Every Day is Magic: Ada Limón
In her 2015 collection, Bright Dead Things, a National Book Award finalist for poetry, Ada Limón writes of moving to Kentucky: “Confession: I did not want to live here.” It’s perhaps not a surprising sentiment coming from a coastally oriented person who was raised in Northern California, attended college in Seattle, and then spent over a decade in New York City.
But Limón and her husband, Lucas, have been in Lexington for seven years now and the effects of settling into this place are noticeable in her new book, The Carrying (Milkweed, Aug.). It’s a phenomenally lively and attentive collection replete with the trappings of living a little closer to nature. While Bright Dead Things is marked by a preponderance of light, such as images of fireflies and neon signs, The Carrying features numerous appearances by various trees, birds, and beetles. Limón also demonstrates a greater willingness to be explicit in naming colors, particularly green. “It’s crazy green, the whole book,” she says. “Lexington is the greenest place I’ve ever lived.” Similarly, where in Bright Dead Things, Limón tells a lot of stories and anecdotes, in The Carrying she is very present in her thoughts and experiences.
As it turns out, these shifts in focus have another, altogether unexpected source. While putting Bright Dead Things together, Limón was diagnosed with chronic vestibular neuronitis, which can cause bouts of vertigo. “If I’m really having vertigo, it’s pretty intense and I really have to focus,”
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Mexican Health Care Workers Retrain for US Jobs
KPBS
… Mexico, and helps many other Mexican professionals like him navigate the … In this economy, it’s tough for anybody to get a job, American or not. …
Link to article
Dieting to Lose Weight and Occurrence of Neural Tube Defects in Offspring of Mexican-American Women
L Suarez, M Felkner, JD Brender… – Maternal and Child Health Journal
… Table 1 Demographic characteristics of Mexican American case- and control-women Case-women
(n = 184) Control-women (n = 225 … support the recommendation of the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecolo- gists that: ”Health care professionals should address opti ..
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.
Mexican Migrants and their Contributions to the U.S. by Martha…
Mexidata.info
Mexican Americans fought and died in numbers disproportionate to their … There was a nascent and growing educated, professional and business class. …
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Mexican American Fatherhood
M Culture – Counseling Fathers
… This chapter will outline several different areas relative to Mexican American fatherhood
to assist the counseling professional in develop- ing a deeper awareness of this population
and will propose culturally competent clinical interventions. …
Link to book
Medication administration hassles for Mexican American family caregivers
Abstract
In order to take their medications at home, elders rely increasingly on their family, but little is known about the factors influencing this task. This study explored the effects of acculturation and social exchange on the hassles that Mexican American (MA) family caregivers face in administering medication to their elders. A descriptive, correlational design, with a convenience sample of 239 MA adult caregivers of elders who were on a daily prescription that was recruited in Dallas, Texas and San Diego, California, USA, was used. The caregivers’ scores on the medication administration hassles scale were significantly affected by acculturation and social exchange factors that explained 36% of the variance in the scores; the social exchange block had a larger influence than did the acculturation block. Caregiving might be an outcome of dynamic family exchange relationships between the caregiving dyad. The results can help healthcare professionals to detect potentially at-risk MA families and provide them with culturally appropriate nursing interventions
Link to publication
Ethnicity in the Garden: Figurations of Ecopastoral in Mexican American Literature
D der Philosophie
Page 1. Ethnicity in the Garden: Figurations of Ecopastoral in Mexican American Literature
Inaugural-Dissertation … as well as in the introductions to the individual analytic main chapters.
Page 15. I. Towards a Theory of Mexican American Ecopastoral Page 16. Page 17. …
Mexican Business Organization Expands Its Focus
GlobalAtlanta
Speaking to an audience of 35 business professionals at a breakfast meeting on March 17 at the Goodwill Northeast Plaza Career Center, Alejandro Coss, president of the Mexican American Business Chamber, announced the new partnership.
“Hay Que Ponerse en los Zapatos del joven”: Adaptive Parenting of Adolescent Children Among Mexican-American Parents Residing in a Dangerous Neighborhood
M CRUZ‐SANTIAGO, G RAMÍREZ… – Family Process, 2011
… “Hay Que Ponerse en los Zapatos del Joven”: Adaptive Parenting of Adolescent Children
Among Mexican-American Parents Residing in a Dangerous Neighborhood. … All participants
were born in Mexico and identified as Mexican or Mexican American. …
The Mexican American Second Generation in Census 2,000
J Perlmann – The Next Generation: Immigrant Youth in a …, 2011
… It does not follow, however, that Mexican American patterns will parallel those of the European
immigrant past—if by that we mean … widening gap between the minimally paid menial jobs that
immigrants commonly accept and the high-tech and professional occupations requiring …
Mexican census 2010: Languages other than Spanish spoken in Mexico
H. Gutierrez
There are close to 7,000,000 Mexicans who speak languages other than Spanish in Mexico. You will observe that the numbers of native speakers of other languages have grown according to the last census.
Validating the Mexican American Intergenerational Caregiving
S Escandón – The Qualitative Report, 2011
… The purpose of this study was to substantiate and further develop a previously formulated
conceptual model of Role Acceptance in Mexican American family caregivers … In addition, results
inform health professionals about the ways in which Hispanic caregivers view caregiving. …
The Meaning of Numbers in Health: Exploring Health Numeracy in a Mexican-American Population
Marilyn M. Schapira, Kathlyn E. Fletcher, Pamela S. Ganschow, Cindy M. Walker, Bruce Tyler, Sam Del Pozo, Carrie Schauer and Elizabeth A. Jacobs
Original Research
The Meaning of Numbers in Health: Exploring Health Numeracy in a Mexican-American Population
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Health numeracy can be defined as the ability to use numeric information in the context of health. The interpretation and application of numbers in health may vary across cultural groups.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the construct of health numeracy among persons who identify as Mexican American.
DESIGN
Qualitative focus group study. Groups were stratified by preferred language and level of education. Audio-recordings were transcribed and Spanish groups (n = 3) translated to English. An analysis was conducted using principles of grounded theory.
PARTICIPANTS
A purposeful sample of participants from clinical and community sites in the Milwaukee and Chicago metropolitan areas.
MAIN MEASURES
A theoretical framework of health numeracy was developed based upon categories and major themes that emerged from the analysis.
KEY RESULTS
Six focus groups were conducted with 50 participants. Initial agreement in coding was 59–67% with 100% reached after reconciliation by the coding team. Three major themes emerged: 1) numeracy skills are applied to a broad range of communication and decision making tasks in health, 2) affective and cognitive responses to numeric information influence use of numbers in the health setting, and 3) there exists a strong desire to understand the meaning behind numbers used in health. The findings informed a theoretical framework of health numeracy.
CONCLUSIONS
Numbers are important across a range of skills and applications in health in a sample of an urban Mexican-American population. This study expands previous work that strives to understand the application of numeric skills to medical decision making and health behaviors
Link to abstract
Forty years later, the contraversy over journalist Ruben Zalazar’s…
By Leslie Berestein Rojas
I was a young Mexican-American in 1970 and remember these events very well. I followed the event and the story for forty years. I cannot under my professional opinion believe & will ever believe that LASD and it’s Deputies involved in …
Modern Language Association enrollments in foreign languages.
Dec 8, 2010 … Fall enrollments for 2009, released today by the Modern Language Association shows increased enrollments ..
Ghostly (I)s/:The Formation of Subjectivity in Mexican American Life Narratives
PM Perea – 2011
… Until my first semester in Professor Limón’s graduate seminar, I had no idea Mexican American
literature existed. … Page 7. vii Page 8. viii GHOSTLY I(S)/EYES: THE FORMATION OF
SUBJECTIVITY IN MEXICAN AMERICAN LIFE NARRATIVES by Patricia Marie Perea …
Mexican American and Immigrant poverty in the United States
G. Garcia – 2011
… and health care applications • Methods and estimates for unique populations such as schools
and students Volumes in the series are of interest to researchers, professionals, and students …
Ginny Garcia Mexican American and Immigrant Poverty in the United States 123 Page 5. …
Facts about Mexican Americans from the Census Bureau 2010
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the legendary Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, in which a Mexican force of 4,500 men faced 6,000 well-trained French soldiers. The battle lasted four hours and ended in a victory for the Mexican army under Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza. Along with Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16, Cinco de Mayo has become a time to celebrate Mexican heritage and culture.
Source for the following statements: 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Selected Population Profile in the United States: Mexican
30.7 million
Number of U.S. residents of Mexican origin in 2008. These residents constituted 10 percent of the nation’s total population and 66 percent of the Hispanic population.
52.4%
Percent of Mexican-origin people who are male.
19.04 million
Number of people of Mexican origin who lived either in California (11.26 million) or Texas (7.78 million). People of Mexican origin made up nearly one-third of the residents of these two states.
25.7
Median age of people in the United States of Mexican descent. This compares with 36.9 years for the population as a whole.
695,000
Number of Mexican-Americans who are U.S. military veterans.
1.4 million
Number of people of Mexican descent 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher. This includes about 395,000 who have a graduate or professional degree.
35%
Among households where a householder was of Mexican origin, the percentage of married-couple families with own children younger than 18. For all households, the corresponding percentage was 21 percent.
4.1
Average size for families with a householder of Mexican origin. The average size of all families is 3.2 people.
16%
Percentage of employed civilians 16 and older of Mexican heritage who worked in managerial, professional or related occupations. In addition, 25 percent worked in service occupations; 21 percent in sales and office occupations; 17 percent in construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations; and 19 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations.
$40,647
Median income in 2008 for households with a householder of Mexican origin. For the population as a whole, the corresponding amount was $52,029.
23%
Poverty rate in 2008 for all people of Mexican heritage. For the population as a whole, the corresponding rate was 13 percent.
70%
Percentage of civilians 16 and older of Mexican origin in the labor force. The percentage was 66 percent for the population as a whole. There were 14 million people of Mexican heritage in the labor force, comprising 9 percent of the total.
51%
Percentage of householders of Mexican origin in occupied housing units who owned the home in which they lived. This compares with 67 percent for the population as a whole.
11.3 million, or 37%
Number and percentage of Mexican-origin people who are foreign-born; 2.5 million of them are naturalized citizens. Among the population as a whole, 12 percent are foreign-born.
76%
Percentage of Mexican-origin people who speak a language other than English at home; among these people, 38 percent speak English less than “very well.” Among the population as a whole, the corresponding figures were 20 percent and 9 percent, respectively.
Trade With Mexico
$305.5 billion
The value of total goods traded between the United States and Mexico in 2009. Mexico was our nation’s third-leading trading partner, after Canada and China. The leading U.S. export commodity to Mexico in 2009 was light oils and preparations (not crude) from petroleum and bituminous materials ($4 billion); the leading U.S. import commodity from Mexico in 2009 was crude oil from petroleum ($22.12 billion).
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics
Businesses
Source for statements in this section: Hispanic-Owned Firms: 2002
701,078
Number of firms owned by people of Mexican origin in 2002. They accounted for more than 44 percent of all Hispanic-owned firms. Among these Mexican-owned firms, 275,896 were in California and 235,735 in Texas. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif., combined statistical area had 174,292.
$96.7 billion
Sales and receipts for firms owned by people of Mexican origin in 2002.
116,290
Number of firms owned by people of Mexican origin in the construction sector in 2002, which led all sectors.
Mexican Food
$100.4 million
Product shipment value of tamales and other Mexican food specialties (not frozen or canned) produced in the United States in 2002.
Source: 2002 Economic Census
$48.9 million
Product shipment value of frozen enchiladas produced in the United States in 2002. Frozen tortilla shipments were valued even higher, at $156 million.
Source: 2002 Economic Census
381
Number of U.S. tortilla manufacturing establishments in 2007. The establishments that produce this unleavened flat bread employed 15,160 people. Tortillas, the principal food of the Aztecs, are known as the “bread of Mexico.” One in three of these establishments was in Texas.
Source: County Business Patterns: 2007
Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series:
* African-American History Month (February)
* Super Bowl
* Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14)
* Women’s History Month (March)
* Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/
St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)
* Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
* Older Americans Month (May)
* Cinco de Mayo (May 5)
* Mother’s Day
* Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)
* Father’s Day
* The Fourth of July (July 4)
* Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act (July 26)
* Back to School (August)
* Labor Day
* Grandparents Day
* Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
* Unmarried and Single Americans Week
* Halloween (Oct. 31)
* American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
* Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
* Thanksgiving Day
* The Holiday Season (December)
Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or
Research Briefs Cervical Cancer Screening and Older Mexican American Women: A Case Study
Research in Gerontological Nursing Vol. 4 No. 1 January 2011
By Bertha “Penny” Flores, MSN, RN, WHNP-BC; Deborah L. Volker, PhD, RN, AOCN
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to explore an older Mexican American woman’s decision-making process to engage in cervical cancer screening. A qualitative single case study design was used along with a purposive, typical case sampling strategy. The participant, a 52-year-old Mexican American woman, was interviewed using a semi-structured format. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. The analytic process revealed three concepts and motivators that influenced the participant’s behavior regarding cervical cancer screening practices: knowledge, family history, and sexual history. As such, these findings are useful for crafting subsequent investigations. Although the study participant’s experience is instructive regarding facilitators or motivators for engaging in screening practices, further exploration of barriers faced by older Mexican American women who decline to be screened is warranted.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Ms. Flores is Clinical Assistant Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, and a 2009-2011 John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholar and a doctoral student, The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, and Dr. Volker is Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, Austin, Texas.
The authors disclose that they have no significant financial interests in any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this activity. The authors acknowledge support from the John A. Hartford Foundation for Bertha “Penny” Flores.
Address correspondence to Bertha “Penny” Flores, MSN, RN, WHNP-BC, Clinical Assistant Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229; e-mail: Floresb2@uthscsa.edu.
Received: July 20, 2010; Accepted: October 27, 2010; Posted: December 29, 2010
doi:10.3928/19404921-20101201-04
Issues in Mexican American Education: Addressing the Academic Needs of Mexican American Students at the Secondary Level
| Author: | Alvarez, Ricky A |
| Abstract: | In light of the growing number of ethnic minority adolescents in the United States, it has long been recognized that the level of educational attainment of Mexican-American students is below to that of other ethnic minority communities in the United States. From towering impoverishment rates, lower parental education, dilapidated neighborhoods and communities, to a clash of culture, marginalized education, and impersonal behaviors, Mexican-American students have endured an educational challenge that has become more difficult to win than imagined. Entailed by cultural identity, exceptionalities, language, gender, economic status, health, beliefs, values, and perceptions of education, this thesis will not only make possible recommendations for the plight among Mexican-American education, but will also investigate the socioeconomic, sociocultural, and the supplementary issues and factors that influence the academic advancement of Mexican-American students at the secondary level. |
Sources of Parental Knowledge in Mexican American Families
1. Michelle K. Blocklin1,*,
2. Ann C. Crouter2,
3. Kimberly A. Updegraff3,
4. Susan M. McHale4
Article first published online: 7 JAN 2, 2011
Keywords:
* cultural orientations;
* Mexican American families;
* parent-child relationships;
* parental monitoring;
* sources of knowledge;
* youth adjustment
We examined correlates of sources of parental knowledge of youths’ experiences in Mexican American families, including child self-disclosure, parental solicitation, spouse, siblings, and individuals outside the family. Home and phone interviews were conducted with mothers, fathers, and their seventh-grade male and female offspring in 246 Mexican American families. Results indicated that mothers and fathers relied on different sources of knowledge; parent-child relationship quality and cultural orientations predicted parents’ sources of knowledge, and different sources had different implications for youth adjustment. Specifically, child disclosure to mothers and fathers’ reliance on their spouse were consistently linked to better youth outcomes. Moderation analyses revealed that correlates of parents’ knowledge sources were not always uniform across mothers and fathers or daughters and sons.
Family Relations
Volume 60, Issue 1, pages 30–44, February
