Lead Investigator/Co-Investigators: Rosalie Corona, Ph.D.

Background: The growing diversity in the U.S. highlights the need for more studies on interethnic and interracial interactions and relationships among youth. This is especially relevant in Richmond, VA given the rapid growth of the Latino population. In fact, between 1990 and 2000, the Latino population in the greater Richmond area increased by 202% (Bon Secours Richmond Health System, 2003). According to the US Census Bureau there were approximately 20,000 living in the greater Richmond area and 327,000 living in Virginia in 2000. The majority of these Latinos are immigrants suggesting that these numbers may underestimate the actual number of Latinos in Richmond and the surrounding areas since it is highly likely that a substantial number of undocumented Latinos did not figure into this estimate. Given this rapid growth, it is imperative that we understand how interethnic and interracial interactions and relationships are forming.
In Richmond, anecdotal evidence suggests increasing racial/ethnic tensions among the various sub-groups. In a community survey of the health and service needs of Latinos living in Richmond, 92% of adults worried about burglaries/thefts, 87% worried about gang activity/violence, and 72% expressed concern about domestic/family violence. Finally, 87% of Latino adults worried about discrimination/prejudice. Information from the qualitative phase of the study also highlighted increasing tensions between the African American and Latino communities. Specifically, parents in the focus groups discussed feeling victimized by African Americans because of their immigration status or their limited English proficiency. Similarly, children discussed fights between Latinos and African Americans at home and school.

Importance: We plan to obtain a richer understanding of these interethnic relationships and interactions through semi-structured interviews with Latino children and their parents. The information gained from this study can aid in the development and implementation of culturally responsive activities to prevent and reduce violence associated with prejudice and intolerance. For example, parents may need support in helping their children negotiate multicultural interactions and racism, youth may need help in becoming aware of the growing diversity in Richmond and what it means in terms of their own identity and development, and school and community leaders may need assistance in the development of multicultural curricula. We propose to address these concerns through semi-structured interviews with Latino youth and their parents to better understand the problems, specifically those related to inter-ethnic/racial interactions, that Latino children encounter here in Richmond. These objectives will be met through the cooperative efforts of many partners, including Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the City of Richmond Hispanic Liaison Office, RBHA, some young people, Richmond Public Schools, members of the faith community, Richmond Police Department, VCU Community Solutions, the VCU Institute for Positive Youth Development, and perhaps the appropriate neighborhood teams as well as other groups.

Goals and Objectives: The goals and objectives of this study are to (a) understand the nature and context of problems faced by Latino youth, with a particular emphasis on interethnic interactions and relationships; (b) identify family and cultural resources that may facilitate positive responses to problem situations; and (c) determine intervention components that may be most attractive to Latino children and their parents. ,

Setting, Context, & Participants: We will conduct semi-structured interviews with 25 Latino children (ages 10 – 14) and 25 parents.

Methods & Measures: The interviews will be conducted in English and Spanish based on participant preferences. Bilingual graduate research assistants will use a semi-structured protocol to conduct the interviews. Topics will include: (a) problems faced by Latino children; (b) feelings and attitudes about people of different races/ethnicities; (c) skills for resolving conflicts; (d) communication parents and children about inter-ethnic relationships; (e) violence and safety prevention needs; (f) perceived community and family assets; (g) definitions of positive youth behavior; (h) family relationships; and (i) cultural identity.