with its ruling in the Plessy v. Ferguson Case that allowed schools to be segregated for whites and backs. The segregation set up the course for disparities in the education sector because the black schools mainly in the south were poor and thus could not afford to provide adequate facilities for the students. They could also not afford to employ sufficient teachers or qualified ones. This meant that the black students received inferior education compared to their white counterparts who went to schools that were well equipped. This situation persisted until 1954 when the Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools in the famous case Brown V. Board of Topeka. The gains made in reducing inequality have led to more blacks completing higher education but the disparity remains. For example, in 2006 non-Hispanics whites between the age of 25 and 28 were more likely to have completed higher levels of education (Educational Attainment 1) than blacks. However, disparities persist and that is why in 2002 the then president George W Bush signed into law the No Child left Behind Act. This act was formulated to ensure that all the children get equal opportunities in education.

Furthermore, the schools were funded by the local districts. Thus, the quality of education was dependent on the economic ability of the local districts. The blacks lived in poor local districts hence got low quality education as they lacked the financial muscle to improve their quality of education. On the other hand, the non-Hispanic whites resided in rich neighborhoods and funding the schools was easy for their local districts. Therefore, their children received quality education. After observing the negative effects of not getting involved in education, the federal government made some reforms and got involved in the education system. This is because the structure seemed to enforce a racially unjust social order (Omi and Winant 78). This has made great improvements but the gap between non-Hispanic whites and blacks in education has not been bridged completely. This is because the education system continues to perpetuate disparities as poor and rich schools continue to exist. Schools in affluent neighborhoods have good learning environments in terms of adequate teachers and facilities. Conversely, the poor schools in impoverished areas lack proper facilities and safe environment for learning. The likelihood that black students will attend the poor schools is more than for the white students. This is because blacks who are a minority are more likely to be living in the impoverished neighborhoods. The kind of education the blacks will receive in such schools will be inferior to that of non-Hispanic whites hence lower achievement (Lee 6).

Economic disparity

The economic disparity between blacks and non-Hispanic whites accounts for the educational disparities. The non-Hispanic whites are more economically empowered compared to the blacks. They are in a better position to send their children to private schools that offer quality education as funding is sufficient. They also give their children all the support that they need to complete school. On the contrary, the black students may fail to achieve their dreams of completing school due to their parents disadvantaged economical situations. Sometimes, the black students are forced to drop out of school and look for employment. This trend becomes a vicious cycle, as the dropouts will not be able to give their children all the support they need to attain quality education. This is because education level determines ones income and those with low level of education earn the least (Lee 6-7).

Educational expectations

Educational expectations vary between blacks and non-Hispanic whites because of the different cultural and social contexts. This is because students in the two contexts interact with people who have different expectations. For instance, many black children are in inner cities and attend schools there. The schools are underfunded and the teachers may be of low quality. This means that these teachers may have low expectations for their students and hence do not push them to attain their maximum potential. On the other hand, most non-Hispanic students attend well funded schools and teachers have high expectations on them thus they strive to reach the expectations set up for them. The lack of expectations affects the black students negatively (Hirschman and Lee 111).

Social background

The social background determines largely the educational attainment of an individual. The background may include things such as parental educational background, family structure and economic circumstance. Students from a family that has educated parents are more likely to follow their footsteps or even aim higher than their parents. However, there are students whose parents may not have attained much in education but still have high aspirations and actually make it through school and graduate. An intact family provides a stable environment for a student to learn. More black students are likely to come from unstable or single parent families than non-Hispanic white ones (Suro et al 10). This situation puts the family at an economic disadvantage in most cases and the children may lack funds to give them higher learning.

Conclusion

The educational gap between non-Hispanic whites and blacks has reduced significantly and some strides made in ensuring that the minority blacks are getting opportunities for educational attainment just like their non-Hispanic counterparts. Nonetheless, more needs to be done to eliminate the disparities that exist. The stakeholders in the educational sector should strive to ensure that equality in attained by putting in place policies that will speed up the process. This will enable children from the minority groups compete favorably with the non-Hispanic whites at the job market with par credentials. Bridging the educational gap will be beneficial to the economy of the country, as many workers that are more skilled will be released into the job market. However, this is not an easy task but continuous studying of the causes of disparities between educational attainment for the blacks and non-Hispanic whites will serve as mirror to what ails the education system. This will in turn make a major impact on educational attainment of these two populations because quality education has a bearing on all aspects of life such as health and income level. Every child in America ought to receive quality education regardless of ethnic affiliation.

Works Cited

Educational Attainment. census.gov. n.d. 2010.

Hirschman, Charles and Jennifer Lee. Race and ethnic inequality in educational attainment in the United States. soc.washington.edu. 2005.

Lee, Jaekyung. Racial and Ethnic Achievement Gap Trends: Reversing the Progress Toward Equity? Educational Researcher, 31. 1 (2002): 3-12.

Omi, Michael and Howard Winant. Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s. 2^nd Ed. New York: Routledge, 1994.

Suro, Roberto et al. The American community- Blacks 2004. census.gov. 2004.

Introduction: The Hispanic Society and the Bryant Park

Though analog databases have not yet worn out their welcome, information technologies influence has already become quite tangible. A range of data starting from the one in academic resources to the information about the schedule of the public parks opening hours has been turned digital. However, the creation of digital databases has both advantages and problems. Although the currency and coverage of online information are beyond any possible criticism, the credibility and authority of the data are often quite hard to verify, as the examples of the Hispanic Society and the Bryant Park sites show.

Authority and Accuracy: The Weight of Judgment

In order to define whether a site can be trusted, one needs to learn about its creator first; according to the data provided at the Bryant Park website, the latter was developed and designed by the Bryant Park Corporation (Bryant Park Corporation para. 1). Therefore, it can be assumed that the authority of the specified site is moderate and can even be deemed as comparatively high.

As far as the Hispanic Society is concerned, the site was developed by the Hispanic Society of America (The Hispanic Society of America para. 1), as one may easily guess. Seeing that the given organization can be considered a respectable institution, the authority of the site cannot possibly be doubted. Compared to the Bryant Park site, the Hispanic Society seems to have an even greater control and accuracy as an academic institution.

Objectivity: When Every Opinion Counts

As it has been stressed above, most of the information presented on the Hispanic Society site comes from researches on the subject matter (i.e., the relics related to the Hispanic culture). Therefore, the objectivity of the information represented on the site can hardly be doubted. Moreover, it is quite remarkable that the site offers very detailed data concerning the people who have contributed to the museum in terms of researches and exhibition descriptions: Joaquín Sorolla 18631923. Eds. José Luis Díez and Javier Barón (The Hispanic Society of America: Department of Publications 2). Since a range of researchers has worked on compiling the data regarding the exhibitions, the general information, and the articles available on the site, the information represented on it can be assumed objective.

The objectivity of BryantPark.org, however, can be doubted because of the lack of data concerning its contributors. Moreover, seeing that no authoritative resources outside of the Bryant Park managers themselves support the site, it would be wrong to assume that the data supplied by the contributors is entirely objective. Whereas the Hispanic Society had a team of researchers, who could comment on the exhibits armed with their scientific impartiality, the Bryant Park organization only has its staff as the contributors.

Currency: Defining the Upgrade Rates

The tendency to date extremely fast is one of the most unfortunate characteristics of online data. Because of the speed of online data transfer, it is essential to keep the site information updated. In this respect, the Bryant Park site is clearly the superior one, as the organization staff puts the latest changes in the schedule, as well as every new announcement, on display immediately: Saturday, March 7: Winter Village is closed for the 2014-2015 season (Today in the Park para. 1).

The Hispanic Society works at a comparatively slower pace. However, the information provided by the site staff is outstandingly accurate and has obviously been verified before it was offered for the visitors to see, including the data on every single exhibit in the museum collections. Moreover, being an academic organization, the Hispanic Society provides very detailed descriptions of the artifacts that are in its possession, addressing nearly every aspect of culture in Spain, as well as a large part of Portugal and Latin America (The Collections para. 1). Based on thorough researches, these findings cannot possibly be doubted. However, the fact that dated information concerning the March 5 exhibition was posted on the front page (The Hispanic Society of America para. 3) shows that the site could use a more regular update.

Coverage: The Volume That an Online Database Can Hold

Comparing the sites based on their coverage of the material offered to their customers is not entirely fair, as the purposes of the sites are very different. Whereas the Hispanic Society aims at providing as many facts as possible in order to educate its visitors, the Bryant Park Organization is supposed to list the key venues and schedule for its customers to attend the future event and enjoy the attraction live. Therefore, the amount of information uploaded on each site is very different from the data provided on the other one.

Nevertheless, from an objective point of view, both sites cover the required issues entirely. The Hispanic Society encompasses a variety of data on the exhibits in its collection in a few paragraphs, at the same time retaining its eloquent manner. The Bryant Park, in its turn, mentions the information required to attend the event and enjoy the park. Thus, both sites cover the critical issues impeccably.

Conclusion and Recommendations: What Can Be Improved

Despite being very different in terms of their purposes and target audience, both the Hispanic Society and the Bryant Park sites comply with the existing standards for websites in terms of information provision. Offering accurate and essential data, the sites have been attracting visitors for years and will undoubtedly have an even greater audience in the future. It could be suggested, though, that the Hispanic Society of America should be more careful in terms of updating its information.

Works Cited

Bryant Park Corporation. Bryant Park. 2014. Web.

The Collections. The Hispanic Society of America Museum and Library. 2003. Web.

The Hispanic Society of America. The Hispanic Society of America Museum and Library. 2003. 

The Hispanic Society of America: Department of Publications 2010, Publications Catalogue. PDF file. Web.

Today in the Park. Bryant Park. 2015. 

Introduction

Relations between ethnic groups are rather important in such a multicultural society as the USA. Hispanic people constitute the largest ethnic group in this society but within it there also are certain differences which this paper will focus on. This work will analyze the main similarities and differences in social, political, and cultural conventions of such Hispanic ethnic groups as Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Chileans.

Mexican-Americans

In respect of their linguistics, Mexicans are quite similar to the other three groups as they all speak Spanish as their native language while English is taught to them as the second one. Politics is not in the sphere of their interests, with the exceptions of active people like Alberto Gonzales, the former US Attorney General, who struggle for the wealth of this ethnic group. In the economic sense, Mexican Americans are quite passive and averagely earn less money compared to other ethnic groups. Also, Mexican Americans are rather religious people. Their beliefs in Jesus and the Virgin of Guadalupe are rather strong, and so are their beliefs in the magic power of religious amulets called milagros that are mainly crosses and other religious symbols that are to bring luck and protection. Family is the most important notion for Mexicans; it is male-dominated although women are greatly respected in this culture. Nevertheless, Mexicans are different from other three groups and their national proverb explains this fact: Space does not separate people so much as culture (Steiner, 2004).

Puerto Ricans

Puerto Ricans are different from Mexicans as they are rightful US citizens and are not viewed as labor immigrants to the country. Another difference is that this group speaks English and Spanish similarly well and does not differ from the mainstream US citizens in this aspect. Puerto Ricans are politically passive as they are not entitled to vote for president although considered to be the United States, rightful citizens. Moreover, they lack their representatives in US politics. While Mexican Americans are mainly Catholics, Puerto Ricans worship Catholicism, Islam, Baptism, and any other religions that can be worshipped in the world. Their religious customs are freer than the traditions of American Mexicans, and so are their views on family. Thus, according to Franklin (2008), forty-percent, now probably more, of Puerto Rican families are headed by women. Also, the main concentration of Puerto Ricans in the United States is in New York where they were officially allowed to move by the US Government.

Cubans

Cubans living in America are a rather specific ethnic group within the larger Hispanic population. This fact is explained that they are rather active in politics, while their immigration to the US has always been connected with serious dangers, political conflicts, and misunderstandings. Thus, there are three Cuban deputies in the US House of Representatives and two members of the US Senate of Cuban origin. Cubans differ from other Hispanic ethnic groups by their higher degree of assimilation to the mainstream American culture which is reflected not only in their political activity and success but also in economical and social matters. For example, the beaches and infrastructure of Miami are mainly in possession of Cuban entrepreneurs. Also, the religious and family values of Cubans are not as strict as of Mexicans and even of Puerto Ricans. Cubans influenced by Spanish colonization accept Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, and other religions. Family in the Cuban understanding of it is not the domination of a male, but a cooperative unity of two people with equal rights in which deep assimilation to the US culture can be observed.

Chileans

The major distinctive feature of this ethnic group in the US society is that Chilean Americans find themselves in the position of being a minority within a minority (Burson, 2005). This makes Chilean Americans differ in some other aspects like attitude to work, education, and their place in the society they chose to live in. The political activity of the Chilean ethnic group is rather low as no notable representatives o this group are known as influencing US politics greatly. Participation of Chileans in elections is rather high, and this is connected with the serious attitude towards their rights and obligations. This is also observed in the social life of Chilean ethnic groups whose representatives are hard and skilled workers. In the linguistic aspect, Chileans do not differ much from Mexicans and have to study English as their second language after Spanish. Family is rather important for Chileans but it is not dominant in their culture, neither is the religion which is mainly Roman Catholicism.

Conclusions

To conclude, the four ethnic groups considered have their similar and different points. All the groups are similar in their belonging to the larger Hispanic ethnic group and in speaking Spanish. Differences between the groups lie in the fact that Mexicans are more religious, while Puerto Ricans have a better command of English, and a better position in the society being rightful US citizens. Cubans are distinguished by better assimilation to the US culture, while Chileans are hard workers.

References

Burson, P. Chilean Americans.

Franklin, R. (2008). Hispanics in America: Culture and Mexicans, Cubans, Venezuelans. Web.

Schaefer, R. (2006). Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition. Prentice Hall.

Steiner, J. (2004). Religious Folklore: An Everyday Mexican-American Experience.

Introduction

Background

The essential aspect of developing and delivering healthcare to the patients is to improve the outcomes in terms of efficiency of the process, enhancing the rate of recovery, and improving the quality of life for the patient. Cultural competence is an important aspect of the patients within a given community or society.

Study question

However, the major question is how can a nurse or group of nurses and clinicians deliver patient-centered care to patients with different health beliefs, values, and practices that are in conflict with the guidelines of the medical and nursing care?

Purpose statement

To answer the above question, it is important to examine the existing theories that explain how patient-cemented care can be provided to culturally different patients or patient groups. Leiningers transcultural theory is perhaps the most effective approach to this problem from a cultural perspective. This paper answers the above question by identifying how Leiningers theory can be used and applied to provide patient-centered care to Hispanic patients in the US.

Summary of the state of science

This section develops a comprehensive review of nursing literature in order to determine the state of science with respect to the multicultural approach of developing patient-centered care in the field of nursing, especially in the management of patients from different cultures in the US. The cumulative index for nursing and allied health (CINAHL) Database was used to identify research articles in the field of nursing, especially those pertaining to the provision of transcultural and patient-centered care to the patients. In particular, the articles focusing on the use of this approach to target and manage Hispanic patients were prioritized. In total, four research articles published between 2009 and 2014 in English were identified using the keywords transcultural, cultural competence, Hispanic, patient, Madeline Leininger, care improvement.

CINAHL Database. Woener, Espinosa, Bourne, OToole, and Ingersol (2009) carried out a study to examine the improvement of outcomes among Hispanic home care patients using the EXITO project. The researchers aimed at developing the model based on the existing Sunrise Enabler approach, a theory developed by Leininger. The researchers targeted the Hispanic population in a location. The sample population was 125 unduplicated patients receiving home-based care. Since the study was quantitative, statistical inferences were obtained using SPSS tool to determine the relationships between the cultural approach and the outcomes in terms of rates of acute hospitalization and frequency of emergence care visits. The results of the study indicated a negative relationship between the two variables. In addition, the study indicated that customer care, nursing, and patient satisfaction and medical amazement had a direct and positive relationship with the use of the model, which caused these variables to increase with the continued use of the model.

Gordon (2013) conducted research attempting to examine the effectiveness of the nurses awareness of Hispanic folk remedies and cultural beliefs about health care. The researcher used a focused group interview. The study was conducted based on an open discussion with the participants. The aim was to determine how the participants view issues such as healthcare, illnesses, and the remedies available to solve these issues. The study sample was comprised of 11 Hispanic women in a focus group. The discussion wanted to answer the question how do Hispanic beliefs in healthcare affect the outcomes of healthcare practices?

The researchers used qualitative data analysis to examine the outcomes of the focus group interview. The study had identified different types of 75 symptoms of different diseases as well as the available treatment statements.

The study indicates that a number of remedies are used among the Hispanic communities in home-based treatments.

Howell, Kochar, Saywell, Zollinger, et al (2014) carried out a study to measure the knowledge and use of herbs as medications among the Hispanics in the US. It also sought to determine the experiences of the community in terms of discussing the use of herbs with their physicians or nurses. The study targeted a group of Hispanic patients treating medications in urban healthcare facilities. The researchers worked with a study sample population of 620 individuals. Self-administered questionnaires were sent to the participants and received within three weeks. Statistical analysis was done to examine the awareness and knowledge of the herb used for medical purposes. Over 80% of the participants reported that they had used herbs for medical purposes. Hispanics who used Spanish and those who had been in the US less than 5 years were comfortable herb users. It was shown that more than 60% of the participants used herbs as drugs, but more than 56% were aware that the herbs have the potential to cause harm, especially when taken during pregnancy.

In addition, more than 50% of the participants stated that they had not informed their physicians or nurses about the use of herbs to treat certain diseases or injuries. Moreover, more than 97% of the participants were not able to recognize the English names of 23 out of the 25 types of herbs used in the assessment. The number of participants reporting that their physicians asked about the use of the herbs was only 17%, but only 1.8% thought that their nurses or physicians would appreciate the use of herbs for treating certain illnesses or injuries. Thus, the study concluded that a major role of the nurses or physicians is to find information about the patients cultural aspects in order to determine such things as the use of herbs. They are recommended to initiate and encourage effective discussion of the use of herbs among these communities. Therefore, this article shows that a major cultural belief among the Hispanic societies is the use of herbs as drugs for treating various conditions and diseases. In addition, the Hispanic culture of refusing to disclose or discuss the use of traditional interventions with other people, including the care providers.

Ryan and Twibell (2009) attempted to test the relationship between the nurses level of knowledge or awareness of cultural factors of the patients and the level of the patient outcomes in a hospital setting. The researchers used a quantitative study design with transcultural Nursing Immersion Experience Questionnaires (TNIEQ) to examine the relationship between the two variables in a sample population of 29 nurses in the US. The first section of the questionnaires examined the nurses knowledge of the dimensions of cultural aspects as indicated in the TNIEQ system. The second part had open-ended questions asking the participants to describe how the transcultural immersion experience changed them personally and professionally.

A multivariate analysis of the results indicated that nurses who are aware of the transcultural factors and how they are applied in practice had the highest degree of professional and personal change that related to better nurse-patient relationships and improved overall outcomes. This study is rated high in terms of its ability to test an already existing theory. It has tested the Leinginers transcultural theory of nursing and shown that the theory applies in practice.

Madeleine Leiningers Transcultural theory of Nursing

Developed by Madeliene Leininger in the mid-20^th century, the transcultural theory uses culture to understand the patient behavior. It is based on the observation that cultures differ significantly from each other (Leininger & McFarland, 2006). In addition, it states that cultures have a profound influence on all spheres of life. In healthcare, cultures define human health, diseases, illness and the process of searching for remedies to these problems. According to the theory, each cultural difference should be respected when providing healthcare. The theory further emphasizes on the need for cultural competence. Knowledge of the factors, attitudes and behaviors of a group of people allows nurses and practitioners to work in different cultures effectively and produce the required outcomes.

It affects the perceptions and attitudes towards diseases, care services and the overall outcomes of a healthcare delivery process. The essential feature of patient-centered care and cultural completeness is the importance of seeing each patient as a unique individual (Leininger, 2008). Cultural competence is an expansion of the patient-centered delivery of healthcare services. It refers to the set of necessary skills that clinicians and nurses must attain in order to provide effective and quality healthcare services.

The theory assumes that care is the central focus or the spirit of nursing. It also assumes that care is necessary for achieving the desired well-being of an individual.

Applying Leiningers theory to improve patient outcomes among the Hispanics

An important aspect of the Hispanics in the US is the tendency to live as communities in urban areas, where they maintain their culture after immigration. Moreover, as indicated above, the belief in herbs as effective remedies is rampant among these communities, especially those from South America and Mexican rural areas. The individuals tend to believe that using natural herbs from the wild is an effective way of treating diseases and injuries. However, they tend to seek medical interventions once the conditions fail to heal after applying the herbs.

In applying Leiningers theory, the nurse must note that the belief in herbs among the Hispanic and Latinos is a cultural factor that is rooted in their traditions. Nevertheless, it should be respected. To understand its influence on the outcomes of the healthcare services provided, the nurse must develop a close relationship with the patients. The nurse must exemplify knowledge and appreciation of the use of herbs among the community. The nurse must be open to discussion with the patients in order to learn more about the herb traditions and beliefs. When adequate knowledge is developed, the nurse must develop a model for intervention. For example, the nurse should inform the patients that medical interventions and drugs should not be used concurrently with the herbs because there is a high likelihood of reactions and possible harm to the body (Andrews & Boyle, 2012). In addition, the nurse must ensure that the information is also provided to the family members. The patients and their families must be made aware of the need to seek professional advice before using herbs. In this way, it is possible to discourage the use of herbs among the Hispanic patients.

References

Andrews, M. M., & Boyle, J. S. (2012). Transcultural concepts in nursing care. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 13(3), 178-180.

Gordon, S. M. (2009). Hispanic cultural health beliefs and folk remedies. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 12(3), 307-322.

Howell, L., Kochhar, K., Saywell, R., Zollinger, T., Koehler, J., Mandzuk, C., & Allen, D. (2014). Use of herbal remedies by Hispanic patients: do they inform their physician?. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 19(6), 566-578.

Leininger, M. M. (2008). Leiningers theory of nursing: Cultural care diversity and universality. Nursing Science Quarterly, 1(4), 152-160.

Leininger, M. M., & McFarland, M. R. (2006). Culture care diversity and universality: A worldwide nursing theory. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Ryan, M., & Twibell, R. S. (2009). Outcomes of a transcultural nursing immersion experience: Confirmation of a dimensional matrix. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 13(1), 30-39.

Woerner, L., Espinosa, J., Bourne, S., OToole, M., & Ingersoll, G. L. (2009). Project (inverted exclamation mark) EXITO!: success through diversity and universality for outcomes improvement among Hispanic home care patients. Nurs Outlook, 57(5), 266-73.

Obesity is regarded as one of the major concerns in many countries. It has been acknowledged that there is an epidemic of this disorder in the USA (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2014). For instance, Rinehart and Oliver (2015) note that almost 70% of American adults aged 20 or more are overweight including over 35% of people who are obese. Woo Baidal et al. (2015) state that over 16% of white American children are obese while Hispanic children are five times more likely to suffer from this disorder as compared to non-Hispanic populations.

Therefore, extensive research has been implemented to identify major risk factors associated with the disease (Malik, Willett, & Hu, 2012). Woo Baidal et al. (2015) explore Hispanic mothers views on the matter and reveal some cultural factors contributing to the prevalence of obesity in the population in question. Pulgarón (2013) examined the correlation between some disorders and obesity in children. The findings of the research show that obesity is associated with asthma, metabolic issues, dental issues, sleep and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders, and so on. Taveras, Gillman, Kleinman, Rich-Edwards, and Rifas-Shiman (2013) reveal socioeconomic factors claiming that Hispanic populations are prone to the development of the disorder under analysis due to their low access to healthy food and physical activity.

However, little attention has been paid to nurses knowledge on the matter. One of the nurses goals is to educate patients and help them address health issues and have healthy lifestyles. The ability of nursing professionals to help children suffering from obesity is still under-researched. The purpose of this manuscript is to examine nurses knowledge concerning the major risk factors of obesity in the school-age Hispanic population as well as nursing professionals ability to instruct patients and their parents on ways to address the problem.

Journal Selection

Narrative

The two journals are concerned with the topics I will address in my research. I will focus on nurses knowledge concerning obesity in Hispanic school-age children, and these professionals ability to educate the patients and their families to have healthier lifestyles. One of the journals targets issues associated with adolescents and children while the other one concentrates on the Hispanic population of all ages. I would choose Hispanic Health Care International due to several reasons.

First, it focuses on health issues of the Hispanic population of the USA. It has been acknowledged that the Hispanic population is more vulnerable to the development of obesity due to certain genetic, cultural, and socioeconomic peculiarities (Taveras et al., 2013). Non-Hispanic white children and teenagers are five times less likely to be obese (Woo Baidal et al., 2015). Therefore, my manuscript will be more relevant to this journal. Besides, since Hispanic Health Care International focuses on the Hispanic populations issues, healthcare professionals are more likely to view it when implementing their research on obesity among Hispanic children and adolescents. Furthermore, I prefer short publications that are succinct and relevant. The required word limit in Hispanic Health Care International is appropriate for me. Finally, the journal includes articles written in Spanish, which makes it attractive to Spanish-speaking nurses. These healthcare professionals may find effective educational strategies to make patients and their families more committed to healthy lifestyles. Spanish nurses can be more effective educators as they are aware of cultural biases, beliefs, traditions, as well as fears and concerns of the population in question. The rest of the requirements are quite similar, so my choice mainly depends on the audience, subject matter, and word count.

References

Malik, V., Willett, W., & Hu, F. (2012). Global obesity: Trends, risk factors, and policy implications. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 9(1), 13-27.

Ogden, C., Carroll, M., Kit, B., & Flegal, K. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. JAMA, 311(8), 806-814.

Pulgarón, E. (2013). Childhood obesity: A review of increased risk for physical and psychological comorbidities. Clinical Therapeutics, 35(1), A18-A32.

Rinehart, C., & Oliver, J. (2015). A clinical protocol for the assessment of obesity. Nursing Clinics of North America, 50(3), 605-611.

Taveras, E., Gillman, M., Kleinman, K., Rich-Edwards, J., & Rifas-Shiman, S. (2013). Reducing racial/ethnic disparities in childhood obesity. JAMA Pediatrics, 167(8), 731-738.

Woo Baidal, J., Criss, S., Goldman, R., Perkins, M., Cunningham, C., & Taveras, E. (2015). Reducing hispanic childrens obesity risk factors in the first 1000 days of life: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Obesity, 2015, 1-8.

Ethnic Minority Group Description

Hispanic, or Latino, Americans are defined as the descendants of Spanish people, which includes Mexicans. In the U.S., Hispanic/Latino Americans constitute approximately 18.5% of the population, according to the results of the latest census (The United States Census Bureau, 2019). The specified population is characterized by medium to low-income rates. In addition, while the vast majority (88%) of Hispanic American citizens finish high school, only 32% have an academic degree, which signifies that the rates of higher education are quite low among Hispanic Americans.

Likewise, employment issues vary across the Hispanic American population, with some citizens being unemployed. Currently, the total employment rates among Hispanic Americas constitute 7,912,405 (The United States Census Bureau, 2019). Finally, it is noteworthy that 10.5% of the Hispanic American population lives below the threshold of poverty (The United States Census Bureau, 2019). Therefore, the process of addressing public health issues faced by Hispanic Americans becomes rather complicated.

Health Disparities

Presently, obesity is deemed the primary health concern for Hispanic Americans. According to the official statistical data, approximately 57% of Hispanic Americans suffer from being overweight or obese. Though obesity might seem not as threatening as other common public health threats, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, or diabetes, it also produces a profound long-term negative effect on patients (Popkin & Reardon, 2018). Specifically, obesity leads to high blood pressure and CVD and may cause diabetes and stroke.

Examining the causes of the health problem under analysis one must point to unhealthy eating habits that most Hispanic Americans have. Due to the abundance of food that is rich in saturated fats and carbohydrates, Hispanic Americans are particularly prone to developing weight issues (Johnson et al., 2018). Therefore, reconsidering the dieting choices and gaining the required health literacy should be regarded as the top priority for the specified demographic presently.

Moreover, it is worth noting that the absence of healthy eating options due to low income may be one of the main contributors to the problem of obesity (Johnson et al., 2018). Therefore, when shaping approaches toward weight management in the target demographic, one must consider applying a patient-focused approach that allows for an individual treatment strategy. Thus, a patient-specific diet that will remain available to the target demographic financially will be designed.

Being an ethnic minority, Hispanic Americans require particular care and support from healthcare experts in the U.S. According to the existing data, obesity represents a major concern for Hispanic Americans (Chirinos et al., 2020). The described issue occurs as a result of poor dieting choices caused by misinformed perceptions of proper eating and the lack of availability of reliable health management sources for the target demographic.

Barriers to Health

The lack of health literacy remains one of the foundational obstacles to promoting health management among members of the target population. Due to the unavailability of essential sources of health education for the specified demographic, the process of increasing their health literacy and building awareness about the key symptoms, prevention methods, and treatment options becomes highly complicated.

The poverty phenomenon is another source of health issues in the target population. Namely, the demographic under analysis may be aware of the effects that the failure to address a health concern may entail, yet the absence of health insurance and the extraordinarily high prices for healthcare support will stop them from gaining the assistance of healthcare experts and providers.

addition, language remains one of the foundational barriers that prevent healthcare providers, including nurse educators, from introducing Hispanic American patients to the key concepts of health management that they require to address the obesity issue. Indeed, recent studies indicate that poor command of the language in which key health information is provided, including patient-nurse communication and the available resources, plays a huge role in the development of additional obstacles to receiving the required treatment. For instance, the paper by Salinas et al. (2020, p. 7) explains that in ethnically homogeneous communities New York for examplelanguage use and immigration status serve as barriers to health information or are a characteristic of longstanding neighborhood segregation.

Therefore, creating programs that offer instructions, consultations, and patient education in the language that is native to the target population, namely, Spanish and Portuguese, must become the key trend in developing new programs.

Finally, the presence of traditions that conflict with foundational principles of health management is worth addressing. For example, it is a common belief among Latin Americans that being overweight is one of the characteristics that add loveliness to a child (Ash et al., 2017). As a result, Latin American children are exposed to a range of food choices that make them develop excessive weight, causing them to suffer from being overweight or even obese from infancy into adulthood (Marshall et al., 2019).

As a result, the levels of childhood obesity are particularly high among the Latin American population (Marshall et al., 2019). For this reason, programs aimed at encouraging a shift in the dieting in Latin Americans should also focus on fighting the stereotypes associated with weight in children, thus encouraging healthy weight and eating since childhood.

Health Promotion Activities

However, it would be unfair to claim that the target group does not practice any health-related procedures. For instance, the concepts of peace and family support can be considered the cornerstone principles of Hispanic culture, which provide a sufficient basis for increasing the extent of the populations health. Namely, the focus on the family bond contributes to managing key stress factors, which, in turn, reduces the probability of developing mental health issues. As a result, the levels of depression and anxiety, as well as other mental health problems associated with the presence of stress-related factors, are quite low among the members of the Hispanic population in the U.S. (Popkin & Reardon, 2018).

Approach to Health Promotion

Creating a program that would introduce Latin Americans to the concept of healthy dieting and the ability to make appropriate choices in their eating habits must be regarded as the task of priority. In addition, to address the problem of childhood obesity among Latin Americans, active parent education must be promoted, targeting harmful cultural traditions and stereotypical perception of the images of children and women in Latin American culture. Thus, the significance of obesity and its effects on health, including the development of CVD, type II diabetes, LDL cholesterol increase, hypertension, the threat of a stroke, and the related problems, must be emphasized explicitly.

To implement the described change, one will need a program aimed at enhancing communication with patients and the provision of health education materials, preferably in their native language. Moreover, counseling sessions for those in need of additional assistance will be required. The inclusion of remote patient-nurse communication will also be essential to reduce the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, applications for developing a personalized dieting plan must be designed so that the target audience could create unique, customized dieting options for weight management. As a result, Hispanic Americans will be able to change their current eating patterns and habits to include healthier options, as well as abandon the traditions that encourage excessive eating.

References

Ash, T., Agaronov, A., Aftosmes-Tobio, A., & Davison, K. K. (2017). Family-based childhood obesity prevention interventions: a systematic review and quantitative content analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 113.

Chirinos, D. A., Llabre, M. M., Goldberg, R., Gellman, M., Mendez, A., Cai, J.,& Schneiderman, N. (2020). Defining abdominal obesity as a risk factor for coronary heart disease in the US: Results from the Hispanic community health study/study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Diabetes Care, 43(8), 1774-1780. Web.

Johnson, K. A., Showell, N. N., Flessa, S., Janssen, M., Reid, N., Cheskin, L. J., & Thornton, R. L. (2019). Do neighborhoods matter? A systematic review of modifiable risk factors for obesity among low socio-economic status Black and Hispanic children. Childhood Obesity, 15(2), 71-86. Web.

Marshall, E., Moon, M. A., Mirchandani, A., Smith, D. G., Nichols, L. P., Zhao, X.,& Chang, T. (2019). Baby wants tacos: Analysis of health-related Facebook posts from young pregnant women. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 23(10), 1400-1413. Web.

The United States Census Bureau. (2019). QuickFacts. Hispanic or Latino, percent. Web.

Popkin, B. M., & Reardon, T. (2018). Obesity and the food system transformation in Latin America. Obesity Reviews, 19(8), 1028-1064. Web.

Salinas, J. J., Sheen, J., Carlyle, M., Shokar, N. K., Vazquez, G., Murphy, D., & Alozie, O. (2020). Using electronic medical record data to better understand obesity in Hispanic neighborhoods in El Paso, Texas. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4591-4601. Web.

Martin Marger in the article Hispanic Americans raises an important problem of ethnicity in the USA. Starting the discussion with the identification of the Hispanic Americans and their place in the population of the USA, the author says that some cities inhabit more Hispanic Americans than Americans.

Speaking about several Hispanic American groups differentiated by the city people immigrated from, the author stresses the peculiarities of their immigration, the specific reasons for this and particular manner. For about one hundred years Mexican Americans immigrate to the USA. He strongest wave was in 1848, the one followed by the Mexican war. People went to the USA to protect themselves.

Puerto Rican Americans became the part of American population in 1898 after the Spanish-American war. Cuban Americans recently immigrate in their own desire, however, several years ago political situation in the country made many Cubans leave their native country and to go to the USA.

Considering the problems which exist in the Hispanic ethnical group, racial status is considered as one of the most urgent. Most Mexican Americans are mestizo that makes them a different racial group even though many Mexican Americans considered themselves as European ones. Puerto Rican Americans ethnicity comprised out of African and Indian ethnical groups.

Therefore, Hispanic Americans by all means is the discriminated race which can never be equal to white Americans. Due to the dark color of skin and specific differences, racial status of Hispanic Americans will also remain as the lowest ethical group.

I see that the level of discrimination in the USA has lowered but still it exists. Hispanic Americans are not much higher that African Americans in their status, therefore, the biased attitude to them is high.

Speaking about social and economic status of Hispanic Americans, it should be stated that most Hispanic Americans do not have good education. This leaves them at the lower social stage. Additionally, most Hispanic American families live below the poverty threefold, therefore, their status is not going to improve. Completing difficult and dirty work, Hispanic Americans do not usually strive for higher positions due to lack of education.

One more barrier is the illegal status of many Hispanic Americans. The inability of some Hispanic Americans to come to the USA legally pushed them for illegal immigration. This lowers the status of all Hispanic Americans in the eyes of country population.

Many stereotypes exist among Hispanic Americans. Such stereotyping is mostly connected with the way how they case to the country. Illegal status of many people makes Hispanic Americans be prejudiced.

It is impossible to distinguish between legal immigrant and illegal one from the first site, therefore, all of them are considered as illegal. This stereotype prevents Hispanic Americans from taking strong positions in the American society.

Therefore, I want to say that having read this article, I understood that even though prejudice and discrimination are important aspects in the American society, they are still not the only problem Hispanic American face. Low level of education, racial discrimination, illegal status and other particular reasons make Hispanic Americans a serious problem for US government.

The USA tries to cope with the problem, but the number of illegal Hispanic Americans increases each year. The immigration policy should be reconsidered in order to make sure that the level of Hispanic American illegal immigrants has lowered.

When asked about a Hispanic woman, an average American citizen is likely to get an image of a sexually attractive young female who is a criminal’s girlfriend or a housemaid in her forties. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie notes that single stories have a considerable effect on people who miscomprehend and who are miscomprehended (TED, 2009). Importantly, the single-story related to Hispanic females refers to the representatives of the entire continent since people pay little attention to the origin of the Latino population (Turner et al., 2018). Be it a Cuban, Mexican, or Peruvian girl; she will be regarded as a Hispanic female characterized by the features mentioned above. The single-story of Latina women unveils numerous instances of social inequality in terms of gender, ethnicity, and social class.

The background for the current stereotypes has been set in previous decades. Bivins (2015) states that media images of this population contributed significantly to the creation and establishment of the existing stereotypes. In the second part of the twentieth century, during the second and third waves of immigration, the majority of Hispanic immigrants did not have substantial savings and were often blue-collar workers.

Therefore, they had to take up low-paid jobs, but thousands of people, especially those related to the first wave of immigration, have become successful in American society. For instance, Sofia Vergara, a Colombian-American actress, who created a very stereotypical character in a famous TV series, is a successful businesswoman in real life (Bivins, 2015). The success stories remain shadowed by the stereotypical representations of Latina females available from films, print sources, and advertising.

When considering the reasons behind the emergence of such stereotypes, it is possible to refer to interactionism. According to this theoretical framework, the interactions between the dominant group and minorities result in the development of bias and stereotypes (Segre, 2015). For instance, Blumer identified the central role of media in the creation of stereotypes. Films and advertisements promulgate the image of a Hispanic woman as a sexually attractive toy or low-paid worker.

Without direct contact between the two groups, specific stereotypes become stronger. The rise of stereotypical vision is facilitated by the misrepresentation and low representation of the target population in the media (Bivins, 2015). In simple terms, the stories about Hispanic females are rather scarce in the American media landscape, and the ones that exist misrepresent the group in question.

These stereotypes have a substantial impact on U.S. society and the relations between Hispanic females and other groups in the country. Moreover, the single-story under consideration affects the way Latina women see themselves (Fassiotto et al., 2016). Denner, Laursen, Dickson, and Hartl (2016) note that Hispanic mothers are affected by stereotypes, which influences their childrearing practices because women tend to pay less attention to girls’ mathematics skills.

All these perceptions and behaviors contribute to the social inequality because Latina women have lower access to education and employment opportunities. Low expectations result in certain behavioral patterns that make social injustice more pronounced when it comes to Hispanic females. A low percentage of Latina women among business leadership can be seen as an illustration of the institutionalization of the single-story under discussion.

It is necessary to note that many Hispanic women find strength and courage to resist and break through the boundaries set by the stereotypes. Although this population has numerous concerns regarding potential threats linked to the existing stereotypes, they still pursue academic careers as well as concentrate on professional development in other spheres (Fassiotto et al., 2016). Irrespective of their fears and bias they face, Latina women try to achieve the highest professional goals. As mentioned above, various success stories exist and serve as inspirational guidelines for younger generations.

By sharing such accounts, it is also possible to minimize the negative effects of the stereotypes. Instead of seeing an average Latina girl, a female of a certain ethnicity and cultural background will appear. Instead of perceiving a Hispanic woman as a potential housemaid, a person can think of the myriad of professional paths the female can choose. The one-sided depiction of the target population can acquire new shades and facets, which will make the interactions among different groups more effective. People will find more points to share and build on, which will contribute to the development of American society.

The current prevalence of bias and stereotypes regarding Hispanic women may seem well-established and impossible to change. Nevertheless, the situation can be transformed if certain steps are undertaken on diverse levels. On the societal level, it is critical to make sure that the media coverage will be adequate. Films, television, literature, and advertisements should provide various stories describing the diversity that is a characteristic feature of the population under analysis (Bivins, 2015).

In addition to this multisided representation, the American educational system should be involved in the process (Fassiotto et al., 2016). It is essential to eliminate or, at least, raise people’s awareness of the most common stereotypes. Educators should show the negative effects of prejudice and ways to resist it. Importantly, parents should be trained as well because they tend to be a potent source of the adoption of stereotypes.

On the individual level, it is also important to address the problem. Everyone has to spot the instances of stereotyping in all aspects of their lives. It is important to make oneself decipher every single story and turn it into a part of a larger and multifaceted account. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie states that she had a very narrow view of Mexicans before she got to know those people (TED, 2009). Therefore, individuals should broaden their horizons and try to learn more about different groups, especially those who may be depicted in a very specific (single-sided) manner.

On balance, single stories are still a part of American society, although a considerable effort is made to eliminate them. One of the brightest examples of such stories is the representation of Hispanic women in American society or rather the prevalence of stereotypes related to this population. Latina women are often depicted as sexually attractive objects of desire or low-paid workers with limited abilities. This single story is widespread in the United States due to the inadequate representation of this group in the media. However, the situation can be altered if addressed on several levels.

Media coverage should be reconsidered, and the diversity of the target population should be displayed. The educational system can become another pillar of the transformations because people’s prejudice will be eliminated from a young age. Finally, every person should pay more attention to the way different groups are depicted because misrepresentation affects their worldview and harms the way different populations interact.

References

Bivins, T. (2015). Stereotyping in advertising: We are not the people in those pictures. In M. Duffy & E. Thorson (Eds.), Persuasion ethics today (pp. 65-78). New York, NY: Routledge.

Denner, J., Laursen, B., Dickson, D., & Hartl, A. (2016). Latino children’s math confidence: The role of mothers’ gender stereotypes and involvement across the transition to middle school. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 38(4), 513-529. Web.

Fassiotto, M., Hamel, E. O., Ku, M., Correll, S., Grewal, D., & Lavori, P., … Valantine, H. (2016). Women in academic medicine: Measuring stereotype threat among junior faculty. Journal of Women’s Health, 25(3), 292-298. Web.

Segre, S. (2016). Contemporary sociological thinkers and theories. New York, NY: Routledge.

TED. (2009). The danger of a single story | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Web.

Turner, C. S., Cosmé, P. X., Dinehart, L., Martí, R., McDonald, D., Ramirez, M., … Zamora, J. (2018). Hispanic-serving institution scholars and administrators on improving Latina/Latino/Latinx/Hispanic teacher pipelines: Critical junctures along career pathways. Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, 11(3), 251-275. Web.

Immigration is a common phenomenon in the modern world, as people aim at the improvement of their economic wellbeing while expanding their possibilities for development. Nonetheless, the immigrant’s mobility is affected by various factors, which are vehemently correlated to socioeconomic statuses such as levels of the discrimination, socioeconomic status of the relatives, cultural assimilation rates, and immigration policies.

It is apparent the all of these matters are critical for the immigrant’s stability in a new country, but the ranking of the difficulties has to be established. As for me, I believe that the level of discrimination and assimilation have a critical impact on the socioeconomic flexibility of the immigrants due to the ability of the society to create stereotypes while the financial stability of the previous generations and policies have less effect in the context of the presented case. In this instance, the primary goal of the paper is to determine the influence of the factors on the immigrant’s mobility while using the examples of Hispanic and Asian Americans. In the end, the conclusions are drawn to summarize the critical findings of the paper.

Firstly, it is apparent that the discrimination is one of the factors, which has a high influence on the socioeconomic mobility due to its ability to define a person’s position in the society depending on his/her ethnicity. For instance, some subgroups of Hispanic immigrants experience difficulties while getting a job due to the increased level of discrimination and association with “blacks“ (Marger 221).

In turn, it could be said that people tend to depict similar perceptions about the Asian-American and claim that they consider the marriage with an Asian person inappropriate while showing displeasure of the potential migration of this ethnic group to their neighborhood (Marger 271). Based on the information provided above, it is apparent that this factor defines the socioeconomic mobility, as the level of prejudice and stereotypes determine the capabilities of the immigrants while decreasing the possibility of their financial opportunities.

In turn, the social phenomenon such as discrimination is highly correlated to the cultural assimilation, as the ability for integration defines the capability of the immigrant to become a regular member of the American society. Meanwhile, the underestimation of this matter can be regarded as the primary limitation of social mobility due to the creation of prejudice related to the immigrant group. For instance, the representatives of Chinese and Japanese cultures often disregard the essentiality of cultural assimilation while being vehemently isolated from society and limiting the actions of their children in the future (Marger 275).

A similar trend is present in other minorities in the United States of America has a vehement influence on the flexibility of the individuals in American society, and its role cannot be underestimated due to the high dependence on the level of prejudice and discrimination.

In turn, the well-being of past generations has a substantial effect on mobility. Despite belonging to a particular ethnic group, some of the Hispanic immigrants tend to have a high level of income while occupying managerial positions (Marger 222).

This aspect assists in understanding that the status of an immigrant could be modified by his contribution to the community while altering the perceptions concerning this ethnic group. Nonetheless, this matter is applicable in the context of any member of the society, as the wellbeing and socioeconomic status of any individual are dependent on his/her background while the stereotyping covers each segment of the population and generates potential misjudgments.

Lastly, the role of the immigration policies cannot be underestimated, as the actions of Hispanic Americans are often viewed as being illegal and tend to create an association with the criminal culture (Marger 212). Nonetheless, nowadays, the sophisticated and well-developed policies tend to minimize the illegal migration while causing the change related to the immigration policy. As for Asian Americans, this matter has no substantial impact on their social mobility, as the policies tend to regulate the actions of the initial immigrants. Meanwhile, immigration policies have a considerable effect on the first generation of immigrants.

Consequently, this approach does not cover the mobility’s possibilities of subsequent generations of the immigrants. Based on the features provided above, it is evident that this feature is less important to the social flexibility of the individuals.

In the end, the essay revealed that various factors have a dissimilar influence on the mobility of the immigrants, as they tend to affect their initial position in society. In the context of the paper, it was revealed that the level of discrimination and assimilation are the most critical matters, which affect the immigrants’ ability to change their social status and economic condition. These issues are highly interdependent, and the vitality of these aspects was depicted with the assistance of the examples of behavioral patterns of Hispanic and Asian immigrants. Nonetheless, the immigration policies and well-being of the previous generations play a role related to social mobility but cannot be regarded as the most critical aspects in this instance due to the vast application to other social groups.

Work Cited

Marger, Martin. Race and Ethnic Relations: American and Global Perspectives, Sydney: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.