Hispanic Ethnicity And The Latino Population - 1370 Words

Introduction Latinos are considered an American community of considerable diversity of culture, race, ethnic, and national origin. It is a community on the forefront of significant demographic change and sociopolitical growth (Appleby, G.A., Colon, E., Hamilton, J., 2011). Latinos in the United States are diverse, and collectively the second largest ethnic minority population in the country (Vigil, 1996). Culture represents a way of life that binds Latinos together through their language, values, beliefs, and practices that are considered appropriate and desirable within the Latino population. Their population is an aggregation of several subgroups such as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American and Dominicans. It has†¦show more content†¦The Latino population is on the average eight years younger than that of Whites and two years than African Americans (Appleby, G.A., Colon, E., Hamilton, J., 2011). B. Strengths and Resources Family life is important to Latino family interests are valued over individual well-being (Latinos, 2014). The structure of the Latino family tends to be patriarchal with great power and responsibility vested in the male head of household. The family is viewed as the focal point of mutual aid in the Latino community, based on the cultural norm of personalismo and the non-familial organizations are not generally trusted. Latinos depend more on the family for services, emotional support and advice than they do professionals. In the Latino culture, la familia (the family) and interdependence among its members are highly valued (Appleby, G.A., Colon, E., Hamilton, J., 2011). C. Life Experiences Human behavior is affected both by genetic inheritance and by experience. The ways in which people develop are shaped by social experience and circumstances within the context of their inherited genetic potential. Each person is born into a social and cultural setting – family, community, social class, language, religion, and eventually develops many social connections. The class into which people are born affects what language, diet, tastes, and interests the will have as children and therefore