The Rise of Latino Protestants

Excerpt: During one of my first visits to a church in San Antonio for the Latino Protestant Congregations Project, the pastor invited a church member to speak about his experience in a federal immigration detention center. An elderly gentleman rose from his seat with a Bible tucked under his arm. For the next hour, this man, a Salvadoran undocumented immigrant, told his story

Paradoxes in Physical Health

This chapter reviews the evidence from social science and medical research that sheds light on this potential immigrant paradox in health -- when, where, and for whom it holds or does not apply. In doing so, two important points need to be kept in mind. First, the existence of the paradox does not necessarily mean that immigrants are doing than everyone else. Rather, it means that they are doing better than social and economic positions suggest that they should be. Second, paradox may apply in general but not hold in specific domains of health for certain subgroups or at certain life stages. The health literature is so voluminous that it cannot be reviewed in its entirety. Instead, this chapter is more selective in its coverage. In line with the developmental and ecological spirit of this book, a particular health topic has been chosen to highlight what is occurring in major periods of the early life course and to demonstrate how physical, social, and cultural forces and contexts intersect to strengthen or weaken the immigrant paradox around this topic. Specifically, the chapter focuses on infant mortality, childhood illness and disease, and adolescent health behavior, giving additional attention to a topic that cuts across life stages: obesity

Latina/o Conversion and Miracle-Seeking at a Buddhist Temple

The growing diversification of the US Latino religious’ experiences calls for scholarly attention beyond Protestant or Catholic categories. This study begins to answer this call. Using interview data with 26 Latinos collected over 2 years of observation at the True Lama Meditation Center (TLMC) in Houston, Texas, we describe how Latinos who convert to Buddhism or actively attend the temple while also continuing to attend Christian services (both Catholic and Protestant) see themselves and understand their religious identities and practices. We then explore the reasons for their conversion or changes in religious identities and practices through various theoretical lens. Although the majority of respondents now claim to be Buddhist, many did not switch religions but augmented or extended their religious identities and practices. Reasons for conversion to Buddhism or concurrent involvement at the temple and Buddhist faith practices include seeking material support and miracles and those seeking spiritual fulfillment they felt they were not getting in Christian faith practices

Who Wants to Have a Career in Science or Math? Exploring Adolescents’ Future Aspirations by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

Our study utilizes data from a national cohort of eighth-grade students to consider how different gender and racial/ethnic subgroups compare to White males in their likelihood to aspire toward a science or math occupation and examine the roles that self-concept, enjoyment, and achievement may play in shaping disparities at this early point in occupational trajectories. We find that the importance of enjoyment, self-concept, and achievement in explaining disparities in science career aspirations relative to White males varies according to the female subgroup considered, such that no singular story applies to females across different racial/ethnic backgrounds. For math, White and Hispanic females remain approximately half as likely as White males to aspire to a math occupation regardless of all indicators we consider. Finally, Black and Hispanic adolescent boys have generally comparable aspirations toward future careers in science and math as their White male peers, despite notably large differences in achievement. We discuss implications of our results for future research on equity

Latino Protestants and Their Political and Social Engagement (Chapter Six of Latino Protestants in America: Growing and Diverse)

Excerpt: On a rainy early spring morning in a modest brick Presbyterian church just outside the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, California, sixtyfour worshippers gather. The entire worship is in Spanish. During the sermon, the pastor makes a passing reference to how few of the attenders now live in Oakland proper, that many have to drive farther than ever for church services. The implicit message: the leadership of the church realizes that gentrification of San Francisco has spilled over the Bay Bridge and now threatens the availability of affordable housing throughout Oakland. In response, the congregation has started programs that offer legal advice for responding to rent-hiking landlords and identifying housing options around the city. Though resources and attenders tend to be somewhat scarce, the leadership has creatively organized in an effort to address the structural and policy concerns of housing. Beyond that, the pastor proudly notes that this church readily offers immigration status services, computer classes, and English classes

El tratamiento en neurofeedback aplicado a pacientes con trastorno de insomnio primario

Treball final de Grau en Psicologia. Codi: PS1048. Curs acadèmic 2014-2015El insomnio es un trastorno que continúa creciendo en los últimos años. El tratamiento más utilizado hoy en día es el tratamiento farmacológico, pero también se utiliza la terapia cognitivo-conductual. Nuevas terapias como el Neurofeedback están emergiendo en los últimos tiempos. Se trata de un tratamiento psicofisiológico basado en el aprendizaje operante, en el que el individuo aprende a regular su propio patrón de ondas cerebrales. Esta nueva técnica es interesante puesto que no provoca efectos secundarios tales como el tratamiento farmacológico, y además ha demostrado tener efectos de largo plazo duración (hasta 2 años). En este estudio se pretende recoger los datos obtenidos de investigaciones en las que se ha aplicado un tratamiento basado en neurofeedback a pacientes con un trastorno de insomnio primario. Los datos obtenidos muestran que el tratamiento en neurofeedback produce efectos positivos tanto subjetivos como objetivos en la calidad del sueño de los participantes. Además también provoca cambios en la arquitectura del sueño. Se ha analizado también el efecto placebo y se concluye que existen efectos producidos por el placebo pero también existen efectos independientes del placebo. En conclusión se plantea que debería utilizarse este tipo de tratamiento en pacientes con insomnio, puesto que no presenta efectos adversos y en cambio sí puede producir efectos positivos.Insomnia is a condition that continues to grow in recent years. The most common treatment today is a pharmacological treatment, but cognitive-behavioral therapy is also used. New therapies like neurofeedback are emerging in recent years. It is psychophysiological treatment based on instrumental learning, in which subjectlearns to regulate its own pattern of brain waves. This new technique is interesting because not involve the side effects of a drug treatment, and has also been shown to have long-term effects (2 years). This study aims to collect data from research that has been applied based on neurofeedback subjects with a disorder of primary insomnia. The data obtained show that neurofeedback treatment produces positive effects both subjective and objective sleep quality of participants. In addition also it causes changes in sleep architecture. It has also analyzed the placebo effect and concluded that there are plaebo effects but there are independent effects beyond placebo too. In conclusion it is stated that this kind of treatment should be used in patients with insomnia, because it has no side effects and instead it can produce positive effects

The Contexts of Conversion among U.S. Latinos

The growth of Protestantism among U.S. Latinos has been the focus of considerable discussion among researchers. Yet few studies investigate how Latino Protestants and Latino Catholics differ, or which types of Latinos convert from Catholicism to Protestantism. Our study tests various theories about why some Latinos convert including a modified version of the semi-involuntary thesis, the national origin hypothesis, and assimilation theory. We use data from a large national sample of U.S. Latinos and find some support for assimilation theory and less for the semi-involuntary thesis. However, context matters. If we divide Latinos into national origin groups, these groups strongly predict who converts and who are lifelong Protestants. We discuss how war may influence the religious composition of early migrants and thus shape both the religious composition and conversion of later migrants

Religion and Attitudes toward Same-Sex Marriage among U.S. Latinos

Objectives. This study examines links between multiple aspects of religious involvement and attitudes toward same-sex marriage among U.S. Latinos. The primary focus is on variations by affiliation and participation, but the possible mediating roles of biblical beliefs, clergy cues, and the role of religion in shaping political views are also considered. Methods. We use binary logistic regression models to analyze data from a large nationwide sample of U.S. Latinos conducted by the Pew Hispanic Forum in late 2006. Results. Findings highlight the strong opposition to same-sex marriage among Latino evangelical (or conservative) Protestants and members of sectarian groups (e.g., LDS), even compared with devout Catholics. Although each of the hypothesized mediators is significantly linked with attitudes toward same-sex marriage, for the most part controlling for them does not alter the massive affiliation/attendance differences in attitudes toward same-sex marriage. Conclusions. This study illustrates the importance of religious cleavages in public opinion on social issues within the diverse U.S. Latino population. The significance of religious variations in Hispanic civic life is likely to increase with the growth of the Latino population and the rising numbers of Protestants and sectarians among Latinos

Attitudes toward Marriage, Divorce, Cohabitation, and Casual Sex among Working-Age Latinos: Does Religion Matter?

The rapid growth of the Latino population in the United States has renewed interest in Latino family research. It has often been assumed that Catholicism is a key factor influencing Latinos’ attitudes toward the family, despite the fact that nearly one third of Latinos are not Catholic. This article uses data from the 2006 National Survey of Religion and Family Life, a survey of working-age adults (aged 18-59 years) in the lower 48 states, to explore the relationship between multiple dimensions of religiosity—denomination, church attendance, prayer, and beliefs about the Bible—and Latinos’ attitudes regarding marriage, divorce, cohabitation, and casual sex. Compared with Catholics, evangelical Protestants tend to hold more conservative attitudes on family-related issues. Latinos who attend services regularly and pray frequently also report more traditional views. Findings involving literalist views of the Bible are more equivocal. Taken together, religious variables are just as potent as socioeconomic and demographic factors in explaining individual-level variation in Latinos’ attitudes. Study limitations are noted, and several directions for future research are identified