Category: Hispanics

Introduction

Non-pharmacological methods of treating diseases such as hypertension have been proved effective. Among them, dietary and lifestyle interventions take a somewhat special place. DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) patterns in diet, for instance, are a set of dietary rules to keep systolic blood pressure and BMI under control. Although the DASH diet principles are quite easy to follow, the food patterns may vary from culture to culture, which explains the necessity to acknowledge the patient’s cultural background when explaining the dietary needs.

Research

The success of culturally adapted DASH patterns was indicated by the known HIP (Hypertension Improvement Project) Latino, targeted specifically at the Hispanic population residing at Triangle area of North Carolina (Rocha-Goldberg et al., 2010). The pretest-posttest design of the study was used to measure the initial status and the post-intervention outcomes for 17 Hispanic males and females with hypertension aged 18 or older (the sample was larger but the response rate was low among the participants).

The study showed those who complied with DASH dietary regulations had lower systolic blood pressure compared to the pre-test; the participants also demonstrated a decrease in body weight and better physical performance. The cultural adaptation was regarded as a critical component of the program, which may have contributed to its success. Another success factor may have been the overall compliance with the prescriptions in Hispanics than any other population: research indicates that an overwhelming majority of hypertensive Hispanic patients tend to adhere to dietary regulations when a proper explanation is provided (Nainggolan, 2009).

The DASH diet

The DASH diet is focused on providing the organism with fiber-rich foods and lean protein and reducing the amount of fat and sugar. Grains are regarded as the main source of energy, with 6-8 servings consumed daily. Vegetables and fruits are other sources of dietary fiber, with 4-5 servings of each per day. A typical DASH daily plan should also include 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy products and 2 servings of lean meat, fish, or poultry.

The healthy lipids from nuts and seeds are consumed from 4-5 servings of nuts per week. Unless the patient consumes an adequate amount of fat from the meat, additional servings of fat can be also required during the day. As to sugars, the DASH diet limits the sweets intake to the daily servings of fructose from fruit and additional 5 servings of sugar per week (The DASH Diet – Spanish, 2015).

Adaptation

To adapt the DASH plan to the needs of Hispanic patients accustomed to the food within their cultural context, it takes some research into the products generally consumed by the Hispanic population. The general advice to patients can be to seek foods that offer more vegetables and smaller portions of meat. Refried beans should be replaced by whole negro or pinto beans that are not prepared with excess fat. Fried items such as crispy taco shells should be limited, as well as fatty sour cream.

The choice should be made in favor of soft whole-wheat or corn tortillas. Suitable food choices could include bean or tortilla soups, grilled chicken soft tacos or enchiladas, lean chicken burritos with green lettuce, pico de gallo with the oil served on the side, etc. The materials and diet plans can be provided in Spanish to enhance understanding and demonstrativeness; a considerable body of such information is present on the Web (World Cuisine, n.d.).

References

Nainggolan, L. (2009). Dietary Advice Should Be Tailored to Ethnic Groups. Web.

Rocha-Goldberg, M. P., Corsino, L., Batch, B., Voils, C. I., Thorpe, C. T., Bosworth, H. B., & Svetkey, L. P. (2010). Hypertension Improvement Project (HIP) Latino: results of a pilot study of lifestyle intervention for lowering blood pressure in Latino adults. Ethnicity and Health, 15(3), 269-282.

The DASH Diet – Spanish. (2015). Web.

World Cuisine. (n.d.).

The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) is a non-profit organization that acts within the United States. Its name suggests that the organization draws specific attention to a particular group of nurses. Thus, the NAHN mission is to provide Hispanic nurses with advanced education, professional, and leadership opportunities to allow them to improve the health care industry.

The official website of the organization, stipulates that the primary purpose of the organization is to unite the nurses and make sure that they provide the Hispanic population with adequate care. The official website states that 47 local chapters of the body are “devoted to continuing education, community service, student scholarship programs, networking, and promoting the nursing profession” (National Association of Hispanic Nurses, 2019c, para. 1). That is why numerous medical professionals of Hispanic origin want to become a part of this organization to enjoy its benefits.

Importance of Involvement in Professional Organizations

In the modern world, it is necessary to be involved in professional organizations because they provide their members with a few advantages. Goolsby and DuBois (2017) state that these establishments allow nurses to benefit from “research dissemination, professional development, and volunteerism” (p. 434). In addition to that, being a member of such an organization demonstrates that a person has a commitment to lifelong learning. It is so because organization members share their knowledge with one another, attend special meetings, and have access to scientific information.

Consequently, one can say that students are active members of such an association, and they continuously want to learn and improve their professional qualities. As for improving professionalism, Echevarria (2018) argues that this phenomenon is one of the main advantages here. It relates to the fact that association members are given numerous educational opportunities, including various webinars, self-study programs, face-to-face seminars, and others (Echevarria, 2018). With the help of these means, nurses gain new knowledge that can be applied in practice. As a result, these educational opportunities lead to the fact that nurses become more professional and can successfully solve numerous issues.

The information above could not but influence career opportunities. Since association members can impress with educational and professional excellence, it is not a surprise that they witness improved career possibilities. According to Echevarria (2018), such individuals work on various projects, “including item writing or reviewing certification exams, working on legislative issues, serving as a regional director, or working on an education committee (p. 38). Even though it is not an exhaustive list of career possibilities, it demonstrates that such associations are a good start for professional development.

Professional Organizations and the ANA Code of Ethics

In addition to education and professionalism, professional associations contribute to the moral development of their members. One should emphasize that the ANA Code of Ethics presents ethical duties and obligations to be followed by nurses when providing care to patients. That is why such organizations draw specific attention to meet the requirements of this document. In particular, it refers to Provision 5 that states that “the nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety” (American Nurses Association, 2001, p. 9).

There is no doubt that every professional organization tries to make the world better by improving the health of its population, which increases safety. At the same time, being involved in an association teaches nurses that they are participants of a broader community where all its members are equal.

In addition to that, one should draw attention to Provision 9. According to the American Nurses Association (2001), it focuses on articulating nursing values and “shaping social policy” (p. 13). As for the first criterion, nurses become familiar with these values with the help of lifelong education and career opportunities that have been described above. At the same time, introducing social change is possible because members of such professional associations do their best to improve the health outcomes of numerous citizens. Consequently, professional associations in the health care industry are essential phenomena that create more educated and skillful specialists who enhance the quality of health care for individuals.

The NAHN and Health Care Policy

The NAHN performs a significant role in formulating health care policy. It is so because the given association tries to address medical issues through initiating a dialogue at the local, state, and national levels. The organization influences health care policy by providing “expertise and perspectives on the social and structural determinants of health impacting the patients and communities” (National Association of Hispanic Nurses, 2019d, para. 1). Consequently, this focus on a policy change and increased professionalism of its members contributes to the fact that the NAHN impresses with decent decision-making approaches that lead to the best patient outcomes.

There is no doubt that the NAHN should cooperate with other organizations to cope with the tasks above. The partners include CVS Health, Pfizer RxPathways, Grand Canyon University, and others (National Association of Hispanic Nurses, 2019a). Even though the NAHN cooperates with these establishments in different ways, they all want to achieve a shared goal that refers to improving the health of the population and providing care to all citizens.

The NAHN and Advocacy

According to its mission above, one can say that the NAHN advocates for the development of professional and moral skills among nurses, which is necessary to provide patients with decent care. In this case, the organization draws specific attention to how an individual can make a difference. As for professional nurses, they should be involved in advocacy because it allows them to influence the health care industry in many ways. For example, Echevarria (2018) stipulates that such advocacy can promote the ethical principles of research, identify and eliminate health care delivery barriers, distribute safety, and others. As a result, the NAHN is a useful example of how nurses can benefit from advocacy opportunities.

NAHN Education

As has been mentioned, the NAHN draws specific attention to the education of its members because it allows individuals to gain knowledge that is necessary for successful practice. That is why the organization creates various platforms that make it possible for researchers to present their ideas to the public. When it comes to the most significant discoveries or other essential information, an annual conference is organized. This event unites medical professionals who comment on the issues that are currently crucial for society.

At the same time, the NAHN offers some opportunities to ordinary members. It refers to Hispanic Health Care International (HHCI), the official resource of the NAHN. This bilingual journal distributes information on clinical practice, medical research, and other fields to provide individuals with necessary knowledge concerning the Hispanic population of the United States.

Membership Conditions

According to the information above, it is not a surprise that numerous nurses and medical students want to become NAHN members. In addition to various benefits, it is also necessary to comment on the conditions that the candidates should meet. In particular, it refers to the cost of membership because it is the main requirement to be met. Thus, the organization implies various membership categories, and the price also depends on the fact whether a member is given chapter membership. For example, students should pay $50 for both national and chapter membership or $40 for national membership only (National Association of Hispanic Nurses, 2019b).

At the same time, if a licensed nurse wants to become a NAHN member, they should pay $125 or $100 annually (National Association of Hispanic Nurses, 2019b). One can say that these membership fees seem to be just paying attention to the possible membership benefits. Thus, the perfect balance between the advantages and the cost makes me consider becoming a NAHN member.

Conclusion

Professional organizations are essential components of the health care industry because they contribute to increased education and professionalism among its members. As for the NAHN, the information above has demonstrated that the association tries to achieve essential goals. It refers to uniting Hispanic nurses and joining their efforts to increase the health of the population. Furthermore, the NAHN draws attention to shaping health care policy and promoting advocacy, which is another positive phenomenon. Finally, the NAHN cooperates with other medical organizations to achieve the best patient outcomes and represents a platform for numerous researchers to present their scientific knowledge. Thus, all these positive aspects explain why various individuals want to become a NAHN member.

References

American Nurses Association (2001). Code of Ethics for nurses with interpretive statements.

Echevarria, I. (2018). Make connections by joining a professional nursing organization. Nursing2019, 48(12), 35-38.

Goolsby, M. J., & DuBois, J. C. (2017). Professional organization membership: Advancing the nurse practitioner role. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 29(8), 434-440.

National Association of Hispanic Nurses. (2019a). Affiliated organizations. Web.

National Association of Hispanic Nurses. (2019b). Join NAHN. Web.

National Association of Hispanic Nurses. (2019c). NAHN chapters. Web.

National Association of Hispanic Nurses. (2019d). Policy & advocacy. Web.

Introduction

Members of a culture may have dissimilar measures of loyalty basing on the main values. Indeed, countries that were culturally intolerant are becoming culturally varied. As such, conflicting perspectives influence the cultural beliefs and ethical values of people since they believe they are right or better. This is attributable to the increased communication, migration and trade. Cultural conflicts can occur when nurses acknowledge the influence of their values on global health. As such, this paper focuses on the cultural concerns attributable to health among Hispanics.

Conclusion

Cultural values are the lasting belief systems, which a society focuses on. The worth of nursing in the country is embedded on the ethics of the American traditions with focus on self-sufficiency and independence. Fundamental aspects of the worth placed on individuality are the attitudes indicating that people have the capability to upgrade themselves. As such, an individual’s rights are vital as compared to the society. In most cultural practices, the families and the society make health decisions. Indeed, ethical conflicts occur within cultures when influenced by sub cultural values. It is important to educate staff about cultural variations and design systems that will encourage respect and offer care to all people based on their beliefs.

References

Ludwick, R., & Silva, M.C. (2000). Ethics: Nursing Around the World: Cultural Values and Ethical Conflicts. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 5, 3

Sherman, W. (2009). Palliative care nursing: quality care to the end of life. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Sutker, B., & Adams, E. (2001). Comprehensive handbook of psychopathology. New York, NY: Gulf Professional Publishing.

Transcultural Nursing. (2008). The Hispanic American Community. Cultural Diversity in Nursing. Web.

Hispanic Culture

The Hispanic populace in the United States is strongly assorted having starting points in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Every one of these sub-regions has its own phonetic and rationalization varieties just as contrasts in convictions, ways of life, and customs. Moreover, social contrasts exist between Latinos from various countries and living conditions, financial classes, levels of schooling and assimilation, and perspectives toward medical care conveyance modalities.

The problem of communicating with Hispanic patients for nurses

Hispanics in the U.S. experience critical well-being disparities in comparison to non-Hispanic residents. Culture assumes a critical part in the medical care dynamic interaction inside Hispanic society (Amirehsani et al., 2017). Information demonstrates that Hispanics are more averse to reporting having disease screening tests like a mammogram or colonoscopy, or to get A1C checks, or having a typical wellspring of care than Whites (Amirehsani et al., 2017). Hispanics experience social determinants of well-being that contrarily sway their capacity to get to medical care administrations, for example, low well-being education and restricted English capability.

A few Hispanics discover their medical services in non-clinical spots, depending on people medication and conventional healers. This dependence does not supplant current biomedicine; rather, natural cures and other non-allopathic therapies regularly are used related to Western clinical consideration. Aside from these language and financial incongruities and variety in the manner medical care is imagined and searched out, contrasts in cultural values can likewise strain the clinical medical services experience for Hispanic patients.

Similarly, as with any outlined ethnic gathering, there is, obviously, gigantic social heterogeneity among Hispanic patients-to where it appears to be practically outrageous to attempt to recognize wide social inclinations across such variety. Measures to work on social skill and ethnic variety will assist with easing medical care variations and further develop medical services results in these patient populaces.

Current Trends in Culture Competency

It is predicted that by 2050 half of the US populace will comprise of minorities (Nair & Adetayo, 2019). Sadly, the present model of medical services has been noted to have diligent racial and ethnic inconsistencies (Nair & Adetayo, 2019). Various populaces require customized ways to deal with meet their medical services needs (Nair & Adetayo, 2019). Minorities have been displayed to have diminished admittance to preventive consideration and therapy for persistent conditions which bring about expanded trauma center visits, graver wellbeing results, and improved probability of creating cardiovascular infection, diabetes, malignancy, and psychological maladjustment.

Common Beliefs and Unique Culture features important for culturally competent care

Hispanic people often consume food high in calories, which results in increased incidence of diabetes among population. Most of the Hispanics are Christian. They often speak in Spanish language.

Hispanic societies incorporate a more family-focused dynamic model than the more individualistic or self-sufficient model embraced by current standard biomedical culture in the United States. Instead of working on the idea of an educated person who settles on independent choices, numerous Hispanic societies consider the person’s commitment to the family as fundamental. A high calorie diet regimen, a more inactive way of life, and hereditary variables add to the stoutness issue.

Recommendations

Local culture ought to be remembered when speaking with Hispanic patients. For instance, family is an exceptionally huge piece of the Hispanic culture. More distant family individuals are ordinarily engaged with the patient’s clinical consideration, and guaranteeing they feel included a lot is imperative. Your consideration conversations should address the patient just as any relatives who might be with them.

All documentation and writing must be in primary language of a patient (Belpoliti & Pérez, 2019). Use interpreter’s help to accurately transmit the medical information instead of a family member. Pragmatic approaches to guarantee correspondence with the patient are ideal incorporate ensuring all documentation and directions are given in the patient’s essential language (Belpoliti & Pérez, 2019). Utilization of a mediator rather than a relative is useful as clinical language can be lost in interpretation. (Belpoliti & Pérez, 2019). A relative might experience issues preparing the clinical data given to them while additionally handling their feelings about the data being given (Belpoliti & Pérez, 2019).

Moreover, searching out the top of the family may eventually assist the patient with clinical dynamic. This individual is typically a senior or somebody whose assessment is exceptionally regarded and esteemed.

References

Amirehsani, K. A., Hu, J., Wallace, D. C., Silva, Z. A., Dick, S., West- Livingston, L. N., & Hussami, C. R. (2017). US healthcare experiences of Hispanic patients with diabetes and family members: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 34(3), 126–135. Web.

Belpoliti, F., & Pérez, M. E. (2019). Service learning in Spanish for the health professions: Heritage Language learners’ competence in action. Foreign Language Annals, 52(3), 529–550. Web.

Nair, L., & Adetayo, O. A. (2019). Cultural competence and ethnic diversity in healthcare. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open, 7(5), 1– 3. Web.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most dramatic events that have recently affected the world. Coronavirus resulted in an unprecedented crisis that brought adverse consequences to economic, social, and medical spheres throughout the globe. In the United States alone, the pandemic has already resulted in more than 986,000 cases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). The illness affected millions of people internationally, but it is impossible to mention that all population groups witnessed the same impact. Some groups experienced mild effects, while others faced a disproportionally high burden of coronavirus.

The given paper is going to present the literature review on the topic. In addition to the thesis statement, a specific research question will be articulated. Then, a separate section will comment on sources of epidemiological data that will be used to collect the required information to conduct a study. The present literature review will also clarify what scientific design is appropriate. Hispanics who live in the United States are a suitable example of the population that significantly suffered from COVID-19, and the given paper is going to focus on these individuals. The assignment’s thesis is as follows: specific risk factors result in the fact that Hispanics are more subject to COVID-19 impact.

Research Question

Prior to presenting the research question, it is reasonable to comment on how coronavirus is represented among the selected population. For example, Trick et al. (2021) stipulate that Hispanics suffered from a more rapid spread of COVID-19 compared to non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites. This outcome is not unique in the research field because many scholars produce similar outcomes. In particular, scientific evidence demonstrates that a higher proportion of the Hispanic population in a state is associated with increased mortality rates from coronavirus (Im et al., 2021). In addition to that, analysis of a specific healthcare setting also reveals that Hispanics are disproportionately represented as COVID-19 patients. In particular, more than 47% of all emergency department patients in Rhode Island were Hispanic (Naganathan et al., 2021). This information can demonstrate that the given pandemic represents a more significant epidemiological burden for the selected population.

In addition to that, it is reasonable to comment on what conditions can be associated with the given state of affairs. For example, Kricorian and Turner (2021) comment on the fact that Hispanic individuals are less likely to receive COVID-19 vaccination. It is impossible to mention whether this fact can be considered a leading cause of the disease spread, but such a connection should not be ignored. Other studies also focus on the issue and stipulate that being of Hispanic ethnicity can be considered a significant risk factor for coronavirus hospital readmission (Sandoval et al., 2021). Since the findings demonstrate that the condition is significant for the selected population, it seems reasonable to conduct another study to investigate the epidemiology of COVID-19 among Hispanics living in the United States.

When it comes to the given research, it is necessary to formulate a question that will guide the scientific process of inquiry. This question should be clear, concise, specific, and realistic to ensure that it can be completely answered in a proposed study. In particular, the study is going to answer the following: What risk factors are associated with disproportionally high epidemiology rates of COVID-19 among Hispanic individuals living in the United States of America? This articulation of the question implies that the focus will be placed on looking for specific environmental, social, or health conditions that are more represented among the selected population. It is challenging to suggest what specific factors will be identified, but one expects that multiple conditions will be associated with the problem and explain why Hispanic individuals are more subjected to the COVID-19 virus.

Sources of Data

When one needs to conduct an epidemiological study, it is rational to draw significant attention to the sources of data that will be further used. At present, scientists can rely on different options to collect the required information. It is impossible to mention which sources are better or worse because each of them offers both advantages and disadvantages. This statement denotes that the same information sources can be ideal for one study and completely useless for others. That is why it is reasonable to consider what information sources are used in other epidemiological studies.

In general, it is possible to divide the sources of epidemiological data into two groups. The first of them implies the work with documents, meaning that face-to-face cooperation with individuals is not necessary. Numerous scholars rely on this approach and conduct their studies based on objective data collected from documents. This approach is beneficial because it typically results in precise and accurate findings obtained with the help of statistical calculations. Simultaneously, this source of epidemiological data leads to significant challenges because scholars are forced to make significant efforts to implement it. Scientists need to contact healthcare organizations and try to obtain permission from them to use the collected data in research. After that, statistical calculations should be conducted to understand what this information means and what conclusions can be made.

One should stipulate that the given approach is widespread in the epidemiological sphere, and some of the studies included in the review prove this statement. The study by Trick et al. (2021) relies on medical records of 743 patients to identify whether COVID-19 or influenza was more widespread among Hispanics. The given purpose demonstrates that the reliance on patient records was the most optimal decision for Trick et al. (2021). Naganathan et al. (2021) utilized the same approach and also focused on patient records. These authors wanted to determine the percentage of Hispanics among emergency department patients admitted with coronavirus. That is why it is not surprising that Naganathan et al. (2021) decided to access the medical unit’s medical records for 1,209 individuals to find the required answer. In conclusion, Sandoval et al. (2021) dealt with documents to assess the epidemiology of COVID-19 among Hispanics. These researchers analyzed the information of 1,853 patients and identified that Hispanic ethnicity was a significant risk factor (Sandoval et al., 2021). This evidence reveals that medical records represent a widespread source of epidemiological data.

In addition to that, consensus records and official organizations’ reports are considered reliable sources. For example, Im et al. (2021) decided to identify COVID-19 mortality rates in different counties. For that purpose, the researchers relied on the US Census Bureau to determine the total population (Im et al., 2021). The scientists then accessed one of the resources promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to find the actual number of coronavirus deaths (Im et al., 2021). Consequently, it is possible to stipulate that the researchers relied on the appropriate source of data to find the required information.

The second source of epidemiological data refers to information obtained directly from human subjects. Researchers can use different surveys, questionnaires, and interviews to collect information from people. Many scientists rely on this approach, and Kricorian and Turner (2021) are among them. The authors wanted to determine how Hispanics participated in the COVID-19 vaccination. For that purpose, the scientists conducted a survey of 1,950 individuals and identified that the selected population was less likely to receive the vaccine (Kricorian & Turner, 2021). Consequently, scholars can engage in primary data collection to conduct a study.

The proposed research is going to utilize a two-fold approach. On the one hand, it is possible to access a local medical establishment to find out the list of Hispanic patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19. On the other hand, all these patients should be contacted to ask them participate in a survey. The second activity will be necessary to identify the required information to answer the research question.

Research Design

The given section is going to comment on the design of the proposed study. Since the task is to determine what risk factors lead to a disproportionally high prevalence of COVID-19 among Hispanics in the United States, a case-control design seems appropriate. This approach implies that researchers should compare individuals with a disease (cases) to people without this condition (controls). The comparison is needed to look back retrospectively to identify specific behaviors or characteristics features that were prevalent among the cases and absent among controls. Scholars typically rely on this design to determine the cause of a disease, meaning that the approach is appropriate for the present research. It is also worth admitting that the case-control study offers significant advantages. This design does not require much time to be conducted and is appropriate for studying new diseases. Thus, sufficient evidence demonstrates that the proposed research should be a case-control study.

In addition to that, one should mention that other epidemiological designs are not appropriate for the study. Firstly, cohort research is prospective, meaning that it looks at future consequences. For example, this design is requested when it is necessary to identify what consequences occur from exposure to a specific condition, agent, or behavior. Secondly, a cross-sectional design allows scholars to find how a disease is represented within a particular population group at the present moment. Thirdly, scientists rely on ecological research to find the rate of a condition among a specific population. All this information supports the statement that a case-control design is the most appropriate approach to answer the suggested research question.

Conclusion

Sufficient evidence demonstrates that COVID-19 is a significant challenge for the entire world, but some populations face a disproportionally high burden. In particular, some scholars stipulate that Hispanics in the United States are more affected compared to other populations (Im et al., 2021; Naganathan et al., 2021; Trick et al., 2021). That is why it is reasonable to conduct a study to identify what specific factors make this ethnic group more vulnerable. The proposed research plans to rely on both objective and subjective data because medical records and human subjects are considered data sources. Finally, a case-control design seems appropriate because it allows scholars to determine what behaviors or characteristics features can be associated with the disease spread.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). COVID data tracker. Web.

Im, C., Munasinghe, L. L., Martinez, J. M., Letsou, W., Bagherzadeh-Khiabani, F., Marin, S., & Yasui, Y. (2021). The magnitude of Black/Hispanic disparity in COVID-19 mortality across United States counties during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.International Journal of Public Health, 66, 1-8. Web.

Kricorian, K., & Turner, K. (2021). COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and beliefs among Black and Hispanic Americans.PLoS One, 16(8), e0256122. Web.

Naganathan, S., Paiva, M., Soliman, L., Amanullah, S., Alusio, A. R., & Genisca, A. E. (2021). Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of emergency department patients with COVID-19 in a Rhode Island healthcare system. Rhode Island Medical Journal, 104(5), 24-29.

Sandoval, M., Nguyen, D. T., Vahidy, F. S., & Graviss, E. A. (2021). Risk factors for severity of COVID-19 in hospital patients age 18-29 years.PLoS ONE, 16(7), e0255544. Web.

Trick, W. E., Badri, S., Doshi, K., Zhang, H., Rezai, K., Hoffman, M. J., & Weinstein, R. A. (2021). Epidemiology of COVID-19 vs. influenza: Differential failure of COVID-19 mitigation among Hispanics, Cook County Health, Illinois.PLoS ONE, 16(1), e0240202. Web.

Introduction

Assessment is a vital activity in the process of learning in the modern educational framework and it is through assessment that the learning of the content is evaluated and central changes in the process are made. As Harada and Yoshina establish, “Assessment is the process of ‘collecting, analyzing and reporting data’ that informs both student and instructor of the progress and the problems that the student encounters throughout the learning experience.” (Harada & Yoshina, 2005, p. 1).

Significantly, an assessment is different from an evaluation mainly since it is performed as an ongoing activity that offers formative data on student learning. In their work, Harada and Yoshina provide an all-inclusive guide to the best practice of assessment. This paper focuses on developing three assessments for the three lesson plans selected, using the assessment methods in the Harada and Yoshina textbook. Therefore, the main stress of the paper is to practice the use of some of the assessment methods and tools such as rubrics, graphic organizers, KWL, matrix, etc. The assessment methods have been implemented on the Lessons for Hispanic Heritage Month which aims at engaging students in creative activities.

Create a Folktale

The first assessment will be done on the lesson plan “Create a Folktale” which aims at the improvement of students in creating folktales relating to various Hispanic cultures. The subject of the lesson is ‘Language Arts’ in Grade 3-5 and 6-8. In the lesson students first, read and listen to folktales from various Hispanic cultures and then write a new folktale on their own. The main objectives of the lesson include making students “define the word folktale, demonstrate creative thinking and writing skills to create a folktale, [and] work together in cooperative groups.” (Create a Folktale: Language arts, 2005).

The main materials in the classroom activity include library sources of folktales from Hispanic cultures which are selected by the teacher and printouts of some of the stories. After discussing the meaning of the word folktale, the teacher provides examples of the folktales which students read aloud in groups. At the end of the reading practice, students engage in group activities to prepare a new short folktale, using the examples they heard and read as models.

A review of the student-created folktales is the main objective of the assessment. Therefore, the assessment method of rubrics seems to be most effective in the evaluation of the folktales as it is the most effective assessment tool for subjective assessments where standardized evaluation is possible. It is a decisive assessment tool widely used in classrooms

In the preparation of the rubric for the assessment of the folktales which the students create, it is important to comprehend that rubrics help the students how effectively they learn along with what they learn. Rubrics are the essential guidelines that assist the students in realizing how they improve in their learning and the creation of the most effective rubrics or guidelines is of primary significance. The rubrics for the assessment of the student creations include the following:

1. The originality of the folktales created by the students.
2. The expression of their understanding of the idea ‘folktale’.
3. The realization of the various elements of the folktales from the Hispanic culture.
4. The quality of the folktales was created, on the basis of the concept of ‘folktale’.
5. The quality of the presentation of the Hispanic culture in the folktales.
6. The quality of the language used for the creation of the folktales.
7. The range of the words used, the quality of the language, punctuation, etc.

Therefore, the rubrics for assessment specify the various elements which act as the guidelines for the assessment of the learning by the students. The rubrics have a significant role in the development of the student in the learning process as these specify the key factors that assess the improvement of the learner.

Flags of Nations

The second lesson for the assessment is “Flags of Nations” which prepares for the subject Arts & Humanities in the Grade K-2, 3-5. Through the conduction of the lesson, the students are expected to demonstrate the flags of various countries which use Spanish as the official language. The main objective of the lesson has been that “Students demonstrate abilities to draw flags of countries where Spanish is the official language.” (Flags of nations: Arts and Humanities, 2006).

In order to improve the ability of the students to draw the flags of the nations that use Spanish as the official language, the names of such nations will be presented to the students. These include countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, etc. Following the presentation of the names of such countries, their national flags will be shown to the students. Through the classroom activities, the students learn the art of drawing flags of the nations which use Spanish as an official language. In the assessment of their activity, observation of the student participation, as well as evaluation of their illustrations, is the main objective.

The assessment of the lesson mainly makes use of the tool of classroom-ready checklists which specify the various criteria for evaluation. The use of this assessment tool will be justified by its effectiveness in evaluating the performance of the different members of a group individually. Therefore, the tool provides scope for the students to rate their performance as well as the performance of the team members. The method also is effective as it is simple to indicate and there is a rating scale for the performance.

The checklist of the lesson will be as follows:

Class: ­­­­­­­___________________. Date: ____________.

Famous Hispanics Hall of Fame

The third lesson for the assessment is “Famous Hispanics Hall of Fame” in which the students learn to write biographies of famous Hispanics. The subject area of the students in Arts & Humanities, Ed. Technology and the Grade are 3-5, 6-8. The most significant objectives of the lesson include a demonstration of the “abilities to use various sources to research information” and “abilities to write short biographies.” (Famous Hispanics hall of fame: Arts & humanities: Ed. technology, 2007).

The students use the library sources and the Internet in order to explore information on famous Hispanics who made achievements and contributions in different areas. The students prepare the biography of the people from the collected information and provide an illustration of the person in the biographies prepared. The assessment mainly focuses on an evaluation of the biographies prepared by the students. The usefulness of the tool of rubrics in order to effectively make the assessment of the given lesson is noteworthy. Therefore, the assessment mainly includes the use of rubrics which may be presented in the following:

Rating scale Rubric

Rating Form

Name of the Student: ____________________________________________________________

Grade:

__________________________________________________________

Conclusion

Assessment of student performance has great value in the learning process. It is through the assessment of the performances and evaluation of the progress in learning that the student, as well as the teacher, prepares the further strategies for the effective acquirement of learning. Rubrics, graphic organizers, KWL, matrix, checklists, etc. are the major tools for the assessment of student performance. In the paper, an illustration of the major assessment tools has been done on the basis of three different Hispanic lessons.

References

Harada, Violet H., & Yoshina, Joan M. (2005). Assessing learning: Librarians and teachers as partners. Libraries Unlimited, p. 1.

Create a folktale: Language arts. (2005). Education World. Web.

Flags of nations: Arts and humanities. (2006). Education World. Web.

Famous Hispanics hall of fame: Arts & humanities: Ed. technology. (2007). Education World. Web.

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.

The article ‘Hispanic Americans’ covers the ethnic issues of the Hispanic American people. In the article, it is evident that the population of people from the Hispanic American origin has risen over the years, and currently, they contribute to approximately fourteen percent of the entire population of the United States. There are several sub-groups of people from the Hispanic American origin, and for that reason, the author concentrated on attributes of three principal groups, which include Mexican Americans, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans.

Over the years, the United States census has used different names to describe people from Hispanic American origin. However, for the last two decades, the term Hispanic has been used to refer to the ethnic community. Recently, the term Latino has been applied in reference to various groups within the group of the Hispanic Americans. Some studies have revealed that the Hispanic Americans appreciate identifying themselves by their original community.

The article clearly reveals the wider ethnic group of Hispanic Americans by indicating the various groups that make up the community. It also highlights the manner in which the group migrated to American, and their racial status in the American society. At the same time, the article points out how Mexican Americans, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans developed as minority groups in the United States.

Based on the article, it is possible to access information concerning demographic trends of the Hispanic Americans in the United States between 1990 and 2000. The information provided specify regions where the Latinos inhabit in the United States. At the same time, an analysis of the status of the Latinos within the entire class system of society is reflected.

The analysis involved a study of the Latino socioeconomic status in the regions where they mostly occupy using income, wealth, and poverty as the main parameters. To create a clear picture, the author chose to compare their status with that of other ethnic groups such as the whites and African Americans. In the analysis, the article points out factors that contribute to the socioeconomic status of the Latinos in the American society.

The author posits that some of the factors that contribute to the level of socioeconomic status of the Hispanic Americans in the society include discrimination, and education. In addition, it is clear that the Cubans occupy a better socioeconomic position compared to the other Hispanic ethnic groups. From the time of their migration, the Cubans, unlike other Latino groups, came with a class background that was markedly different from the rest of the sub-groups.

They were also equipped with occupational skills that enabled them to adapt easily to the society’s mainstream economy. Unlike the Puerto Ricans and the Mexicans, the Cubans immigrated into the United States when they were already occupationally successful and well educated. Their educations levels and occupational skills were instrumental in helping them gain a rapid upward mobility in the society.

The article also illuminates on the position occupied by the Latinos in the corporate world and the political sphere. Additionally, it undertakes to reveal the prejudice and discrimination associated with the minority group in the United States. However, the level of prejudice and racial discrimination is less than the one experienced by African Americans.

From the article, it is clear that the Latinos faced the problem mainly because of their ‘in-between’ minority status. Unlike the African Americans, the Latinos within the United States have maintained their ethnic traits, particularly the Spanish language. Lastly, one notable factor that has contributed to retention of their original ethnic traits is the proximity to their country of origin.

The article under consideration dwells upon roles played by Hispanic Americans in the contemporary American society. The author considers major reasons for development of such roles and relationships between the ethnic groups in the USA. Historical factors have played crucial role in the development of this ethnic minority which still has to endure discrimination in many spheres.

In the first place, it is necessary to remember that Hispanic Americans constitute about 15 % of the entire American population, which makes them the second largest ethnic group in the USA (Marger 307).

Admittedly, the second largest ethnic group is a significant force that should be taken into account by the white majority. Nonetheless, Hispanic Americans are still subjected to discrimination on the part of Anglos due to their being different, due to their being immigrants.

Unsurprisingly, Cubans endure less resistance on the part of Anglos as they are seen as ‘almost equal’. In the first place, Cuban immigrants escaped from a political order which was different from American ideals. Therefore, Cubans were seen as rebels and certain ideological allies.

Furthermore, Cuban immigrants who came to the USA were representatives of higher strata of Cuban society. Their incomes were quite high and they could quite easily integrate into the American society as they were well-educated professionals. The colour of their skin was not significantly different from Anglos’ skin. All this ensured quite an easy integration of Cubans.

At the same time, other Hispanic Americans were not that fortunate and had to endure considerable discrimination in social, economic, political and even cultural spheres. Such ethnic groups as Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and other ethnic groups are significantly different from Anglos. The colour of skin is one of the major factors that make them outsiders.

Apart from this, immigrants pertaining to these ethnic groups often come from low-income strata. They often have to take up low-paid job as Anglos tend to hire Anglos. This exacerbates the situation and contributes to economic disproportion between Anglos and these ethnic groups.

However, it is important to note that Hispanic immigrants cannot be regarded as aliens as some ethnic groups were ‘conquered’ (e.g. Mexicans); some came as citizens of the USA (e.g. Puerto Ricans). Therefore, Anglos’ attitude towards these groups reveals economic and social insecurity in the society which has led to discrimination and tension between ethnic groups.

Notably, Hispanic Americans are often referred to as an ethnic group ‘in-between’ as most representatives of this group are not discriminated to the extent African Americans are, but they are not seen as equals by Anglos (Marger 320). As has been mentioned above, their appearance and their social status makes them different.

However, there is one more important factor that contributes to alienation of Hispanic Americans. These people preserve their cultural heritage which makes them quite different from Anglos. This factor can be regarded as one of the most significant ones as it makes the difference between the two major groups (Anglos and Hispanic Americans) distinct.

On balance, it is possible to state that Hispanic Americans are still regarded as aliens and have to endure discrimination in all spheres of their lives. Notably, some immigrants entered the country as equals and some were conquered. However, Anglos regard Hispanic Americans as newcomers who take up their jobs and their resources. This situation reveals clearly cut economic issues characterising the US society.

Works Cited

Marger, Martin. “Hispanic Americans.” Immigration and Ethnic Relations in the US. Ed. Takeyuki Tsuda. San Diego: Cognella Academic Publishing, 2010. 307-324. Print.

Currently, the total number of Hispanic Americans is about 41 million, which is approximately 15 percent of the total US population. There are several ethnic groups which constitute the Hispanic Americans including Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Cubans among others.

All the Hispanic ethnic groups are linked by a common language and a unique culture. Of all the Hispanic Americans ethnic groups in the US, the Mexican is the largest, followed by Puerto Ricans, and then Cubans.

Different ethnic groups of Hispanic Americans came to the US in varied ways. The Mexicans for instance, came to the US as immigrants and were the first Hispanic group to cross the US border. The American Southwest was part of the Mexico territory before the battle of 1848.

After the war, the Mexicans who were living in that region were absorbed into the US. Puerto Rico became a territory of the US in the year 1898 following a war and the dwellers were absorbed in the US. The Cubans have come to the US as legal immigrants during the past four decades. On the other hand, Dominicans have also migrated to the in the last two decades.

The population of the Hispanic Americans has increased rapidly and is now the fastest growing minority groups in the US. In addition to the increasing population, the Hispanic Americans have a high number of its population comprising of the young people.

The current statistics reveal that the number of middle-aged Hispanic is approximately 27 percent compared to the 40 percent of the white population. However, despite of the growing numbers of Hispanic Americans, most of them are concentrated in only a few states.

In terms of social status, the Hispanic Americans occupy the middle position. They are slightly below Euro-Americans, but above African-Americans. Lower education level, discrimination in the work place, and working in least-skilled and low paying jobs are some of the factors that have caused Hispanic Americans to have low income wages.

However, the Cubans have adapted well and are placed at a better position than any other ethnic group of the Hispanic American. Cubans are more educated and their income is relatively high. The reason for their success is because some of the Cubans who came earlier to US were skilled and well educated. The government should encourage equal distribution of resources.

In terms of politics, the Hispanic Americans have not acquired strong influence in the society. With the majority of the population being under 18 years, they cannot vote and, therefore, have less say in the political arena. As such, the political power of the Hispanic Americans has not been realized. The government should set aside certain posts for minority groups so that they can exercise their democratic rights.

Because the Hispanic Americans are a minority group in the American society, they continue to face discrimination in the society. However, they do not receive a lot of discrimination as compared to African-Americans. Definitely, the future survival and success of Hispanic Americans will fully depend on the kind of adaptation this group will make so that they can easily be integrated in the American society.

It is clear that Hispanic Americans population is growing rapidly in the US. Although this group is, it is slowly adapting into the American system and is now trying to establish itself in the social, economic, and political spheres. However, lack of education, discrimination, and issues of immigration have continued to affect this group negatively.

The Americans should embrace culture diversity to comfortably live with others regardless of race or ethnicity. The government should develop strategies of empowering minority groups so that they can easily be assimilated in the system. This will promote social change in America.