Review of \u3cem\u3eRemaking Citizenship: Latina Immigrants and New American Politics.\u3c/em\u3e Kathleen M. Coll. Reviewed by Lirio K. Negroni.

Book review of Kathleen M. Coll, Remaking Citizenship: Latina Immigrants and New American Politics. Stanford University Press, 2010. $22.95, paperback

Assessment of Self-Reported Mental Health and Acculturation Stress Among Foreign-Born and U.S.-Born Latinos in Immokalee, Florida: A Pilot Study

The population of Immokalee in Southwest Florida is 75% Latinos, with nearly half being foreign-born. Several documented stressors contribute to poor mental health among Latinos. However, little is known about Latinos’ mental health in this region. This study sought to assess self-rated mental health (SRMH) and acculturation stress (AS) and predict SRMH based on stress from life events, AS, sociodemographic characteristics, and social support among U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinos. Face-to-face interviews and assisted self-administered surveys were used to collect information among 158 Latinos on sociodemographic characteristics, AS, major life events that caused stress, social support, and SRMH. AS was elicited by asking three questions (Cronbach’s a = .84), total stress level was determined by 10 major life events, and social support was elicited by 14 questions (Cronbach’s a = .76). Results indicated that foreign-born Latinos 36–75 years old, with minimal social support, U.S.-born Latinos with lower educational levels, minimal social support, and high-moderate stress levels reported statistically significant low SRMH. AS was significantly higher among foreign-born 36- to 75-year-olds, with lower educational levels, minimal social support, who preferred the Spanish language and lived ≤15 years in the United States. Linear regression analysis showed social support, educational levels, and life stressors to be significant predictors of SRMH among U.S.-born Latinos, whereas social support was a significant predictor in foreign-born Latinos

Strengthening Family Practices for Latino Families

The study examined the effectiveness of a culturally-adapted Strengthening Families Program (SFP) for Latinos to reduce risks for alcohol and drug use in children. Latino families, predominantly Puerto Rican, with a 9–12 year old child and a parent(s) with a substance abuse problem participated in the study. Pre- and post-tests were conducted with each family. Parental stress, parent-child dysfunctional relations, and child behavior problems were reduced in the families receiving the intervention; family hardiness and family attachment were improved. Findings contribute to the validation of the SFP with Latinos, and can be used to inform social work practice with Puerto Rican families

Leadership Development for Latino Community Emancipation: An Integrative Approach in Social Work Education

A primary goal of the social work profession is social justice advocacy for disenfranchised and oppressed communities, such as the Latino community. In the context of this paper, leadership development for community emancipation relate to efforts that foster indigenous community leadership designed to procure political rights or equality for their disenfranchised or devalued populations. The paper reviews the literature on Latino/a leadership perspectives, leadership development trends, and best practices that serve as a compatible integrative Latino/a approach. The approach proposes that the process of Latino/a leadership development should be collective, culturally-attuned, transformative, and community emancipatory. The authors present a model for students, alumni, and faculty that incorporates the approach through the use of three components: (1) Sustained institutional commitment, support and resources; (2) Creation of leadership opportunities, mentoring and modeling; and (3) Leadership efforts that foster community emancipation. The approach has been successfully employed for over 30 years in a Latino Project at a New England school of social work. Discussion of the model’s components, a case scenario, considerations for replication of the approach, and future research will be offered

Culturally-Attuned Mentoring for Graduating Latina/o Social Workers to Foster Career Advancement

The underrepresentation of Latinas/os in the social work profession, especially in higher levels of administration, has been amply documented. Successful Latina/o professionals can address the need for Latina/o leadership in the field by mentoring new graduates and supporting their development and career planning as they enter the professional world. This article presents an innovative mentoring program for Latina/o social work professionals conceptualized and led by the Latina/o Network of the Latina/o Network of the Connecticut chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The program matches a Latina/o master’s in social work graduating student with a senior Latina/o social work professional. The model of the mentoring program incorporates a coordinator, a liaison to each mentor-mentee dyad, a mentor-mentee developmental relationship, and group gatherings. A key aspect of the model is the attention to and inclusion of Latino cultural values of familismo, personalismo, confianza, and colectivismo, to foster the development of a sense of community. Empirical and anecdotal data illustrate the outcomes of the program. The implementation of the program, the lessons learned, and its applicability to other professionals and cultural groups are discussed