Recent evidence suggests that culture is a dynamic construct activated in response to cues encountered in a given situation. Research on acculturation indicates that this is a complex construct that might be domain specific. Two studies were undertaken to investigate the effect of two ways of priming culture on acculturation and enculturation…

This article provides a profile of a range of important variables for assessing diversity among different Latino groups from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). The NLAAS is a nationally representative study of the mental health needs and mental health services use of the Latino population of the United States. The NLAAS employs…

The metric equivalence of translated scales is often in question but seldom examined. This study presents test-retest data that support the metric equivalence of the Spanish and English language versions of three measures: the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Self-Construal Scale. Participants were…

Describes culturally competent assessment practice as a context for discussing advantages and disadvantages of various "corrections" currently available for the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory with Hispanic populations. Corrections include moderator variables, special scales, special norms, translations, and aids to…

Very little research exists on self-harm in Hispanic populations, although there is a strong literature that addresses suicidality in Hispanics. This study compares self-reported rates of self-harm in 255 non-Hispanic White (NHW) and 187 Hispanic (predominantly Mexican American) undergraduate students. Results indicated that self-harm is…

Maternal health behaviors such as substance use and sexual promiscuity can put the health of mothers and their offspring at risk. Sociodemographic factors including low socioeconomic status are also found to correlate with health risks for childbearing women. Hispanic women--particularly those less acculturated--often have sociodemographic risk…

The effects of acculturalization on attitudinal familism in 452 Hispanics compared to 227 White non-Hispanics were examined. Despite varied national origins, Hispanics reported similar attitudes, indicating that familism is a core characteristic in the Hispanic culture. The high level of perceived family support remained unchanged despite changes…

The article describes the impact of assimilation on the fertility differentials of Japanese American and Mexican American women compared with those of majority White women and demonstrates the importance of including direct measures of assimilation in studies of assimilation effects. (Author/SB)

Describes acculturation measures for Hispanic Americans: Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans, Cultural Life Style Inventory, Bicultural/Multicultural Experience Inventory, Measure of Acculturation, and Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire. Discusses acculturation assessment issues: direct versus indirect measurement, potential…

This project analyzed multimodel student archival data to address the relationship between academic achievement, acculturative stress, and coping factors. Participants were 126 children between 8 and 11 years of age (59 White and 67 Latino). Measurements included demographics, SAFE-C, A-COPE, Self-Perception Profile for Children, and Harter…

Latino men who have sex with men are a group at high risk for HIV infection. Much of the research addressing attitudes and behaviors related to HIV among Latinos in the United States has overlooked differences based on nationality. Brazilian immigrants, in particular, are an understudied subgroup of Latinos. This study compared HIV-positive…

The 75-year history of marginality theory is reviewed and evaluated, leading to the recommendation that the use of the marginality idea be discarded by social scientists because it lacks construct validity. A review of the literature reveals that, at present, the concept of marginality is employed in five different social science lines of…

Studied the relationship of parenting behavior and acculturation to the quality of attachment in 26 Puerto Rican and Dominican infants. Results revealed equal numbers of secure and insecure infants, although more boys than girls were secure. Mothers of secure infants were more sensitive and engaged in more frequent abrupt-interfering pick-ups. (KS)

Cultural differences in maternal evaluations of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) related child behaviors were studied among 320 Mexican, Mexican American, and Puerto Rican mothers. Mothers from different Latino cultures assessed ADHD symptoms differently. Acculturation played a role in perceptions of ADHD-related behaviors in…

Self-esteem variations were studied among 2,600 Spanish-speaking adolescents who were immigrants or children of immigrants and attended grade 8 or 9 in 42 Florida and San Diego (California) schools. Five Spanish-speaking subgroups had different acculturation patterns. Depression, parent-child conflict, discrimination, and school achievement and…