Discrimination and Poverty

Running Head: EFFECTS OF DISCRIMINATION AND POVERTY

Effects of Discrimination and Poverty on Latina Headed Households in the US Adrienne Marin Kaplan University

HN200-02 Instructor Cathy Moore April 13, 2010

Discrimination and Poverty

Effects of Discrimination and Poverty on Latina Headed Households in the US Hispanic Americans make up approximately fifteen percent of the entire US population. Of that, twenty two percent are below poverty cutoff (Sullivan 2009). Female-Headed Families are the largest segment of that group; they account for thirty nine percent of Hispanics that live below the poverty level (Sullivan 2009). In fact, the National Women Law Center states a staggering statistic that in 1998, more than half of female-headed Hispanic families with children were poor (NWLC 1999). The text states that Hispanics have historically experienced a great deal of discrimination in their efforts to establish a niche in the United States (Sullivan 2009). Latinas face an even greater set of obstacles unique to their experience. The single Latina raising her family will endure the adverse effects of stereotyping and prejudice on her employability and earning power often leading to a multi-generational cycle of poverty. My interest in this population stems from growing up in a Female-Headed Household. I witnessed and experienced bigotry, discrimination, and thinly-veiled harassment suffered by various Latin women I interacted with from their employers. I heard countless stories of assumptions and sexual harassment which were rooted in deeply held stereotypes and prejudice. This fed my desire to understand the invisible forces that kept certain groups oppressed and in poverty. Through my educational pursuits, the correlation between discrimination and poverty has become clearer: the various prejudices feed the cultural orientation toward poverty. The prejudice a Latina contends with while seeking and maintaining employment is difficult. Add raising a family on by herself, it can make the task seem near impossible, almost to the point of futility.

Discrimination and Poverty There are several biases' that are known to work against Latina's specifically. A major employer bias involves making pejorative assumptions regarding an applicant's quality of education based on her ethnic origin. A study regarding wage discrimination against Hispanic females states, Hispanics tend to concentrate in relatively poor neighborhoods with mostly minorities and lower quality schools affecting negatively their labor market rewards (Alfonso

2001). Hence, hiring managers tend to view Latina applicants as unable to negotiate the position due to an inferior education, thereby limiting their employment opportunities to those with less earning potential. In fact, another study finds that Hispanic women are most likely to work in low paying jobs, especially service occupations such as domestic service jobs (Caiazza, Shaw, & Werschkul, 2004). Another related employer bias stems from assumed or actual language barriers. This can act as a huge stumbling block for many Latin women during the hiring process or moving up in her employment. While many Hispanics are English speaking American Citizens, there are many individuals who assume that all Hispanics are illegal immigrants who are not able to speak or read English properly. However, the Spanish language is a defining feature of the Hispanic culture. It has been noted that an estimated 11 percent of Hispanic workers experienced discrimination based on their race or origin in 1999 (Caiazza, Shaw, & Werschkul, 2004). This employer bias can have a negative effect - forcing Hispanic women to take or keep low-paying, undesirable positions to support her family. Gender bias also affects a Latina's ability to attain competitive employment with good pay. It is well researched that women, on average earn 23% less than men (Sullivan 2009). Gender roles also tend to limit women to lower paying, lower profile employment such as

Discrimination and Poverty domestic and clerical positions (Sullivan 2009). The Center of Concern, a D.C. based organization, released information regarding the link between gender and poverty. It shared the results of the Rockefeller Foundations American Worker Survey which found that women of color are at greatest risk of economic hardship (COC 2008). It also found that single mothers face double jeopardy: lower earnings because they are female and more financial stress from parenting (COC 2008). The Center of Concern (2008) goes on to explain: years of discrimination in the work place as well as cultural norms continue to place the primary care of children and family on women and penalize such care responsibilities in the workplace. This double burden of work at home and work on the job puts a great strain on womens time and energy. For single female heads of families

the burden of parenting and working outside the home can be crushing both economically and personally (p. 2). As such, the cyclic nature of poverty can perpetuate a mindset steeped in powerlessness and hopelessness. This can render a Latina unable to cope well enough in order improve her situation when battling multiple layers of discrimination from employers. What's worse, the discrimination is often subtle and accepted because it is so deeply entrenched in accepted cultural norms (Sullivan 2009). Furthermore, this level of hopelessness can often thwart any substantive progress or development, further continuing the cycle. The text refers to these phenomena as a conflictual subculture, where one is led to believe that the discrimination and poverty they experience has total control over their lives (Sullivan 2009). Any positive growth, change, or opportunity is in control of outside forces as opposed to any effort on their end (Sullivan 2009). In this cultural analysis, we find that certain

Discrimination and Poverty

social conditions discrimination, lack of opportunity, social isolation can produce a culture of poverty, and this culture in turn perpetuates the victimization of the poor (Sullivan 2009). In fact, this culture of poverty is known to be more prevalent amongst Hispanics than other groups (Sullivan 2009). Single mothers are known to have the difficult task of having to making ends meet with limited means, limited opportunities, and limited social supports, which often forces them to live in undesirable communities. However, the aforementioned findings support the claim that Hispanic women are more likely to live in poverty than other minorities, especially, single mothers (NWLC 1999). In fact, 53% of Hispanic women are pregnant before reaching 20 years of age (double the national average) and this increases their difficulties in attending classes (Nava 2009). Because of this, Hispanic single mothers are often unable to attain higher levels of education, due to lack of child care, finances, and support. Thus, they must face an unfair disadvantage in the labor market. This can make overcoming poverty and reaching self sufficiency seem impossible. With such a cultural orientation in place, one can imagine that being the sole source of support would be harrowing and depressing. As the text states, The values and norms that make up this orientation may get passed on unwittingly from one generation to the next (Sullivan 2009). Hence, we see multiple generations of family living in poverty, unable to break the cycle that keeps them from progressing. Furthermore, impoverished minority single mothers are a strong symbol in the minds of the general public. According to the interactionist perspective, because poverty is stigmatized and often associated with laziness and having multiple children in order to receive greater government benefits, poor single mothers are often blamed for their plight. It is also thought that

Discrimination and Poverty they are lacking in the ability, motivation, and moral values required for success and independence. In contrast, the wealthy are viewed as deserving of their wealth. Mooney explains it this way poverty is not a function of income but of their alienation from sustainable patterns of consumption and production (Mooney, Knox, & Schact, 2009, p. 216). In the minds of the general public, those who keep our economy going through consumption are more valuable. This can explain the discrimination suffered by most Latina single mothers they are unable to consume and produce at a level that is considered beneficial by the influential groups, they are seen as dregs on society. This will even be the case if their dependence on the system is minute or nonexistent. The symbol of the poor unwed minority mother will continue to be seen in an unfavorable light, encouraging discrimination. However, there is hope. Several organizations attempted to take on the large task of leveling the playing field. They work to assist Hispanic Americans gain access to better opportunities through various education and advocacy initiatives. As I gain greater understanding of the issues, it is clear that single Latin mothers need a targeted set of interventions catered specifically to their needs. Some helpful resources would include assistance in gaining information and access to GED and higher education programs, job

readiness training, financial literacy training, and most importantly, access to affordable and safe child care. The following organizations do a great deal of good toward meeting those ends. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) focuses on the issues that affect most affect the Latino population such as civil rights, economic empowerment, education, health, and immigration. They offer a wealth of information regarding education advocacy and scholarships. Most recently, they partnered with University of Phoenix to award twenty-five

Discrimination and Poverty individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to their local communities through leadership, volunteerism and/or professional development opportunities scholarships to

complete their educational goals (LULAC 2010). They also look for ways to empower the Latin community through life skills and technology training as offered through the Entre Comadres program sponsored by P&G. Finally, the Working Together program grants Hispanics greater opportunities within the Federal Government via established partnerships between LULAC and Federal Recruiters. Advocacy, scholarships, training, and support will all go a long way in combating the issues many Hispanic single mothers face. Another organization offering support to those within the Hispanic community is The National Council of La Raza. Similar to LULAC, NCLR offers advocacy as well as various initiatives in civil rights, education, health, and immigration. One such initiative is Community and Family Wealth-Building. On their website, they share the statistic that Latino families own just nine cents on the dollar in comparison to white families (NCLR 2010). With this initiative, they assist families in building tangible assets, such as homes, cars, and savings (NCLR 2010). They assist in first home purchases, avoiding foreclosure, help spot deceptive lending practices, as well as teaching Latinos how to make sound financial decisions (NCLR 2010). In a similar vein, they offer training initiatives in numerous career fields such as customer service, health care, and retail. They also offer opportunities through an NCLR sponsored AmeriCorps program. Financial literacy, education, training, and job opportunities will help Hispanic women come closer to breaking the cycle of multi-generational poverty and hopelessness. Opportunity offers hope. Through my examination of Hispanic single mothers, I gained a new respect for the

Discrimination and Poverty struggle these women face. The discrimination based on various biases such as poor education and language skills, while also facing a deeply entrenched gender bias, has a negative impact on her employability, earning power, and ability to advance. Couple this with the cultural orientation toward a conflictual subculture; it can make rising a family within a culture of poverty seem like a never ending battle without any respite. With the anxiety and depression

this situation must induce, one can make inferences regarding the correlations between these and issues related to poverty and children. Several organizations exist to assist Hispanic families with education and financial literacy while also offering job training and opportunities. However, the important missing piece is affordable and safe child care. It is in this way she will be able attend to obligations knowing that her child is being well-cared for. This will allow her to focus on the important task at hand - improving her future earning potential so her children can grow and break the cycle of poverty allowing them to have brighter futures.

References Alfonso, M. (2001, October). Poverty and Discrimination Hispanic Women. Retrieved April 2010, from Teachers College at Columbia University: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/students/see/events/Alfonso%20-%2010-30-01.pdf Caiazza, P. A., Shaw, A., & Werschkul, M. (2004, April 20). The Status of Women in The States. Retrieved April 2010, from Institute for Women's Policy Research: http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/R260.pdf Center of Concern, (2008, September). Election 2008 | COC. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from Center of Concern: http://www.coc.org/system/files/Gender+Poverty.pdf LULAC, (2010, September). LULAC: Education. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from League of United Latin American Citizens: http://lulac.org/advocacy/issues/education/ Nava, J. (2009, October 22). Hispanic Women in the Educational System. Retrieved April 2010, from The Americano: http://theamericano.com/2009/10/22/hispanic-women-in-theeducational-system/ NCLR, (2010). NCLR - Community and Family Wealth Building. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from National Council of La Raza: http://www.nclr.org/content/topics/detail/483 NWLC. (1999, September 30). Poverty & Income Support. Retrieved April 2010, from National Women's Law Center: https://www.nwlc.org/details.cfm?id=376&section=child+and+family+support NWLC. (2008, September). Poverty among Women and Families, 2000-2007: Getting worse even before the downturn. Retrieved April 2010, from National Women's Law Center: http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/WomenPoverty2000-2007.pdf Sullivan, T. J. (2009). Introduction to Social Problems, Eighth Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson.