Latino Children and Families in the United States

Book excerpt: The Latino population in the United States continues to grow and now represents 12% of the population. Yet, remarkably little attention has been paid to understanding parenting and child development processes among Latino families. Although research on Latino parenting is beginning to emerge, the field is in need of further structure and direction. This volume addresses this need and advances the field both by presenting state-of-the-art research on Latino parenting and also by proposing conceptual and methodological frameworks that can provide the field with further integration and direction. In addition to presenting innovative research examining parental beliefs and practices of Latino families from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, authors provide frameworks for identifying the origins of these beliefs and practices, and provide a rich picture of both the values that can be considered Latino and the social and demographic normative and at-risk Latino samples. Finally, methodological and conceptual recommendations for future research on each cited area, as well as the field, are presented.