Transnational Brazilian Project

Since 2012, the Transnational Brazilian Project has been successful in organizing a transnational network of faculty, students, and community leaders to promote collaborative research and service. UMass Boston students and faculty have conducted research in Brazil, volunteered at the Brazilian Immigrant Center (BIC), and several Brazilian students gained research experience at the Mauricio Gastón Institute. In addition, a number of public health faculty from Brazil have visited UMass Boston to discuss future research projects and collaborations

O perfil sociodemográfico e de saúde dos retornados mineiros para a região de Governador Valadares

Este estudo objetivou ampliar nossas pesquisas anteriores sobre trabalhadores imigrantes brasileiros em Massachusetts e na região em torno de Governador Valadares, fornecendo perfil sociodemográfico e de saúde dos retornados para essa região. Entrevistas realizadas de março de 2014 a maio de 2015 com 141 imigrantes retornados mostram que a maioria dos imigrantes brasileiros trabalhou em Massachusetts em empregos precários, de baixa qualificação no setor de serviços e na construção civil, que demandavam grande esforço físico. No retorno, as suas condições de trabalho e emprego continuaram precárias e os problemas de saúde relacionados à atividade laboral se assemelhavam com os vividos em Massachusetts.This study aimed to add to our prior research with Brazilian immigrant workers in Massachusetts and the region surrounding Governador Valadares by providing a sociodemographic and health profile of returnees to the area. Interviews conducted between March 2014 and May 2015 with 141 returnees showed that most Brazilian immigrants worked in Massachusetts in precarious, low skill, physically demanding jobs in the service sector and construction. After returning, their work and employment conditions continued to be precarious and their work-related problems were similar to their experience in Massachusetts

Impact of Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Workers in Leisure and Hospitality Businesses: Massachusetts and New England

This report examines the role and impact of immigrant entrepreneurs and workers on Leisure and Hospitality businesses in New England, particularly Massachusetts. A significant portion of state economies in New England, especially in Massachusetts, relies heavily on the employment of the foreign-born. As the native workforce ages and population growth declines, businesses are becoming increasingly dependent upon the availability of the foreign-born. This development has facilitated an increasingly significant presence and role of immigrant entrepreneurs in Leisure and Hospitality businesses that is documented for the first time in this report

UMass Boston – Brazilian Immigrant Center Partnership

The Brazilian Immigrant Center (BIC) does organizing, advocacy and training to reduce marginalization of Brazilian immigrants, promoting their engagement as workers & civic participants. A worker’s center, BIC supports and defends workers’ rights under current state & US labor laws. BIC helps workers mediate complaints with employers, and refers others for class action suits, or intervention by the Mass. Attorney General or US Dept of Labor. A special focus at present is organizing mostly women domestic workers, and BIC has a new Law and Policy Clinic, a Domestic Worker Mediation Program, and an Immigration Justice Project staffed by two full-time public interest attorneys. The UMass faculty and staff listed above, and collaborating units such as the Labor Resource Center, UMass Labor Extension, the Anthropology Department, the Applied Linguistics Department, the Department of Community Relations, the Chancellor’s Office, the Office of Community Partnerships, and the Gastón Institute have all lent their support to Brazilian Immigrant Center activities on and off campus. The campus has made some of its spaces, such as the Campus Center Ballroom, and the Ryan Lounge, available for BIC partnership activities such as fundraisers, gala anniversary celebrations, and an art show benefit for Haitian orphans. Under Dr. Siqueira’s and Dr. Maria Idalí Torres’ leadership, the Gastón Institute has recently begun a new Transnational Brazilian Project, involving BIC, as well as universities and agencies in Brazil

UMass Boston – Brazilian Immigrant Center Partnership

The Brazilian Immigrant Center (BIC) does organizing, advocacy and training to reduce marginalization of Brazilian immigrants, promoting their engagement as workers & civic participants. A worker’s center, BIC supports and defends workers’ rights under current state & US labor laws. BIC helps workers mediate complaints with employers, and refers others for class action suits, or intervention by the Mass. Attorney General or US Dept. of Labor. A special focus at present is organizing mostly women domestic workers, and BIC has a new Law and Policy Clinic, a Domestic Worker Mediation Program, and an Immigration Justice Project staffed by two full-time public interest attorneys. The UMass faculty and staff mentioned above, and collaborating units such as the Labor Resource Center, UMass Labor Extension, the Anthropology Department, the Applied Linguistics Department, the Department of Community Relations, the Chancellor’s Office, and the Gaston Institute have all lent their support to Brazilian Immigrant Center activities on and off campus. The campus has made some of its spaces, such as the Campus Center ballroom, and the Ryan Lounge, available for BIC partnership activities such as fundraisers, gala anniversary celebrations, and an art show benefit for Haitian orphans. Under Dr. Siqueira’s and Dr. Maria Idalí Torres’ leadership, the Gaston Institute has recently begun a new Brazilian Initiative, involving outreach to Brazilian community organizations like BIC, as well as universities in Brazil

The Influence of Depression on the Psychometric Properties of the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey: A Cross-Sectional Study With Nursing Assistants

Background: The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) is the most commonly used instrument to assess burnout. Although various factors have been reported to influence its validity, the influence of major depressive disorder (MDD) has not been previously considered. We developed this study to investigate the influence of MDD on the psychometric properties of the MBI-HSS in nursing assistants.Results: From a sample of 521 nursing assistants, we found in those with MDD (n = 138, 24.56%) a degree of data misfit into the model, revealed by non-acceptable values for the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA; 0.073; p = 0.004) and for the comparative fit index (CFI; 0.912), while in the non-MDD group these indices were acceptable and good, respectively, for RMSEA (0.048; p = 0.639) and for CFI (0.951). Also, we found higher coefficients of correlation among MBI-HSS factors and less items loading properly in their respective factors in the MDD subset, when compared to the non-MDD subset. For the total sample, while original 3-factor solution was an acceptable model, the bifactor model fitted data better.Conclusions: MDD may impair the construct validity of MBI-HSS subscales, by increasing measurement error and decreasing model fitness. Therefore, researchers and health professionals should be aware of potential changes in the psychometric properties of the MBI-HSS when applied in subjects with depression