The Effects of Acculturative Stress on the Hispanic Family

Abstract

Much has been written about the increasing rates of divorce in the United States over the past 40 years. However, most research has focused on the effects of divorce on middle-class White American families. While there has been an increase in research on marital instability among Black American families, there is much less information about evolving family structures among Hispanics. Further, there is a dearth of information on the divorce rates among Hispanics and what effect they might be having on children. Because the Mexican American subgroup is the largest of the various ethnic groups categorized as Hispanic and about which there is the most written, this chapter will focus primarily on Mexican Americans, but where appropriate information will be extended to other Hispanic groups. An important consideration in this chapter will be such issues as familism, gender roles, immigration and acculturation, religion, socioeconomic status and the role that each of these plays in the Hispanic family. Further, we will utilize a theoretical framework that capitalizes on acculturative stress and coping in our analysis of the marital bond in Hispanic families. Oropesa and Landale, in their assessment of the future of marriage among Hispanics, note that migration is stressful and risky, and requires flexibility in responsibilities and roles for immigrants to experience success in their new environment. This coupled with the greater freedom enjoyed by women in the United States may result in changes in the role that marriage has traditionally played in Hispanic culture. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)(chapter)