Beverly Araujo Dawson

Discrimination, Stress, and Acculturation Among Dominican Immigrant Women:

Researchers have well established the association between discriminatory experiences, life chances, and mental health outcomes among Latino/as, especially among Mexican Americans. However, few studies have focused on the impact of stress or the moderating effects of low acculturation levels among recent immigrants, such as Dominicans. Using the transactional stress model, the present community-based study examines the relationship between discrimination and stress, and whether this association varies by low acculturation levels in a sample of 246 Dominican women. Results indicate a positive relationship between major racist events (e.g., job-related discrimination), everyday discrimination (e.g., not receiving services in a store), and stress levels. Furthermore, low acculturation moderated the impact that discriminatory experiences had on the stress level of Dominican women. Implications for further research on discrimination and stress among Dominican immigrants are discussed.Researchers have well established the association between discriminatory experiences, life chances, and mental health outcomes among Latino/as, especially among Mexican Americans. However, few studies have focused on the impact of stress or the moderating effects of low acculturation levels among recent immigrants, such as Dominicans. Using the transactional stress model, the present community-based study examines the relationship between discrimination and stress, and whether this association varies by low acculturation levels in a sample of 246 Dominican women. Results indicate a positive relationship between major racist events (e.g., job-related discrimination), everyday discrimination (e.g., not receiving services in a store), and stress levels. Furthermore, low acculturation moderated the impact that discriminatory experiences had on the stress level of Dominican women. Implications for further research on discrimination and stress among Dominican immigrants are discussed.

Discrimination and Acculturative Stress among First-Generation Dominicans.

The present study examined the relationship between discriminatory experiences and acculturative stress levels among a sample of 283 Dominican immigrants. Findings from a linear regression analysis revealed that experiences of daily racial discrimination and major racist events were significant predictors of acculturative stress after controlling for demographics, acculturation, and transnationalism. Findings from this study have implications for interventions with this understudied and underserved population given the evidence of the negative effect of discriminatory experiences.

Mexican Immigrant Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: Conceptualization and Descriptions of Abuse

This phenomenological qualitative study examines intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by a sample of 29 Mexican immigrant women residing in New York and St. Louis. The findings reveal important insights about culturally specific abuse tactics employed by batterers and the forms of abuse that are experienced as most hurtful to the survivors. Ten different abusive tactics emerged: verbal, economic, physical, sexual, and extended family abuse, social isolation, physical abuse of children, stalking and monitoring, stolen bride, and sex trafficking. Cultural values and expectations appear to be inextricably linked to how the participants characterized the severity of each of the abusive tactics as evidenced by which abusive behaviors the participants found most hurtful. The findings will help service providers have a better understanding of the role cultural context plays in the IPV experiences of Mexican immigrant women.

How Discrimination and Stress Affects Self-Esteem Among Dominican Immigrant Women: An Exploratory Study

Understanding the factors that contribute to the health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States is very important given the growing Latina population. Although researchers have investigated the health and mental health status among Latinas, the relationship between mental health and self-esteem has not been given a lot of attention. Given that self-esteem is a proxy for mental health status, investigations exploring the factors that can negatively affect self-esteem are needed. Therefore, the current study examined the influence of discrimination and stress on self-esteem among Dominican immigrant women. A cross-sectional study was undertaken among 235 immigrant Dominican women in New York City. Women (age 18–49 years) and in the United States for fewer than 20 years were more likely to report experiencing discrimination compared to women older than age 50 years and in the United States for more than 20 years. After controlling for age, time in the United States, educational level, and income, high levels of discrimination (−0.09, p < 0.01) and stress (−0.69, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with reduced self-esteem. Interventions with Latino/a populations, especially women, need to acknowledge their individual evaluations of the discriminatory and stressful experiences that negatively influence their self-esteem and subsequently their mental health status.

The Color Paradigm: The Impact of Colorism on the Racial Identity and Identification of Latinas

Existing research has provided scant analysis on the impact of colorism or skin color privilege and stigma on racial identity and identification among Latinos/as. This article explores the dynamics of colorism and the impact on racial identity and identification among Latinos/as of varying phenotypes. The experiences of a subset of eight Caribbean Latinas and one Chicana are used to illustrate how Latinas negotiate their racial identification and survive experiences of both stigma and privilege within the U.S. context. The article concludes with implications for social work research, practice, and pedagogy.

Understanding Acculturation, Depressive Symptoms, and the Protective Role of Family Involvement Among Latino(a) Immigrant Families

Although the relationship between varying levels of acculturation and depressive symptoms has been established among Latino(a) youth, the positive role of family involvement in relation to depressive symptoms among immigrant Latino(a) families has been studied less. This study draws on a sample of first-generation Latino(a) youth from the Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study and explores the relationship between acculturation levels and depressive symptoms, as well as the protective role of family involvement. Although results do not support a relationship between acculturation and depressive symptoms, family involvement was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms while taking important sociodemographic variables into consideration. Research and practice implications with Latino(a) immigrant families are discussed.

The Effects of Familial Capital on the Academic Achievement of Elementary Latino/a Students

While Latino/a students represent the fastest growing population in U.S. public schools, as a group, they are also considered at-risk in this system. Given the established evidence regarding family influences on childrens academic achievement, we sought in this study to understand the effects of familial capital on the academic achievement of elementary school-age Latino/a students. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten, hierarchical linear model analyses were performed to identify family-related predictors of academic achievement for 2,840 Latino/a students. Findings demonstrate that possessing certain aspects of familial capital at school entry is predictive of future reading and math achievement at the end of third grade. Implications for strategies to strengthen familial capital in this context are discussed.

Web-Based Social Work Courses: Guidelines for Developing and Implementing an Online Environment.

Although web-based courses in schools of social work have proliferated over the past decade, the literature contains few guidelines on steps that schools can take to develop such courses. Using Knowles’s framework, which delineates tasks and themes involved in implementing e-learning in social work education, this article describes the cultivation of an online environment at one school of social work. We outline the steps and procedures used, as well as issues addressed in developing online and blended courses. Recommended strategies for creating a supportive environment for delivering social work content online are provided.

Exploring Differences in Family Involvement and Depressive Symptoms across Latino Adolescent Groups

This study investigated the association between family involvement and depressive symptoms among a sample of 187 Dominican, Mexican, and Central American adolescents from the Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study. The study used the transactional stress model as its theoretical foundation. Findings from a multiple regression model suggest that low levels of family involvement were significantly related to higher levels of depressive symptoms for Dominican youths but not for Mexican or Central American youths. Latina adolescents were significantly more likely to have higher rates of depressive symptoms than their male counterparts. Research and practice implications are discussed.

How does transnationalism affect the perceptions of discrimination among Dominicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans?

ABSTRACT Transnationalism provides first- and second-generation immigrants with a dual frame of reference that shapes perceptions of their experiences in the United States (USA). For Caribbean Latino/as, who are likely targets of racial and ethnic discrimination, transnational ties can impact their interpretations of discriminatory incidents. This study explores the relationship between transnationalism and perceptions of discriminatory experiences of 1,577 Caribbean Latino/as Dominicans (n = 335), Cubans (n = 420), and Puerto Ricans (n = 822). These Latino/as were selected from the 2006 Latino National Survey. Suggested by our study findings, after having controlled for demographic and immigration variables, transnational Caribbean Latino/as are more likely to perceive discrimination than those not maintaining transnational ties. We conclude with a discussion of the research and practice implications.