Thread: Hispanic Mothers Are Stay At Home

I saw this on the front page of the Miami Herald today and this made me frustrated as other women must keep working. They don't mention illegals or discrimination against us non Hispanic but they both should be included. First of all, those Hispanic legals who have an education have lots of scholarships availible to them especially Cubans in Miami. They can afford to go to the private University of Miami whereas many of us couldn't afford it let alone get a scholarship. Secondly many of them must be getting extra money somewhere as they have 3 or 4 kids drive expensive vehicles, have their designer clothing, purses, sunglasses not to mention jewelry.
I think a large number of them must be illegal or they are playing the same game with foodstamps and other handouts. One group must educate the others how to use the system.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/ne ... 278452.htm

More Hispanic moms putting careers on holdDespite the financial strain, more women, especially Hispanics, are quitting their jobs for a few years to raise children, according to government data.
BY CINDY KRISCHER GOODMAN
cgoodman@MiamiHerald.com
Blog | The Work/Life Balancing Act
When defense lawyer Annette Gomez Suarez became pregnant, she left her job to devote more time to diapers and play groups.

Three years later, Suarez, 38, has a toddler and an infant and is pondering a return to the workforce. ``I would like to do something part time and work for someone else.''

Bureau of Labor statistics show that more new mothers at all income levels are taking job breaks for the first few years of their children's lives. The group taking these breaks in the greatest numbers is Hispanic mothers of infants, a trend that until now has received little attention. Nationally, only 34 percent of Hispanic mothers with infants are working, compared with 53 percent of all married mothers of infants.

The study's findings have big implications in South Florida. In Miami-Dade County, about 60 percent of new mothers are Hispanic; in Broward County, it's about 30 percent.

''In the Hispanic culture, the value of family is huge and the desire to be a hands-on parent is strong,'' said Sylvia Hewlett, president of the Center for Work-Life Policy.

A FAST-GROWING GROUP

Few groups spark as much national interest as the Hispanic population, which is growing faster than other ethnicities. Culture plays a role in new mothers' decisions to leave the labor force. So does economics. And now, researchers are looking at the other factors that influence work and family patterns.

Hispanic women are having more children and having them younger, fertility studies by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show. In addition, incomes for Hispanic women are lower than that of other groups. Now, researchers are looking at when the generation of women immigrated to the United States, their country of origin and their socioeconomic group, and how fertility and labor-force participation are affected.

When married Hispanic mothers leave the workforce -- nationally and locally -- they do so mostly for the first year of their child's life. By the time their youngest child is 10, the percentage of Hispanic mothers that participate in the labor force doubles. The increase is less dramatic in the overall population, Census figures show.

''This is particularly true for college-educated Hispanics,'' notes Maria Aysa-Lastra, a sociologist and professor at Florida International University. ``They want to stay home with newborns because research has proven that first year of life is important, and daily presence of Mom has an impact on a child's performance.''

Lourdes Castillo, 39, currently ranks among the stay-at-home mothers in Miami-Dade County. Born to Cuban parents, she says her culture weighed heavily on her decision to close her public-relations firm after giving birth. Castillo now has four kids under age 7; the youngest is an infant. But she says as soon as that child enters school, she will return to the workforce.

''My Hispanic background makes me value staying home, but the truth is being a stay-at-home mom is difficult for me,'' Castillo says. ``Running a business is easier.''

RAISING THE CHILD

In South Florida's diverse Hispanic community, many factors are at play in decisions to pack away the business clothes, even temporarily.

Certainly, the importance of women's paychecks to their families has continued to increase, making it more challenging to pay the bills when a mother stays at home. But there's another issue, too -- child care.

Hispanics feel guilty about leaving a child in day care, said Jeannette Kaplun, raised in Chile and now the Miami-based editor of Todobebé, a website and weekly Telemundo TV parenting show. ``They feel you are doing something wrong if you are not taking care of your baby in the beginning.''

For that reason, a key ingredient in Hispanic labor-force participation may be family support. Researchers believe that the generation of immigration and whether mothers have parents or grandparents to help with child care affects work decisions.

''If Hispanic women return to work, the first option is a trusted family member,'' Kaplun said. ``Child care is the last option, very expensive and culturally not accepted. Tolerated, but not accepted.''

Whether there is a long-term shift toward fewer new mothers staying home and how that plays out in South Florida remains to be seen. Data from 2005 show a slight uptick in new mothers' rate of employment nationally.

THE PRICE OF SACRIFICE

Meanwhile, many married couples, like the Suarezes, are scraping by on one income, sacrificing to remain middle class for the sake of family values. In Suarez's case, the family gave up half of its household income for Mom to stay home. But for how long is unclear.

Says Suarez: ``Finances would certainly be one of the reasons I would go back.''

I guess what hits me when I read that is they act like the American culture didn't value stay at home moms or that we even have any. I guess of course no other group hasseled with finances or child care or weren't forced back to work because of economic means......I mean it read like it's just some "new" turmoil facing hispanic women who are more family oriented than any other mothers. Must have been my imagination that my ex and I worked seperate shifts because we didn't want our children in "child care" either and didn't have grandmas and grandpas who could watch them because they were having to work as well. Lord knows it must have been that American greed that made me work the midnight shift because my husband didn't make enough money at a 40 a week factory job to meet our basic expenses. We drove a beater car and our "treats" were a free library video and popcorn. (On regular old TV with no cable that we got at a garage sale for 10 bucks) Yep that was the life!

Nationally, only 34 percent of Hispanic mothers with infants are working, compared with 53 percent of all married mothers of infants.

This is probably because now that they have thier anchor baby they can get food stamps and WIC.

Child care is the last option, very expensive and culturally not accepted. Tolerated, but not accepted

Well, I don't live in Florida but it is tolerated pretty well in my neighborhood. I know of about 6 illegal ladies who babysit for the other illegal moms in the neighborhood.

Originally Posted by crazybird

I guess what hits me when I read that is they act like the American culture didn't value stay at home moms or that we even have any. I mean it read like it's just some "new" turmoil facing hispanic women who are more family oriented than any other mothers.

Crazybird, that's what I took from the article too, and this really ticks me off. I could go on and on about the need for moms to stay home with their babies (IMO), but the reality IS that most American families need two incomes. And like you said, it isn't because they won't sacrifice, it is because they HAVE to. This article celebrates Hispanic woman like they are more family oriented, more maternal and willing to sacrifice but we aren't?!!! BS! I couldn't stay at home with my first, but made it work for my second child. But I STILL have to work, I just do it from home so I can be here when the kids get home from school. I am lucky that I am able to do that, but I would venture a guess that a lot of American moms don't have that luxery.

Everyone must face the opportunity costs of children. The birthrate in America says to me that for many Americans, children are "inferior" goods, and I'm using the economic term here. Americans choose fewer children in favor of other things.
The willingness of any woman and family to bear large opportunity costs on behalf of the children must be praised methinks.

I think that Americans don't have more than one or two children because they know what they can afford and many lower income ones are too proud to use the system. If these Hispanic women are at home and their husband doesn't make enough, just as the illegals they know where to go to get freebies. They also don't sacrific as they make you believe as I see them at the mall or grocery store with the kids in expensive strollers and they are dressed in clothing that doesn't come from K Mart or Wal Mart. Then you also see them meet their friends at Starbuck's for that much needed break. It is easy to tell as they don't speak English.

Originally Posted by swatchick

I think that Americans don't have more than one or two children because they know what they can afford and many lower income ones are too proud to use the system. If these Hispanic women are at home and their husband doesn't make enough, just as the illegals they know where to go to get freebies. They also don't sacrific as they make you believe as I see them at the mall or grocery store with the kids in expensive strollers and they are dressed in clothing that doesn't come from K Mart or Wal Mart. Then you also see them meet their friends at Starbuck's for that much needed break. It is easy to tell as they don't speak English.

There's a difference in the lawyer above and the illegal alien mother. The illegal alien may not have many "opportunity costs" to consider. Children might for them become "desirable goods," or even an "investment," and a path to obtaining a living from the socialist system that rewards individuals with nothing going for them.

There was a lawyer mentioned at first but then they spoke of the majority of women leaving their job are women making little money. In South Florida there are many people who are illegal as they over stayed their visas and just plain illegals. The article fails to mention them.