Name: Daya
Ethnicity: Hispanic Latina
Gender: female
Disability: none
Age: 37
SES: low
Ethnicity: Hispanic Latina
Gender: female
Disability: none
Age: 37
SES: low
Daya, a Hispanic Latina woman, is a single mother with two children. Her family lives below the federal poverty line of $19,790 on her low-wage waitressing job at a local restaurant.
What are the odds of Daya’s socio-economic situation?
One out of every four Hispanics live below the poverty line, so the odds are quite high against Daya. To aggravate this, almost one in every four Hispanic women live below the poverty line, while almost three out of ten Hispanic families are headed by single mothers, three out of which live in poverty. Simply put, because of her race, gender and family status, Daya is very likely to live in poverty.
It is also interesting to note that even if Daya earned more than what she already does, her family would still have quite a high chance of living on the brink of poverty. Almost nine out of ten families headed by single Hispanic women like Daya lack what is known as economic security (Horning & McMahon, 2013).
One out of every four Hispanics live below the poverty line, so the odds are quite high against Daya. To aggravate this, almost one in every four Hispanic women live below the poverty line, while almost three out of ten Hispanic families are headed by single mothers, three out of which live in poverty. Simply put, because of her race, gender and family status, Daya is very likely to live in poverty.
It is also interesting to note that even if Daya earned more than what she already does, her family would still have quite a high chance of living on the brink of poverty. Almost nine out of ten families headed by single Hispanic women like Daya lack what is known as economic security (Horning & McMahon, 2013).
What are the reasons for Daya’s situation?
So why do these factors--her race, gender and family status--put her at a disadvantage? What is it about these unchangeable parts of her identity that affect her and her family on a daily basis? To answer these questions, we need to evaluate the interconnectedness of her identity with her socio-economic opportunities like employment and education.
Employment
Daya’s job as a waitress pays a national average of $9.80. Job opportunities for Hispanics are among the lowest in the country, surpassed only by blacks, whose unemployment rates are the highest among the ethnic groups.
This discriminatory barrier is worsened by Daya’s identity as a woman: women are more likely to be employed in low-income jobs than men, and also more likely to be paid less than men for the same job. Women of colour fare even worse than white women--for every dollar Daya, a Latina woman, earns, a white man will earn 82 cents more. Given these conditions, she is probably paid even less than the already low $9.80.
So why do these factors--her race, gender and family status--put her at a disadvantage? What is it about these unchangeable parts of her identity that affect her and her family on a daily basis? To answer these questions, we need to evaluate the interconnectedness of her identity with her socio-economic opportunities like employment and education.
Employment
Daya’s job as a waitress pays a national average of $9.80. Job opportunities for Hispanics are among the lowest in the country, surpassed only by blacks, whose unemployment rates are the highest among the ethnic groups.
This discriminatory barrier is worsened by Daya’s identity as a woman: women are more likely to be employed in low-income jobs than men, and also more likely to be paid less than men for the same job. Women of colour fare even worse than white women--for every dollar Daya, a Latina woman, earns, a white man will earn 82 cents more. Given these conditions, she is probably paid even less than the already low $9.80.
What are the challenges Daya and her family will face?
Food security
A direct impact of Daya’s socio-economic situation is low food security. Living on low wages means that one or more family members will have reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns at some points during the year. On the whole, they are also less likely to eat nutritious food or food of great variety.
Education
Her children will most probably receive substandard education, which is very often due to the fact that they may be forced by their economic situation to move frequently or attend under-funded schools. The chronic stress of living in poverty, it has also been found, can have implications on the children’s concentration and memory, affecting their performance in school.
What will happen to Daya’s children is a hypothetical situation, but based on available data on low-income families, three in ten Latino children will not complete high school, leaving them with poor prospects of obtaining a university education. Without a bachelor’s degree, they will have trouble securing employment. Born in the lowest income quintile of society and without a bachelor’s degree (hypothetically), Daya's children have an almost 50% chance of staying there. This social mobility factor will be discussed in more detail below.
Health
Physical health
Because of low food security, Daya’s children are more likely to require hospitalisation or develop chronic illnesses such as anaemia and asthma. Being lacking in physical health can also affect their day-to-day interaction with people around them and engagement in school and other activities.
Psychological health
Low food security, as well as living in poverty, can have adverse effects on the children’s behavioural attitude. Problems that might arise include tardiness to school, hyperactivity and development of aggressive tendencies.
Food security
A direct impact of Daya’s socio-economic situation is low food security. Living on low wages means that one or more family members will have reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns at some points during the year. On the whole, they are also less likely to eat nutritious food or food of great variety.
Education
Her children will most probably receive substandard education, which is very often due to the fact that they may be forced by their economic situation to move frequently or attend under-funded schools. The chronic stress of living in poverty, it has also been found, can have implications on the children’s concentration and memory, affecting their performance in school.
What will happen to Daya’s children is a hypothetical situation, but based on available data on low-income families, three in ten Latino children will not complete high school, leaving them with poor prospects of obtaining a university education. Without a bachelor’s degree, they will have trouble securing employment. Born in the lowest income quintile of society and without a bachelor’s degree (hypothetically), Daya's children have an almost 50% chance of staying there. This social mobility factor will be discussed in more detail below.
Health
Physical health
Because of low food security, Daya’s children are more likely to require hospitalisation or develop chronic illnesses such as anaemia and asthma. Being lacking in physical health can also affect their day-to-day interaction with people around them and engagement in school and other activities.
Psychological health
Low food security, as well as living in poverty, can have adverse effects on the children’s behavioural attitude. Problems that might arise include tardiness to school, hyperactivity and development of aggressive tendencies.
How can Daya and her family cope?
Some federal policies have been put into place and these can possibly help alleviate Daya's current situation. To look at these policies, click on the links below.
Some federal policies have been put into place and these can possibly help alleviate Daya's current situation. To look at these policies, click on the links below.
What does all this mean for Hispanics in the US?
Political status
The Hispanics are one of the most under-represented groups in the US. Other than age and citizenry, which hinder their eligibility to vote, poverty is the other main culprit.
According to Maurilio Vigil, who studies Hispanic political participation, there is a correlation between such socioeconomic indicators as level of education and income, and level of political participation (VIgil, 1987). Hence, since Hispanics have one of the highest poverty rates among all racial groups in the US, they are less likely to participate in voting activities even though it would benefit them significantly. Also, most Hispanics are apathetic towards voting, choosing to believe that voting would not make a difference, as well as distrust in politics due to experiences from their own countries of origin.
As Hispanics is a very diverse group, given Hispanics come from Mexico, Spain, and 20 other different nations, most of them who migrated to the US would have done so for different reasons and might have developed contrasting experiences while in the US, causing them to be unable to find a common goal, common voice among themselves. It is claimed that this lack of commonality or unity among the Hispanics has caused them to be politically inactive and underrepresented.
Social mobility
As explained above, these factors that arise from being in a low-income family contribute towards Daya’s children having low intergenerational social mobility.
In the case of education, Hispanics often lack the necessary educational resources and facilities, thus resulting in lower chances of them obtaining higher education and thus being degree holders. Statistics have shown that of the adults who grew up in low income families but earned college degrees, only 16 percent stayed in the lowest income quintile; Of the adults who started in the lowest income quintile and did not manage to earn a college degree, 46 percent stayed there. The unemployment rate for those whose highest level of education is high school stands at 9.6 percent. For those with a bachelor's degree or higher, the rate is only 4.3 percent. To better the situation of social mobility in America, it is essential that we help resolve the problem of having disparities in education.
Political status
The Hispanics are one of the most under-represented groups in the US. Other than age and citizenry, which hinder their eligibility to vote, poverty is the other main culprit.
According to Maurilio Vigil, who studies Hispanic political participation, there is a correlation between such socioeconomic indicators as level of education and income, and level of political participation (VIgil, 1987). Hence, since Hispanics have one of the highest poverty rates among all racial groups in the US, they are less likely to participate in voting activities even though it would benefit them significantly. Also, most Hispanics are apathetic towards voting, choosing to believe that voting would not make a difference, as well as distrust in politics due to experiences from their own countries of origin.
As Hispanics is a very diverse group, given Hispanics come from Mexico, Spain, and 20 other different nations, most of them who migrated to the US would have done so for different reasons and might have developed contrasting experiences while in the US, causing them to be unable to find a common goal, common voice among themselves. It is claimed that this lack of commonality or unity among the Hispanics has caused them to be politically inactive and underrepresented.
Social mobility
As explained above, these factors that arise from being in a low-income family contribute towards Daya’s children having low intergenerational social mobility.
In the case of education, Hispanics often lack the necessary educational resources and facilities, thus resulting in lower chances of them obtaining higher education and thus being degree holders. Statistics have shown that of the adults who grew up in low income families but earned college degrees, only 16 percent stayed in the lowest income quintile; Of the adults who started in the lowest income quintile and did not manage to earn a college degree, 46 percent stayed there. The unemployment rate for those whose highest level of education is high school stands at 9.6 percent. For those with a bachelor's degree or higher, the rate is only 4.3 percent. To better the situation of social mobility in America, it is essential that we help resolve the problem of having disparities in education.