Researcher Profile: An Interview with Virginia Solis Zuiker, Ph.D.

Virginia Solis Zuiker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. She teaches courses on personal and family finance, family financial counseling, family resource management, economic perspectives of families, and family decision-making. Her scholarly research focus is in the area of economic well-being of families with particular interest in self-employment and family-owned businesses. Her research focuses on the Hispanic family life and she is the author of “Hispanic Self-Employment in the Southwest: Rising Above the Threshold of Poverty,” (Garland Publishing, 1997). She received her B.S. from the University of North Texas, an M.S. from Texas Tech University, and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. She served three years on the Board of Directors for the Association of Financial Counseling and Planning Education

A Life Course Investigation of Economic Pressure in Emerging Adulthood

This study investigates whether economic pressure in emerging adulthood is influenced by childhood social background and differing patterns of entry into adult roles. More specifically, gender, ethnicity-race, parent SES, family structure, and high school GPA may influence the coordinated movements into adult roles such as the timing of moving away from home, completing an education, full-time work, marriage, and parenthood. We looked at individual patterns of financial economic pressure as it changed over time from ages 25-31

A Life Course Investigation of Economic Pressure in Emerging Adulthood

This study investigates whether economic pressure in emerging adulthood is influenced by childhood social background and differing patterns of entry into adult roles. More specifically, gender, ethnicity-race, parent SES, family structure, and high school GPA may influence the coordinated movements into adult roles such as the timing of moving away from home, completing an education, full-time work, marriage, and parenthood. We looked at individual patterns of financial economic pressure as it changed over time from ages 25-31.This article is from Consumer Interests Annual 58 (2012): 10 pp. Posted with permission.</p

IMMIGRANT AND US-BORN MEXICAN-OWNED BUSINESSES: MOTIVATIONS AND MANAGEMENT

In this study, we seek to understand the key differences between the entrepreneurial experience for Mexican immigrant and US-born Mexican entrepreneurs. We focus on differences in motivation for start-up, reliance on ethnic enclaves and business management practices. Using data from the 2005 National Minority Business Owner Survey, our sample consisted of 156 Mexican American entrepreneurs (55 immigrants and 101 US-born). Results suggest that even within a particular minority group, there are key distinctions between immigrant and US-born entrepreneurs. For example, US-born Mexican entrepreneurs are more motivated by the individualistic financial benefits of being an entrepreneur, while Mexican immigrant entrepreneurs are more motivated by serving society and their co-ethnic community. Implications are discussed.Minority entrepreneurship, Mexican American, motivation, ethnic enclave, business financing