Commentaries

Latino Families: Partners for Success in School Settings Miguel A. Perez, Helda L. Pinzon, Reuben David Garza

ne of the eight priorities delineated in Goals 2000: 0 Educate America involves increasing parental partici- pation in their children’s educational process. In fact, research has identified parental involvement as a pivotal determinant of academic success. I-) Educational researchers have suggested three possible benefits of family involve- ment in school health education: 1) improvement of the child’s performance; 2) empowerment of families to contribute to what is being taught in the classroom; and 3) motivation of family members to learn from the classroom instruction through conversations with their ~hildren.~

A family’s traditions, beliefs, and biases in regard to health are generally assimilated by children at an early age. This process in turn affects how children process and assimilate information received at s ~ h o o l . ~ . ~ Providing a context for students to understand and apply what is being taught at home and school presents a strong argument for encouraging active family involvement in the This process requires replacing traditional parental school activi- ties with more active participation in educational entities and active involvement by members of “minority” groups.

Parents of under-represented students often do not actively participate in their children’s educational p r o c e ~ s . ~ ~ ’ ~ ~ Factors such as poverty, single parent homes, low educational levels, time constraints, and barriers to communication between school and family contribute to the negligible levels of family involvement in the schools.’o~” In some cases, this involvement is limited by the perception that family presence may hinder the teacher’s autonomy. Suggestions are provided for increas- ing Latino family involvement in school-based comprehen- sive health education programs.

LATINO FAMILY STRUCTURE Latinos tend to think in “usJour” rather than “I” terms.

Therefore, traditional Latino families often sacrifice their personal goals to enhance the welfare of their family. This collective mentality permits individuals to gladly exchange personal needs for the good of la familia (the family).

Adult children often remain by their parents’ side to care for them even if they have developed families of their own.

Miguel A. Perez, PhD, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation; and Helda L. Pinzdn. PhD. RN, CHES, Grant Writing Specialist, Student Health Center, University of North Texas, Denron, TX 76203; Reuben David Garza, Migrant Health Coordinator, California Primary Care Associat ion, 1127 11th St., Suite 310, Sacramento, CA 95814. This article was submitted October I S , 1996, and revised and accepted for publication February 26, 1997.

This intergenerational dependency among Latino families is apparent in the not-too-unusual consultation and involve- ment of grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins in a variety of decision-making activities ranging from educa- tion to health.’* In these cases, communication tends to be unidirectional with younger and less experienced genera- tions benefiting from the knowledge of their older relatives.

Strong family ties with the nuclear and extended family serve as a source of self-esteem and self-identity to Latinos. One of the most positive aspects of this family unity involves providing an easily accessible support group for family members. Individuals can turn to any or all members of their immediate families for the support they need, be it emotional or economical. This type of unity is summarized in the common Spanish expression donde come uno comen dos, literally meaning that two can feed from a portion for one. Its implications, however, extend beyond food and include the person’s entire well-being.

HEALTH PRACTICES IN THE LATINO CULTURE

School health educators must be knowledgeable about ethnic health practices which fall outside the realm of Western medicine. Familiarity with Latino health practices is essential if school health educators are to communicate effectively with their students of Latino descent and their families. This includes understanding the most relevant aspects of Latino health-related beliefs and practices.

Some Latinos perceive health as an intricate relationship between the social and spiritual realms. Illnesses are perceived to result from imbalances in body fluids. Regaining those balances through use of home remedies or other alternative forms of healing often will be explored prior to consulting a physician. Curanderos (folk healers) play a key role in meeting Latino health care needs. Ailments like mal de ojos (evil eye), moyera caida (fallen fontanel), and empacho (indigestion) are among the illnesses treated by curanderos. Similarly, sobadores(as) (masseusers) are depended on to care for dislocated and/or broken bones and back pains. Finally, parteras (lay midwives) are used as an alternative to a hospital birth.

Religious rituals tend to accompany medical treatment. Individuals or their families may make promesas (promises) to their favorite or patron saint in exchange for the return of good health. These promises may include pilgrimages to shrines, personal sacrifices, economic contributions, or offering novenarias (novenas).”

182 Journal of School Health May 1997, Vol. 67, No. 5

STRATEGIES FOR FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

Health education should acknowledge the symbiotic relationship between individuals and their environment. Though Latino families have not been actively involved in the education of their ~ h i l d r e n , ’ ~ several strategies can be employed b j DcLlwwl L A L b L D Lw ,,,;act Latino parents.

1) Educators must make a commitment to working with members of diverse groups. School administrators and the local parent teacher association can work together to iden- tify the community resources, including people, available to the school health educator. This commitment must be supported in terms of economic sources which enable the hiring of individuals to act as consultants for the planning, development, and implementation of recruitment strategies from Latino groups.

2) School districts must move beyond traditional parental roles and encourage Latino parents, as well as extended families, to provide input for the school’s educa- tional strategies. Researchers suggested that educators be aware of parental skill levels, time constraints, and work schedule^.^^ Parental involvement will increase when educators obtain more information about the parents. This can be achieved through a needs assessment conducted at the beginning of the process.

3) Some researchers argued that seeking universal solu- tions in the development of health promotion programs can be problematic from a planning perspective.I6 Con- sequently, comprehensive school health education curricula must account for the incorporation and understanding of health practices, health education, and health promotion as culturally determined.I7 Comprehensive school health education should combine scientific knowledge with those health practices with which students are most familiar. In this instance, family members would be invaluable as guest speakers on some of these issues.

4) Seeking family input in the development and imple- mentation of comprehensive school health curricula will encourage parental ownership of the material. Family involvement in this regard can occur through inclusion of Latino parents on curriculum development advisory boards.

5 ) Many Latino parents, particularly immigrants, receive little if any formal schooling themselves, resulting in unfa- miliarity with the educational system. The U.S. educational system could be demystified through implementation of a school open-door policy. This goal could be achieved by increased teacher-parent contact or through facilitation of community activities held at the schools. For example, the Parent Leadership and Development Program, undertaken at a predominately Black and Latino elementary school in south-central Los Angeles, serves as an entryway for parents to assume leadership roles in their children’s schools. la

6) Developing family involvement activities which are culturally sensitive, bilingual in nature, and more than literal translations from the English text provides another strategy to facilitate communication between parents and schools. Bilingual parents could be invited to serve on translation advisory boards responsible for the accuracy and cultural sensitivity of translated materials. Family involvement also can be achieved by conducting school meetings in Spanish or by providing family members trans-

lation devices that enable them to hear Spanish translations of the proceeding^.'^

7) Establish role model and mentor programs in partner- ship with local professionals. Allowing family members to see success stories from their local communities may prompt them to encourage their children to attain what fulunitu (others) have.

8) Providing classes on English as a second language in the school, particularly for newly immigrant families, would be beneficial. Technical courses could be open to members of student families to teach them practical skills. Some schools have experimented with parent centers on school grounds where Latino parents could obtain social services with encouraging results.

CONCLUSION Active family involvement in comprehensive health

education proves vital for the academic success of children and for continued support of school policies. Cooperation and understanding with family members is particularly important when discussing sensitive or taboo topics. Without family involvement, and to some degree their consent, conflict with long-established health practices will not be easily tolerated or adopted by students .and their families,

Health educators must realize that the alteration of behaviors and the acquisition of new skills is an arduous process. Successful implementation of a school-based health education curricula depends greatly on the ability of teachers to work with families from different cultural back- grounds. Finally, securing the cooperation of family members in accepting concepts that may be new to them is vital for successfully reaching Latino communities in the United States. rn

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12. Fortzpatrick JP. The’Puerto Rican family. In: Mindel CH, Habenstein RW, eds. Ethnic Families i n America: Patterns and Variations. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevief Science Publishing Co Inc; 1981.

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