Download Free Linguistic Acculturation And Food Behaviors Among Mexican Origin Populations Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Linguistic Acculturation And Food Behaviors Among Mexican Origin Populations and write the review.

In this dissertation, I seek to examine changes in diet and other food behaviors that take place within and across generations of Mexican immigrants in the U.S.I present four studies, each of which addresses a set of common hypotheses. My first hypothesis is that well-documented shifts in diet that occur as Mexican immigrants spend time in the U.S and become more acculturated may represent just one aspect of a broader shift in food behaviors. I use data from the 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and survey data that were collected as part of a community intervention study in East Los Angeles, California (East L.A. Community Survey) to examine the relationship between linguistic acculturation and a variety of food purchasing, preparation, and consumption behaviors among Mexican Americans. I present evidence of a broad shift in food behaviors as Mexican Americans acculturate, characterized by decreased home meal preparation and increased reliance on prepared and processed foods from restaurants and other food sources. My second hypothesis is that not all changes in food behaviors that occur within and across immigrant generations are the result of exposure to and adoption of U.S. culture, and thus should not be thought of as `dietary acculturation.' Rather, I argue that much of the change in food behaviors that occurs among Mexican immigrants and their offspring may result from shifts in social characteristics such as income, education, and urban exposure. For example, many immigrants migrate from rural areas in Mexico to large urban areas in the U.S., and educational attainment and socioeconomic status improve quickly among immigrants and their offspring. I argue that these important social factors would affect food behaviors in any country, and thus it is important to differentiate between their influence and shifts in food behaviors caused by exposure to and adoption of U.S. culture. I investigate my second hypothesis using data from adult participants in the 2006 Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición (National Health and Nutrition Study), a large population-based study conducted in Mexico. I examine patterns in food behaviors among Mexican adults, finding that food spending and consumption of foods prepared outside of the home increase dramatically with income, education, and urban versus rural residence. Thus, my findings suggest that many of the social differences between more-acculturated Mexican Americans from their less-acculturated counterparts would result in large social gradients in food behaviors within the Mexican population, even in the absence of exposure to and adoption of U.S. culture. I also examine my second hypothesis using data from the 2005-2010 NHANES and the East L.A. Community Survey. I assess whether any observed relationship between linguistic acculturation and food behaviors is explained by income, education, and other sociodemographic differences between more- and less-acculturated Mexican Americans. My findings suggest that much of the relationship between linguistic acculturation and food behaviors is explained by these other social factors, and thus not all changes in food behaviors that occur within and across immigrant generations should be labeled as 'dietary acculturation.'
Hispanics and the Future of America presents details of the complex story of a population that varies in many dimensions, including national origin, immigration status, and generation. The papers in this volume draw on a wide variety of data sources to describe the contours of this population, from the perspectives of history, demography, geography, education, family, employment, economic well-being, health, and political engagement. They provide a rich source of information for researchers, policy makers, and others who want to better understand the fast-growing and diverse population that we call "Hispanic." The current period is a critical one for getting a better understanding of how Hispanics are being shaped by the U.S. experience. This will, in turn, affect the United States and the contours of the Hispanic future remain uncertain. The uncertainties include such issues as whether Hispanics, especially immigrants, improve their educational attainment and fluency in English and thereby improve their economic position; whether growing numbers of foreign-born Hispanics become citizens and achieve empowerment at the ballot box and through elected office; whether impending health problems are successfully averted; and whether Hispanics' geographic dispersal accelerates their spatial and social integration. The papers in this volume provide invaluable information to explore these issues.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to purchasing less healthy foods among a sub-sample of the Latino population living in Long Beach, California. Specifically, purchasing less healthy foods were investigated by examining the effects of number of years in the United States, language use, language acculturation, household size, and participant age. Data were obtained from a childhood obesity prevention intervention titled "Sanos y Fuertes" or Healthy and Strong. Demographic forms were collected from Latino families with children between the ages of 2 and 8 years of age. There was no significant relationship observed between purchasing less healthy foods and number of years in the United States, language use, language acculturation, household size, and participant age. The findings signify that there may be other factors involved in food purchasing behavior. This study suggests further research using more in-depth scales that go beyond testing demographics.
The Oxford Handbook of Acculturation and Health brings together acculturation theory and methodology with work linking acculturative processes to overall health outcomes. The blending of these two streams of literature is critical to move advances in acculturation theory and research into practical application for researchers, practitioners, educators, and policy makers.
Social Functions of Language in a Mexican-American Community is an inquiry into how language functions in the life of a bilingual minority group in process of cultural change, this study investigated the acculturation and assimilation of individuals of Mexican descent living in Tucson, Arizona. Specifically, the language usage and interpersonal relations of individuals from representative families in the bilingual community of Tucson, the usage of bilingual social groups in the community, and the linguistic and cultural contacts between bilinguals and members of the larger Tucson community were examined. Data were drawn from observational studies of individuals and families; observation of group activities; and observation of, supplemented by questionnaires on, the cultural interests of Mexican children and their families. Some conclusions of the study were that Spanish came to be identified in the Mexican community as the language of intimate and family relations, while English came to be identified as the language of formal social relations and of all relations with Anglos. It was also found that the younger American-born group reject both Spanish and English in favor of their own language, Pachuco. Tables depicting the characteristics of 20 families, the language usage of families, and the language usage in personal relationships of English and Spanish are included. Suggestions for further research are made.
Multiculturalism is a prevalent worldwide societal phenomenon. Aspects of our modern life, such as migration, economic globalization, multicultural policies, and cross-border travel and communication have made intercultural contacts inevitable. High numbers of multicultural individuals (23-43% of the population by some estimates) can be found in many nations where migration has been strong (e.g., Australia, U.S., Western Europe, Singapore) or where there is a history of colonization (e.g., Hong Kong). Many multicultural individuals are also ethnic and cultural minorities who are descendants of immigrants, majority individuals with extensive multicultural experiences, or people with culturally mixed families; all people for whom identification and/or involvement with multiple cultures is the norm. Despite the prevalence of multicultural identity and experiences, until the publication of this volume, there has not yet been a comprehensive review of scholarly research on the psychological underpinning of multiculturalism. The Oxford Handbook of Multicultural Identity fills this void. It reviews cutting-edge empirical and theoretical work on the psychology of multicultural identities and experiences. As a whole, the volume addresses some important basic issues, such as measurement of multicultural identity, links between multilingualism and multiculturalism, the social psychology of multiculturalism and globalization, as well as applied issues such as multiculturalism in counseling, education, policy, marketing and organizational science, to mention a few. This handbook will be useful for students, researchers, and teachers in cultural, social, personality, developmental, acculturation, and ethnic psychology. It can also be used as a source book in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on identity and multiculturalism, and a reference for applied psychologists and researchers in the domains of education, management, and marketing.