Curricular Resources > 1984 Volume III > Unit 5 (84.03.05) > Section 2

Hispanic Minorities in the United States

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 84.03.05

Unit Guide

1984: Culture and Conflict: A Discussion of the Experience of the Young Chicana and the Young Puerto Rican Parent

Kathleen London

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References

Acosta Belen, Edna, The Puerto Rican Woman.

Brown, S.V. “Early Childbearing and Poverty: Implications for Social Services”, Adolescence, Vol XVII No.66, Summer, 1982. pp. 397-406.

Del Castillo, Adelaida R. “Sterilization: An Overview”, Mexican Women in the United States , struggles past and present, 1980.

Guttmacher Institute, Teenage Pregnancy : The Problem That Hasn’t Gone Away, 1981.

Horn, Beverly, “Cultural Beliefs and Teenage Pregnancy”, Nurse Practitioner, September, 1983 pp. 35-39.

Martinez, Angel Luis. “The Impact of Adolescent Pregnancy on Hispanic Adolescents and Their Families”, Teenage Pregnancy in a Family Context , Implications for Policy, Ed. T. Ooms, 1981.

Morcano, Juan. “Puerto Rico: Women, Culture and Colonialism”, Slaves of Slaves . The Challenge of Latin American Women . des femmes, 1980.

Murillo, Nathan. “The Mexican American Family”, Chapter 10, Chicanos , Social and Psychological Perspectives. ed. Wagner, N.N Haug, M.J. St. Louis: The C.V. Mosby Company, 1971.

Namerow, P.B. and Jones, J.E. “Ethnic Variation in Adolescent Use of a Contraceptive Service”, Journal of Adolescent Health Care , 3:163-172, 1982.

Salguero, Carlos, “The Role of Ethnic Factors in Adolescent Pregnancy and Motherhood”, In Print, 1984.

Urdaneta, Maria-Luisa, “Flesh Pots, Faith, or Finances? Fertility Rate Among Mexican Americans”, Chapter 8, The Chicano Experience , Ed. S.A. West and J. Macklin. Boulder: Westview Press, inc. 1979.

Lesson One

Objective To provide students with terms and concepts they may encounter in reading about and discussing teenage pregnancy among Hispanic minorities in the United States.

Procedure Divide students into groups of four or five. Assign a recorder for each group. Give each group four or terms written on individual large index cards. Allow 15 minutes for the students to brainstorm in their groups; the recorder will take notes on the index card. Circulate among groups to facilitate discussions.
Review the terms on the board. Have the recorder from each group read the suggested definitions.

Prepare a worksheet for each student to record notes and definitions during the board discussion.

TERMS:

1. assimilation
2. acculturation
3. Chicana
4. culture
5. double standard
6. ethnic
7. ethnicity
8. emigration
9. ethnic identity
10. fertility
11. gender identity
12. immigration
13. machismo
13. macho
14. mores
15. sex roles
16. stereotyping
17. values

Lesson Two

Objective To provide opportunity for students to consider the etiology of a Hispanic teenager’s pregnancy and increase students, knowledge of the dilemmas which confront adolescent parents.

Procedure
Day One—Discussion of family, peer, and societal expectations for males and female

1. What is meant by the phrase, “gender identity”?
2. Where do individuals get messages about what it means to be a boy or a girl? man or woman? (family, relatives, television, magazines, teachers, the Church, friends, films, books)
3. What are some of the generally universal messages girls receive? boys receive?
4. List the suggested responses under columns on the board.
5. Ask students to look at the list for females and identify possible conflicts (ie. between being a mother and a student or career woman; between being passive and obedient and being a high achiever or assertive). Do the same for the males.
6. What is meant by the phrase, “double standard”? Does it still exist?

Day one—alternate—Discussion of Readons for Teenage Pregnancy

1. Consider the following ideas as possible reasons for a young teenager’s pregnancy:

Desire to create something, someone to love
Rebellion
No birth control
To prove she’s a woman
To prove he’s a man
Birth control failure
Peer pressure
Guilt or shame for being sexually active
To avoid other pressures (alcohol, drugs, delinquency)
To get attention from family
To get attention from a boy
Fear of success
Fear of failure

2. Select a number of these suggestions and write them on index cards. Divide students into small groups to have them brainstorm regarding possible reasons. To facilitate discussions, encourage students to be nonjudgemental, to use “I” statements when speaking, and disallow any references to individual students in the class or school community.
3. Summarize discussion by listing possible reasons on the board and encourage students to consider that several factors contribute to the reality of an adolescent’s pregnancy.

Lesson Three

Day One—Pregnancy and Birth

Prepare for viewing the film, MATERNIDAD, by reviewing conception, the stages of pregnancy, labor and delivery. (Burt Saxon’s book, Human Sexuality , is available in all the high schools and most middle schools; it contains a chapter on pregnancy and childbirth). Also, the Time-Life film strips, Life Before Birth, is available in the Institute office.)

Day Two—The film, MATERNIDAD, is available from Planned Parenthood, 129 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, 865-5158.

Questions for discussion:

1. Describe fetal development in the first trimester, the second trimester, the third trimester.
2. How can a father participate in prenatal care?
3. What are the four basic food groups? Plan three nutritious meals for a pregnant woman.
4. Why is it important for the couple to attend the doctor routinely?
5. What does the father in the film learn in the preparation for childbirth classes?
6. How does the father participate during the labor and delivery?
7. Ask each student to think of one word to describe the actual birth. List their words on the board.
8. Invite students to compile a list of qualities or attributes to describe the ideal mother-to-be and father-to-be. The profiles could be composed as a group activity on the board or written as individual assignments.

Lesson Two

Day two— Anna and Miguel Case Study

Have the students read the case study included in the narrative of this unit silently and then aloud.

Suggested questions to guide discussion:

1. How do you think Anna felt when she found out that she was pregnant?
2. How do you think Miguel felt?
3. What are some reasons for their pregnancy? Was it planned or unplanned?
4. Why did Anna move to Miguel’s house? Did Anna’s mother’s response surprise you? Why or why not?
5. What events or factors in Anna’s home may have contributed to her becoming pregnant?
6. Do you think the Church or the family’s religion had anything to do with Anna getting pregnant?
7. Anna enjoyed having her grandmother visit and stay with her. Why did this make her happy?
8. Can you imagine what might be different about Anna’s life compared to her grandmother’s?
9. How does Anna’s life change after the baby is born?
10. Do you think Miguel had realistic expectations about becoming a father? Why or why not?
11. Why does Anna drop out of school?
12. What do you think Anna’s life will be like a year from now? five years from now?
13. In what way does the concept of machismo influence Anna’s life?
14. Would Anna’s life be easier or more difficult in Puerto Rico? Now? In the future?
15. Is there any evidence of the double standard in this study?
16. In what ways do you think Miguel is fulfilling his responsibility as a father and husband? In what ways is he not fulfilling his responsibilities? What are the conflicts he faces?
17. What would you do if you were Anna? Miguel?

Lesson Four

THE ENGAGEMENT RING

Objective To provide opportunity for students to discuss their views about marriage, children, expectations about parenthood, and communication in a relationship.

Procedure The 16 mm film, THE ENGAGEMENT RING, was made in New York in a Puerto Rican neighborhood during the sixties. Students will note quickly that the clothing styles are dated and the couple may not seem representative of the adults they observe. However, these observations can be useful in discussing similarities and differences for young couples today.
Day One:—The film is 25 minutes long. After students watch the film, review the main characters. List the characters and a brief description of each on the board.(ages, relationships)

Day two:—Suggested questions to guide discussion:

1. How does Pedro describe his expectations about his marriage to Isabel? In what ways are his views traditional?
2. What do you think Isabel is thinking about as he talks?
3. What is going through Isabel’s mind when they go looking for an apartment?
4. What is Isabel thinking as she looks at Carmen’s wedding picture? How did you feel about Carmen’s children—why was the little boy unhappy? What was her little girl doing?
5. Isabel tries to tell Pedro that she is scared. What is she scared about? What does she mean when she say, “We must make it good”?
6. When Isabel goes to her friend, Estrelitta, how do you think she feels about her friend’s life?
7. What advice does Estrelitta give Isabel?
8. Why does Isabel’s Aunt Rosa disapprove of Isabel going to the family planning clinic? Do some people hold these views today?
9. What are some of the very traditional responses we hear from Pedro? (ie. Who taught you these crazy things? No wife of mine is going to work. My mother never worked. I don’t need help.)
10. Pedro and Antonio talk. What does Antonio mean when he says, “A man can drive nails all day but that doesn’t make him a carpenter”?
11. Pedro implies that he is worried that his wife may cheat on him if she uses birth control. How does Antonio respond to this?
12. Both Pedro and Isabel ask why Mrs. Agualdo didn’t go for family planning. What are some possible answers?
13. How does Antonio compare the chances for Mrs. Agualdo’s children and his own? Do you agree or disagree?
14. What do you think Isabel and Pedro will do?

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