Consuelo Arbona

The Influence of Academic and Environmental Factors on Hispanic College Degree Attainment

This study used the NELS 88‑2000 data base to examine among Hispanic students precollege, college, and environmental predictors of (a) college first enrolled in (two‑year versus four‑year) and (b) undergraduate degree attainment for students who first enrolled in a two‑year or four‑year college. Hispanic students who attended a four-year college right after high school were much more likely to obtain a bachelors degree than their peers who first attended a community college. Furthermore, precollege variables were more salient in predicting bachelor degree attainment for students who started in two‑year colleges, while college-related variables were more salient for students who started in four‑year colleges.

Acculturative Stress Among Documented and Undocumented Latino Immigrants in the United States

The purpose of the study was to examine differences between documented and undocumented Latino immigrants in the prevalence of three immigration-related challenges (separation from family, traditionality, and language difficulties), which were made more severe after the passage of restrictive immigration legislation in 1996. Specifically, the study sought to determine the combined and unique associations of legal status, the three immigration-related challenges listed above, and fear of deportation to acculturative stress related to family and other social contexts. Participants in the study consisted of 416 documented and undocumented Mexican and Central American immigrants living in two major cities in Texas. The Hispanic Stress Inventory—Immigrant form was used to assess acculturative stress in the sample. Results indicated that although undocumented immigrants reported higher levels of the immigration challenges of separation from family, traditionality, and language difficulties than documented immigrants, both groups reported similar levels of fear of deportation. Results also indicated that the immigration challenges and undocumented status were uniquely associated with extrafamilial acculturative stress but not with intrafamilial acculturative stress. Only fear of deportation emerged as a unique predictor of both extrafamililal and intrafamilial acculturative stress.

Career Counseling Research and Hispanics A Review of the Literature

This article presents an extensive review of the research literature related to career counseling with Hispanics in the U.S. from 1970 to the present. Most of the research reviewed dealt with Mexican-Americans, and only a few studies included Puerto Ricans in their sample. The article is organized into four areas: occupational aspirations, vocational interests, on-the-job behavior; and educational attainment. It was found that Hispanic students tend to have high occupational and educational aspirations, Holland s hexagonal model of career interests seem to apply to Hispanics, middle-class and college-educated Hispanics and Anglos are similar in terms of work values and career progression behaviors, and educational attainment among Hispanics varies according to their national origin, generational status, and social class. It was concluded that, in general, the career counseling research related to Hispanics is very limited in terms of content, and for the most part lacks a theoretical base. The findings of this research strongly suggest that the lack of occupational mobility among Hispanics is related to structural factors, such as socioeconomic status and lack of opportunities, and not to cultural characteristics. The literature reviewed also shows that Hispanics are not a homogeneous group and that there are important differences between the various Hispanic subgroups as well as between Hispanics from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Suggestions for future research are offered and methodological issues in career counseling research with Hispanics are examined.

Parental attachment, self-esteem, and antisocial behaviors among African American, European American, and Mexican American adolescents

This study examined the relation of mother and father attachment to self-esteem and self-reported involvement in antisocial behaviors among African American (n = 488), European American (n = 661), and Mexican American (n = 434) high school students. The attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance were examined using self-report scales that were developed and validated with participants in the study. Findings indicated that adolescents from the 3 ethnic/racial groups did not differ greatly in their reported attachment to father and mother. Consistent with theoretical formulations, securely attached adolescents from the 3 ethnic groups had a more positive sense of self-esteem and reported less involvement in antisocial behaviors than their less securely attached peers.

Ethnic Identity as a Predictor of Attitudes of Adolescents Toward Fighting

The purpose for this study was to examine to what extent ethnic identity would predict attitudes toward fighting among African American and Latino and Latina early adolescents (n = 330) in the presence of two factors, parental involvement and negative peer behaviors, which have emerged consistently as predictors of violent and antisocial behaviors among adolescents. Results indicated that for the African American participants, ethnic identity accounted for variation in their nonfighting attitudes beyond that accounted for by parental control and negative peer behaviors. Ethnic identity did not emerge as a predictor of attitudes toward fighting for the Latino and Latina adolescents. Girls from both ethnic groups reported higher endorsement of profighting attitudes than did boys. However, gender did not emerge as a statistically significant predictor of fighting attitudes in the presence of the other three predictor variables: ethnic identity, parental involvement, and negative peer behaviors.

Susceptibility to Antisocial Peer Pressure and Its Relation to Acculturation in Mexican-American Adolescents

Antisocial hypothetical situations modeled after those developed by Thomas Berndt and an abridged version of an acculturation questionnaire by Susan Keefe and Amado Padilla were used to examine the relation between susceptibility to antisocial peer pressure and acculturation among a sample of low socioeconomic status (SES) and working-class Mexican-American adolescents (Grades 9 through 12). Multiple regression was used to predict susceptibility to antisocial peer pressure from gender, grade, generational status, and acculturation. Amongfirst-generation immigrants, more acculturated adolescents within each grade were more susceptible to antisocial peerpressure. Generally, susceptibility decreased with advances in grade. Further, boys were more susceptible than were girls. Unexpectedly, there was no main effect for generational status. The findings mirror the gender and grade trends reported in the literature for Anglo adolescents. The findings for acculturation are discussed in terms of cultural differences in the relative influence of parents and peers.

Effects of Cultural Orientation on the Perception of Conflict between Relationship and Education Goals for Mexican American College Students.

Cultural factors internal to the ethnic group may exacerbate external and economic barriers to the pursuit of higher education for Mexican American students. In particular, cultural variables related to traditional, relationship-oriented behaviors and expectations may be perceived to conflict with educational pursuits. The present study examined the relationship between components of cultural orientation and attitudes and values that may create tension between relationship and educational goals for Mexican American men and women. Results of a survey that assessed cultural orientation and marriage and gender role attitudes of Mexican Americans (female, N = 356; male, N = 200) indicated that the ethnic-loyalty component of cultural orientation most consistently predicted adherence to beliefs that may lead to the perception of conflict between relationship and educational goals. Discussion centers on the role of ethnic loyalty as a risk factor for Mexican American men’s and women’s decisions to pursue and complete higher education.

High-Stakes, Minimum-Competency Exams: How Competent Are They for Evaluating Teacher Competence?.

Increasingly, teacher educators recommend authentic, performance-related measures for evaluating teacher candidates. Nevertheless, more states are requiring teachers to pass high-stakes, minimum-competency exams. This study examined the relation between teacher candidate scores on authentic measures and their scores on certification exams required by the state of Texas. Participants included 155 teacher candidates. Predictor variables that served as authentic measures of teaching effectiveness included scores on the Professional Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ), designed to measure teaching dispositions, and scores on Teaching Performance Portfolios, designed to measure teaching knowledge and skills. Scores on the Professional Roles and Responsibilities (PPR) and the Generalist Elementary Comprehensive (GEC) exams served as the measures for the high-stakes, minimum-competency tests. Findings indicate a significant relationship between the PAQ and both the PPR and the GEC exams. No significant relationship was found between the Teaching Performance Portfolios and either one of the state-mandated tests.

Too Latino and Not Latino Enough The Role of Ethnicity-Related Stressors on Latino College Students’ Life Satisfaction

The relationship between demographics (generation status, age, gender, education level) and ethnicity-related stressors, namely, perceived discrimination, stereotype confirmation concern, and own-group conformity pressure, and the life satisfaction of 115 Latino college students was examined. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated the demographic and ethnicity-related stressors collectively significantly predicted life satisfaction. Specifically, older students, men, students who reported lower stereotype confirmation concern and own-group conformity pressure had significantly higher life satisfaction than younger students, women, and students who reported higher stereotype confirmation concern and own-group conformity pressure, respectively. Implications for college personnel and future research examining the consequences of ethnicity-related stressors on Latino college students’ well-being are delineated.

Career Development Tasks of Mexican American Adolescents: An Exploratory Study

This interview-based study explored the extent to which four academically successful Mexican American adolescents were engaged in age appropriate career development tasks as suggested by Supers (1957, 1984) theory. It also explored the adolescents understanding of the role that ethnicity played in their career related behaviors. Findings suggest that these Hispanic adolescents were engaged in age appropriate tasks according to Supers theory and that both family and ethnic related factors were relevant to their career development.