Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, English

Social Mediated Latinas: Creating and Contouring Digital Latina Looks in the Twenty-First Century documents how new forms of Latina celebrity, media viewership, and cultural critique emerged in the twenty-first century with the onset of entertainment streaming platforms, online subcultures, and the social media influencer industry on the internet. Latinas with internet access used their social media presence to create original content and to participate in conversations related to media representation's impacts on Latina identity in the United States. They utilize the participatory affordances of various digital platforms—such as hashtags, direct messaging, and video editor studios—to post to their personal social media accounts and interact with other users' content online. In doing so, Latinas act as cultural producers whose online activity builds on existing mass media depictions of Latinas while simultaneously interrogating the star marketing strategies, beauty standards, and stereotyped narratives that U.S. legacy media industries have projected onto them. This project uses a combined approach of content, reception, production, and star persona analysis to examine the social media posts related to Latina representation that are produced, viewed, and responded to by U.S.-based Latina cultural producers on the internet. I recognize the 2010s to be the decade when many Latinas utilized the media production and social networking capabilities of sites like YouTube and TikTok to transform themselves into what I define as Social Mediated Latinas: creators of digital content who, in their self-reflexive posts and public discourse, emphasize their ethnoracial identity as an integral part of how they make, view, and critique Latina representation. I survey how three types of Social Mediated Latinas—Internet celebrities, traditional celebrities, and comics creators—foreground their ethnoracial identity on the internet in ways that complicate the legacies of Latina star (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Frederick Aldama (Committee Co-Chair); Jian Chen (Committee Co-Chair); Paloma Martinez-Cruz (Committee Member); Guisela Latorre (Committee Member) Subjects: Ethnic Studies; Film Studies; Gender Studies; Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; Literature; Mass Media; Web Studies; Womens Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, American Culture Studies

This dissertation is based on the lived experiences of five first-generation Latina Immigrants in Norwest, Ohio. The project situates Ohio–a state that is not currently seen as a border state–as a physical border and a borderland. The participants became Latina after they arrived in the United States. I explore my participants' understanding of their Latinidad and what their definitions involve. The last chapter focuses on the relationship between being Latina with belonging and citizenship in Northwest Ohio. Through their day-to-day activities, my five participants have learned to be Latina and have created a sense of belonging in the place where they live via their own definitions of belonging and citizenship.

Committee: Vibha Bhalla Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Valeria Grinberg Pla Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michaela Domiano Ph.D. (Committee Member); Sherri Horner Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: American Studies; Hispanic American Studies; Latin American Studies

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Arts and Sciences: Psychology

Immigrant Latina survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) suffer disproportionately negative consequences from IPV and are less likely to seek formal help compared with non-Latinas. Despite these challenges, some sources of resilience for immigrant Latinas are close family ties and expectations of familial support. Family social support may also be one way of facilitating healing or posttraumatic growth (PTG) following an abusive relationship. Existing research into family support for Latina IPV survivors suggests, however, that not all families are supportive of IPV victims and may discourage formal help-seeking. In addition, there is limited research into PTG in IPV survivors in general and even less that includes Latina survivors in meaningful numbers, thus limiting knowledge of how familial support may impact PTG in this particularly vulnerable population. The current study sought to understand how adult family members of immigrant Latina IPV survivors influence survivors' well-being, ability to leave the relationship and/or seek formal help, and their healing or growth post-relationship. Eight immigrant Latina survivors of IPV, ages 31 to 50, participated in individual, semi-structured interviews in Spanish about familial impacts on their well-being, relationship trajectories, help-seeking, and healing. All participants reported severe physical and psychological IPV; three participants additionally reported sexual IPV. Participants chose an adult family member who was aware of the abuse in their relationship while the relationship was ongoing to focus on. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, anonymized, and translated into English in a two-step process. Data were analyzed using reflexive, inductive thematic analysis. Participants reported extensive effects of the abuse on their well-being, describing both physical and psychological injuries. Most sought help from at least one formal source, though this help-seeking was largely self-initiated (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sarah Whitton Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Farrah Jacquez Ph.D. (Committee Member); Anjali Dutt Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

MFIS, Kent State University, 2024, College of the Arts / School of Fashion

Fashion brands play a crucial role in shaping consumer perceptions in an industry dominated by advertisements. This study investigates the profound influence of diversity in fashion ads on the attitudes, perceptions, and brand affinities of underrepresented consumers, specifically focusing on college-aged Black and Latina females. This study draws on existing literature; encompassing consumer demand for representation, body diversity, ethnic diversity, self-congruity (Sirgy, 1985a), and the Minority stress theory (Meyer, 2003), to uncover connections between diverse representation and consumer behavior. By utilizing a qualitative approach, this research engages participants in an exploration of three sets of fashion advertisements, with the opportunity to answer open-ended prompts. Through thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), the study aims to determine which factors shape consumer attitudes, perceptions, and brand affinities. Altogether, it was found that diverse advertising is a determining factor of positive brand affinity. The significance of this study lies in its potential to inform marketers and brands about the relationship between diversity representation and consumer behavior, fostering more inclusive advertising strategies. As the fashion industry learns to integrate evolving societal norms, this research contributes insights that may continue to redefine conventional beauty standards and empower consumers in choosing which brands to support.

Committee: Kim Hahn Ph. D. (Advisor); Jihyun Kim-Vick Ph. D. (Committee Member); Michelle Burton Ph. D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Ethnic Studies; Marketing; Social Research

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch New England: Marriage and Family Therapy

Parentification, or parent-child role reversal, occurs when children and adolescents take on parental responsibilities within the family (Boszormenyi-Nagy & Spark, 1973). This can include caring for younger siblings, attending to their parents' emotional needs, and assisting with tasks such as translation. Parentification disrupts family dynamics as parents transfer significant responsibilities to the child (Martino & Coburn, 2022). Extensive research consistently demonstrates the negative impact of parentification on children, leading to depression, suicidal feelings, shame, guilt, worry, and social isolation (Jurkovic, 1997). It can also contribute to the development of conduct disorders. Unfortunately, these difficulties often go unnoticed. However, when it comes to language brokering, which can be viewed as a similar experience to parentification as indicated by research, it can yield some positive results, such as developing new skills, improving self-esteem, and contributing to family survival (Kam et al., 2017; Martino & Coburn, 2022). Limited research exists on factors that alleviate the impact of parentification in Latine and Hispanic households, and despite its potential harm, parentification is often rationalized by families for various reasons. Familismo, a cultural value emphasizing loyalty and community within the family (Ayon et al., 2010) may play a significant role in the experiences of Latine parentified individuals. Familismo promotes unity, support, and loyalty within the family, resulting in enhanced self-esteem, a strong sense of belonging, and deep respect for the cultural community and family members (Fuligni et al., 1999; Ayon et al., 2010, Montero & Ceballo, 2021; Walker et al., 2022). This quantitative study demonstrates that familismo acts as a moderator in the relationship between parentification and depression. Specifically, this study reveals that higher levels of familismo weaken the link between parentification and depression. This d (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kevin Lyness Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Denzel Jones Ph.D. (Committee Member); Bryson Greaves Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Families and Family Life; Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; Individual and Family Studies; Latin American Studies; Mental Health; Therapy

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Educational Studies

About 35,000 community college students transfer annually to four-year institutions (Glynn, 2019), twenty-three percent of students within undergraduate programs identify as Latina (U.S. Department of Education, 2021), and about 408,000 college students identify as undocu/DACAmented (American Immigration Council and Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education, 2023). Students with these identities face a range of experiences from financial concerns and misinformation to finding community with peers, involvement with community organizations, and more. What about students who hold all three of these identities? This thesis centers the experiences of three undocumented Latina community college transfer students' experiences in post-secondary institutions. Specifically, I ask, what are the experiences of undocumented Latina community college transfer students in accessing resources within post-secondary institutions? Using narrative inquiry as my methodology and theoretical frameworks of Critical Race Theory in Higher Education and LatCrit, I collected student narratives to understand their experiences. Using a Three-Dimensional Space Structure Approach, I restoried the narratives, and constructed five major themes: A Mixed Bag: Interactions with Faculty and Staff, Community of Peers: Seen and Valued, Transfer Process and Transition: “So I Had to Figure it Out on My Own”, At What Cost? and “They Are Supposed to Be Supporting Students of All Backgrounds.” Recommendations for higher education professionals and for future research are made.

Committee: Jasmine Abukar (Advisor); Kristen Mills (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2023, College of Education and Human Services

Urban ethnic churches across the nation continue to be beacons of light in communities throughout the United States. The people within have endured the same centralized struggles found in every impoverished urban neighborhood, be it crime or gentrification. Many, like the millions of Latinos across America, find respite in belonging to ethnic spaces where they can preserve parts of their cultural identities as they navigate the duality of their culture, what it means to be Latino, while navigating acculturation, what it means to be American. Whether they are immigrants, English Language Learners, or second-and-third-generation Latinos, the meaning-making found in faith-based affinity groups, like ethnic churches, where faith and ethnicity intersect, can serve as a source for understanding leadership and social mobility among minority groups. The leaders of these communities, or pastors, have a unique ability to function as transformational leaders, gatekeepers of social capital, and agents of social and economic advancement in addition to their role as spiritual leaders. This hermeneutic phenomenological study conducted in the Midwest region of the United State States, questions whether urban pastors perceive themselves as social and economic transformational agents, and how keen they are on discovering the meaning-making that happens within the walls of their often small but mighty congregations. When urban Latina/o pastors and their churches discover the intersection of their ethnic and religious identity and their ability to use their social capital through trust (Coleman, 1988), networks (Bourdieu, 1986), and resources (Putman, 2000), they may not only empower their congregations spiritually but also socially and economically.

Committee: Frederick Hampton (Advisor); Steven Sanders (Committee Member); Mary Frances Buckley-Marudas (Committee Member); Katherine Clonan-Roy (Committee Member) Subjects: Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; Regional Studies; Religion; Spirituality; Theology

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2023, Psychology

According to the World Health Organization (2012), intimate partner violence (IPV) affects individuals of any socioeconomic, religious, or cultural identity. Hispanics make up 18.7% of the United States population (Jones et al., 2021) and about half of the immigrant population in the United States are Hispanic (Budiman et al., 2020), yet research on Hispanic women who have experienced IPV is limited. The present study was a secondary data analysis of the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) in the United States, and sought to examine differences in IPV, access to services, and barriers among Hispanic women born in the United States and abroad. Results indicated a significant difference between place they were born and their level of reporting physical violence. Specifically, Hispanic women born in the United States were more likely to report experiencing physical violence in the past 12-months compared to Hispanic women born outside of the country. There was no difference in rate of experiencing sexual violence in the past 12-months. Barriers and need for formal services such as medical, housing, victim's advocate, legal, and law enforcement were examined in an exploratory manner. Overall, findings from this study may be helpful in guiding interventions and offering resources that are sensitive to the unique needs and experiences of Hispanic women from different backgrounds.

Committee: Stacey Raj Ph.D (Committee Chair); Kathleen Hart Ph.D, ABPP (Committee Member); Diane Ceo-DiFrancesco Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, EDU Teaching and Learning

Women of color have theorized in scholarly, informal, and communal ways for centuries about the simultaneous racism, sexism, and other concurrent forms of oppression they experience (e.g., Aleman, 2018; Crenshaw, 1991; Robinson, 1851). Research demonstrates that institutional intersectional oppression has harmful effects on women of color at all levels within higher education (Gutierrez y Muhs et al., 2012; Mckee & Delgado, 2020; Niemann et al., 2020; Patton & Njoku, 2019). Such effects, coupled with alarming rates of mental health issues in graduate education (Evans et al., 2018), provide a bleak context for Black and Latine women pursuing PhDs. Using Critical Race Feminism and feminist qualitative inquiry, this dissertation illuminates how Black and Latine women PhD students within the field of education experience, resist against, and rejuvenate from gendered racism during graduate education. The central focus of this inquiry is rest, defined as a period of freedom from labor and stressors, during which one can cultivate peace of mind, body, and spirit. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews and a collective rest space, an emerging feminist and culturally-based approach similar to an informal focus group, this study investigates a) the raced and gendered experiences of Black and Latine women PhD students in education, b) how Black and Latine women in education PhD programs conceptually and literally engage with rest while pursuing a degree, and c) how Black and Latine women in education PhD programs use rest, resistance, and rejuvenation to persist.

Committee: Timothy San Pedro (Committee Chair); Cynthia Tyson (Committee Member); Stephen Quaye (Committee Member); Michiko Hikida (Committee Member) Subjects: Black Studies; Education; Ethnic Studies; Gender Studies; Higher Education; Hispanic Americans; Womens Studies

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Health Education

Study One Purpose: Latina women face various health disparities and social determinants of health based off their ethnicity, age, sex, and socioeconomic profile. A sample of Latina women between the ages 40 and 65 years old from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was assessed to measure health status, health care access, and preventive health seeking behaviors (PHSBs). Methods: Secondary data analysis of BRFSS, a system of health-related telephone surveys was conducted with 19 variables. Results: The final sample size was N = 8,621. For questionnaire language 4,714 completed the questionnaire in English and 3,907 in Spanish. Results showed that 74.2% (n = 6,383) rated their health as being good or better. Regarding PHSBs majority of the participants received a mammography exam, a colonoscopy, had a routine check-up and dental visit. As for health care access most reported having health care coverage through an employer or union however, 18.3% (n = 1,569) of participants could not see a doctor because of cost within the past 12 months. Pearson Chi-square revealed statistical associations in reported PHSBs, health status, and health care access factors by demographics and questionnaire language. ANOVA testing revealed statistical significance in total number of PHSBs by demographic characteristics. Those who had reported poor health care access factors had lower mean scores for total PHSBs. Conclusion: Low educational attainment, low income, and lack of insurance are contributing factors for Latinas in receiving the recommended care to enhance their health status and quality of life. Study Two Purpose: Health disparities around sexually transmitted diseases, cervical cancer, and diabetes are prevalent for Latina women. These health disparities can also exist in association with engaging in health risk behaviors. A sample of Latina women between the ages 18 and 40 years old fr (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Liliana Rojas-Guyler Ph.D. (Committee Member); Rebecca Vidourek Ph.D. (Committee Member); Amy Bernard Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Education

Master of Arts, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, Psychology

Latinx youth in the United States report higher levels of internalizing symptoms than their White non-Latinx counterparts. Culturally unique factors and values such as language proficiency and use, respeto, familismo, religiosity and spirituality, gender role beliefs, and U.S.-centered acculturative gaps have been shown to be associated with internalizing symptomatology. However, intergenerational discrepancies in these culturally-based factors require further examination in Latinx adolescents. This study explored the relationship between cultural factors and intergenerational cultural differences on adolescent internalizing symptoms. An online survey (N = 91) included a racially and ethnically diverse sample of Latinx adolescents between the ages of 11 - 16 (mean = 14, SD = 1.27) and one of their parents.. Responses indicated that the association between cultural factors on internalizing symptoms may in part be explained by intergenerational differences in English language use and proficiency, intergenerational interpersonal religious struggles, and U.S.-centered acculturative gaps.

Committee: Amy Przeworski (Committee Chair); Arin Connell (Committee Co-Chair); Julie Exline (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Developmental Psychology; English As A Second Language; Gender; Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; Individual and Family Studies; Language; Latin American Studies; Psychology

BS, Kent State University, 2021, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Anthropology

In a world of countless identities, people often face challenges when forming their own. These identities are enriched and influenced by many sources. When forming one's identity, some people face the challenge of belonging to several groups that overlap. One such example is the Latin@ communities and the LGBTQ+ communities. These intersecting identities are elaborately intertwined and require a lens that examines this overlap. The theory of intersectionality is the primary lens used in this thesis. The goal of this research is to answer the question: How do Latin@ people who belong within the LGBTQ+ community negotiate their intersecting identities?

Committee: Evgenia Fotiou Ph.D. (Advisor); Michelle Bebber Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lauren Vachon Ph.D. (Committee Member); Suzy D'Enbeau Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Cultural Anthropology; Gender; Gender Studies; Womens Studies

Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2019, English

This thesis explores how Sandra Cisneros's writing uses the reinterpretation of myths to more fully realize mestiza identity. It uses Gloria Anzaldua's model of "the Coatlicue State" to explain how Cisneros addresses women's ownership of their sexuality in her novel The House on Mango Street and in three short stories. The Coatlicue State reflects the subterranean aspects of one's identity that are repressed by the societal and cultural milieu and encourages movement towards a reconciliation the the repressed parts of the self and an embrace of all parts of a mestiza's mix of identities. Anzaldua sees this integration of the self in mythic terms, regarding the tropes of la Llorona, la Malinche, and the Virgin of Guadalupe as dismembered versions of Coatlicue. Cisneros's characters exist is cultural circumstances where these tropes influence their ways of being. In The House on Mango Street, Esperanza begins to escape the traps of cultural mythologies by writing her own story, defining herself as a way of leaving behind mythic scripts enforced on women in her community. In "Never Marry a Mexican," Clemencia demonstrates the danger of what happens when Anzaldua's Coatlicue State is perverted; in it, she claims sexual agency by asserting dominance, reversing but still recreating oppressive dynamics. In "One Holy Night," Cisneros highlights the shame that a woman is expected to feel about expressing her sexuality. Rather than feeling ashamed, as authority figures in her life expect, the narrator's sexual awakening prompts an intellectual awakening in which she is able to better understand the world around her. In "Woman Hollering Creek," Felice shows that not only must destructive mythologies be reinterpreted, the reinterpretations must be shared for the empowerment of others.

Committee: Kate Polak (Advisor); Scot Hinson (Committee Member); Sheree Henlon (Committee Member) Subjects: American Literature; Ethnic Studies; Gender Studies; Latin American Literature; Latin American Studies; Literature

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Although Latinx communities are highly concerned with the environment, there is a lack of scholarship on Latinx environmentalism. Mainstream environmentalism is founded on a history of colonialism and racism, and thus this dissertation argues that Latinx communities have an environmentalism that is oppositional to the mainstream by acknowledging histories of colonialism and white supremacy. With growing concern about climate crisis in the public eye, this dissertation examines various types of Latinx creative expression, from music and poetry to photography and jewelry making, in order to explore oppositional environmentalism among Latinx communities. One musician, Lido Pimienta, constructs an embodied sense of environmentalism in her music videos, speeches, and performances that is built on her own experiences, and the history of her Afro-Indigenous communities. Young Latinx reporters and photographers for small regional presses in California use their photography and essays to present an alternative foundation for fighting drought conditions--one that is a critique of a capitalist view of water as a resource. The comics of Breena Nunez center Afro-Latinx queer people while imagining a different world where environmentalism rejects environmental fascism wholeheartedly. Finally, interviews with artists April Montiel and Aideed Medina discuss the importance of art in environmentalism, and the role the creative process has in fighting for a better future.

Committee: Guisela Latorre (Advisor); Wendy Smooth (Committee Member); Frederick Aldama (Committee Member); Miranda Martinez (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Studies; Ethnic Studies; Gender Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2020, English

Bodies of Knowledge promotes the investigation of dance literature, or texts that emphasize dance choreography, cultural origins of dance forms, and the development of a kinesthetic sense of self. In particular, I look at how Latina writers embrace dance as a way of negotiating and expanding experiences of cultural difference. To do so I use the term "embodied knowledge" - developed from dance studies scholars like Didre Sklar and Susan Leigh Foster (among others) - to identify the way bodily practices inform social identities. I expand upon this term by arguing that it is part of a process of becoming wherein a dancer's somatic awareness also informs her gender, sexuality, and cultural belonging. I align this term with Latina writers like Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua, who argue that the racialized body is a site of transformation through the imagination. Through the literary representations of dancing Latina bodies, I contend language is a vital component of the embodied knowledge of dance because it activates what Joseph Roach calls the kinesthetic imagination. I argue the narratives in this dissertation initiate embodied knowledge through the kinesthetic imagination which results in complex representations of Latinas. I focus on dance literature written in the transition between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. During this period, Latina authors presented narratives where protagonists began to make choices independent of either Latin American or United States cultures. The first-person narratives in this dissertation emphasize the crucial role the body plays in both learning how to dance and learning how to navigate cultural contexts as Latinas, in all various iterations, because of this attention to embodiment. The texts - Esmeralda Santiago's memoirs, When I Was Puerto Rican (1993), Almost a Woman (1998), and The Turkish Lover (2004), Alma Guillermoprieto's memoir, Dancing with Cuba (2004), Ana Castillo's novel Peel My Love Like an Onion (1999 (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Andrew Hebard (Advisor); Katie Johnson (Committee Member); Tim Melley (Committee Member); Elena Albarrán (Committee Member) Subjects: Dance; Literature; Performing Arts

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2020, Educational Leadership

While Latinx students struggle to endure negative stereotypes, microaggressions and other forms of discrimination, they are still one of the fastest growing populations in US higher education. Several studies conducted on the experiences of Latinx students at predominantly white institutions conclude that poor racial climates deter these students from establishing a sense of belonging. With that said, it is important to understand what support systems are available for Latinx students. This study examines the experiences of Latinx students and their relationship to a campus multicultural center. Furthermore, this study explores how Latinx students might make meaning within the multicultural center. Like their Black counterparts, it is important to acknowledge that Latinx students also face discrimination, racism, alienation, and marginalization on campus (Harper & Hurtado, 2007, p. 9) and thus also need to build community and support through counterspaces (Yosso, Smith, Ceja & Solorzano, 2009). To demonstrate the importance of community and counterspaces, this study drew upon homeplace which hooks (1990) describes as a “site of resistance” engaged in community, healing, and escape from racist domination. To draw on the experiences of Latinx students and understand their relationship to the multicultural center and determine if a sense of homeplace was established, the researcher conducted a miniethnographic case study and employed methods which consisted of participant interviews, observations, and document analysis. This approach provided an intersectional way to explore the relationship between Latinx students and the multicultural through the guise of their experiences on campus and the multicultural center. While studies on multicultural centers have focused on the experiences of Black students within Black Cultural Centers, this study offered a nuanced perspective from the lens of Latinx students at a predominantly white institution.

Committee: Denise Baszile (Advisor); Lisa Weems (Committee Member); Thomas Poetter (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Higher Education; Higher Education Administration; Hispanic American Studies; Hispanic Americans; Latin American Studies

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2019, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

This qualitative research design focused on the various treatment dimensions of Curanderismo and explored it as a possible compliment with traditional Western psychotherapy. The principal investigator gathered information about the treatment provided in Curanderismo and gained a deeper understanding of participant's lived experiences during such healings. This study also aimed to understand how individuals made the choice to seek treatment with a curandero/a, as well as if a deeper understanding of such treatment could help the mental health field be better informed care providers to the Latino/a community. Phenomenological research methodology was used in efforts to grasp how the participants, as individuals, experienced Mexican Curanderismo. Through a semi-structured life world interview, data was collected from eight participants: four Curanderos and four non-Curanderos, both sets represented by two males and two females. The central research questions were as followed: 1) How do curandero/as and clients of curandero/as describe Curanderismo? 2) What is the lived experience of curandero/as when they are providing treatment to a client? 3) What is the lived experience of a Latino/a being treated by an American trained clinical psychologist? 4) What are the traditional assessment and treatment protocols of Curanderismo? 5) What are the positive and negative perceived societal views of Curanderismo? 6) How can Curanderismo be integrated in Western mental health to better serve Latino/as? Twelve themes were the foremost emergent themes throughout this research study as it encompassed much of the combined lived experiences of the eight research participants. The themes that emerged were as follows: 1) La Terminologia [The Terminology]; 2) El Don [The Gift]; 3) Auto-Cuidado [Self-Care]; 4) Los Guias [The Guides]; 5) Puro Cerebro [Pure Cerebral]; 6) La Farmacologia [The Pharmacology]; 7) Pura Magia [Pure Magic]; 8) La Conexion [The Connection]; 9) Es Brujeria [It's Witc (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Brett Kia-Keating EdD (Advisor); George Bermudez PhD, PsyD (Committee Member); David Hoskins PsyD (Committee Member) Subjects: Hispanic American Studies; Psychology; Psychotherapy

PHD, Kent State University, 2018, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

Despite the overall risks associated with adolescent motherhood and ethnic minority status, the childrearing contexts of Latina adolescent mothers are not well understood due to a dearth of research including these families (Hans & Thullen, 2009; Mistry et al., 2016). Research has advanced understanding of parenting within these family contexts by examining within-group variation in cultural orientation, rather than simply comparing across ethnic groups. Current theories emphasize the need to take a comprehensive, bi-dimensional (i.e., along acculturation and enculturation dimensions) approach to the measurement of cultural orientation. However, many of the available studies have used unidimensional scales (i.e., more or less U.S. acculturation) or rely on proxy variables (e.g., nativity, generational status, language use) to represent a much more nuanced construct. Even studies that use bi-dimensional scales and include items that tap several of the important components of cultural orientation (e.g., language use, social engagement, cultural identity, specific values) rarely examine these specific aspects in the inclusive and integrated way that is necessary for understanding how cultural orientation impacts parenting behaviors. The current study examined this broader cultural orientation measurement issue within a specific at-risk group of young Latina mothers. The first aim was to identify questionnaire items to represent four components of cultural orientation (language use, social engagement, cultural identity, family respect) along separate dimensions of U.S. acculturation and Latina enculturation. The second aim was to examine how these components of cultural orientation differentially relate to variations in culturally-salient parenting behaviors (directiveness, cognitive stimulation, sensitivity) employed by young Latina mothers (N = 170). Mothers self-reported on three measures of cultural orientation, and several interactions with their 18-month-ol (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Josefina Grau Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Manfred van Dulmen Ph.D. (Committee Member); Beth Wildman Ph.D. (Committee Member); Karla Anhalt Ph.D. (Committee Member); Susan Roxburgh Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2018, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

Childhood cancers remain the number one cause of death by disease in children across the world (National Cancer Institute, 2018). Childhood cancers affect children and families of all ages, cultures, and socioeconomic demographics. Although literature exists on various styles of therapeutic and emotional support for families affected by childhood cancer, the data are extremely sparse and a comprehensive meta-analysis of culturally relevant psychosocial support efforts specific to Mexican-American and Latino children and families does not exist. This paper will provide thoroughly researched psychosocial interventions and best practices specific to families affected by childhood cancer. The paper will build on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a transdiagnostic and third wave branch of behavioral intervention. The writer proposes a treatment approach that incorporates culturally sensitive themes for use with Latino and Mexican-American families impacted by childhood cancer. An emphasis will be placed on concepts related to familismo, personalismo, respeto, simpatia, and the belief in fatalism as a means of dealing with the cancer experience. The intervention will focus on religion, spirituality, and family narratives, as well as curative and traditional foods found to provide a sense of healing and nurturing to most individuals and families within the Latino and Mexican-American cultures. These constructs and values will be interwoven into each of the six weekly sessions of the culturally conscious ACT modality. This will be done to emphasize the unique needs and constructs of the Latino and Mexican-American cultures in hopes of creating efficacious psychosocial treatment. This Dissertation is available in Open Access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu and OhioLink ETD Center, http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd

Committee: Betsy Bates Freed Psy.D (Committee Chair); Daniel Schwartz Ph.D. (Committee Member); Daniel Greenfield M.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Families and Family Life; Health Care; Multicultural Education; Oncology; Psychology; Religion; Spirituality

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2018, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

The occurrence of specific types of mental health problems could be influenced by several factors. Immigration experiences can bring additional distress to the individual. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to expand current knowledge of the experience of Latinas immigrating to the United States during their adolescence in hopes to get a deeper understanding of possible mental health concerns of this specific population. This study included an extensive review of literature regarding adolescent development, Latino immigration into the United States, cultural identity, gender issues, racism, xenophobia, and mental health concerns. A phenomenological methodology approach was used for this study to understand the messages and common themes from interviews directly from individuals who have experienced this phenomenon. The criteria for this study included a sample of eight participants. These participants screened met the criteria; adult women immigrating as adolescents to the United States from any Latin American country. Participants shared their testimonies and provided meaningful information regarding the significance of their immigration experiences as adolescents. Themes identified were participant's experiences of leaving their country, arriving in the United States, and adjustment during the first year after immigration. Interviews lasted for approximately 60 minutes with each participant who answered 11 open-ended questions about their experiences. The interviews conducted were in the participants' language of choice (Spanish/English). The data obtained from the interviews was translated as necessary, transcribed and analyzed using Dedoose Software using qualitative methodology. In this study, six meaning themes emerged. Data results revealed adolescent Latina immigrants might experience family distress, parenting, separation/reunification, emotional process of adjustment, cultural/social issues, socioeconomic matters, and psychological (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ronald Pilato PsyD (Committee Chair); Salvador Trevino PhD (Committee Member); Oksana Yakushko PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Counseling Psychology; Families and Family Life; Gender; Hispanic Americans; Latin American Studies