Hispanic youth represent a rapidly expanding proportion our nation’s educational system. The U.S. Department of Education (2014) projects that Latino students will comprise 30% of public school enrollment by the year 2023. Latino youth frequently are faced with many adversities that impact their mental well-being, such as exposure to bullying or victimization in the schools, ethnic identity crisis, economic disadvantage, and academic performance deficits. Furthermore, although they are in dire need of services, many Hispanic youth suffering from mental health concerns are faced with barriers preventing access to mental health resources.
Young Latino children who are not English proficient struggle with school. Many Latino children enter school …show more content…
After examining the relationship between Latino children’s level of English proficiency acting as an acculturative stressor Dawson and Williams (2007) discovered a clinically significant relationship between Latino students with limited English proficiency and externalizing behavioral symptoms. These findings suggest that Latino students who have limited English proficiency are subject to significant psychological distress throughout the school day.
Latino adolescents are often left straddling two cultures, creating an internal struggle between their individual and ethnic identities (Padilla, 2012). Padilla (2012) explains how this “crisis of identity experienced by adolescents may be more problematic for adolescents who find themselves in a home or school context where different values, beliefs, and behaviors are practiced” (p. 471). Already overwhelmed by typical developmental concerns, their identity crisis is exponentially amplified when divided between conflicting cultures. The degree cultural distinction between home and school practices is dependent on the family’s level of acculturation, and also is dependent on the number of generations the child is
Young Latino children who are not English proficient struggle with school. Many Latino children enter school …show more content…
After examining the relationship between Latino children’s level of English proficiency acting as an acculturative stressor Dawson and Williams (2007) discovered a clinically significant relationship between Latino students with limited English proficiency and externalizing behavioral symptoms. These findings suggest that Latino students who have limited English proficiency are subject to significant psychological distress throughout the school day.
Latino adolescents are often left straddling two cultures, creating an internal struggle between their individual and ethnic identities (Padilla, 2012). Padilla (2012) explains how this “crisis of identity experienced by adolescents may be more problematic for adolescents who find themselves in a home or school context where different values, beliefs, and behaviors are practiced” (p. 471). Already overwhelmed by typical developmental concerns, their identity crisis is exponentially amplified when divided between conflicting cultures. The degree cultural distinction between home and school practices is dependent on the family’s level of acculturation, and also is dependent on the number of generations the child is