Self-Esteem in Spanish-Speaking Latinos in Northwest Ohio

Self-esteem is a widely-studied construct across many disciplines of social science. However, previous research regarding self-esteem and language barriers has focused primarily on children and adolescent populations, while much less research has examined this relationship among adults. The current study measures linguistic acculturation and selfesteem in both Latino and control adult samples. Hypothesis 1 states that participants in the Latino sample would report significantly lower self-esteem than the control sample. Hypothesis 2 states that linguistic acculturation levels in Spanish speaking Latinos would be positively correlated with self-esteem. Finally, a research question was addressed measuring the differences in self-esteem between foreign born and U.S. born Latino participants. Results partially supported hypothesis 2 by revealing a significant positive correlation (r= .38) between English skills and self-esteem in the Latino sample. Hypothesis 1 was not supported, and no differences in self-esteem were found between foreign and U.S. born Latino participants. The discussion highlights practical implications, limitations and future research needs. SELF-ESTEEM IN SPANISH SPEAKERS 3 Self-Esteem in Spanish-Speaking Latinos in Northwest Ohio The Latino population in Ohio has grown by 89% since 2000 and currently comprises over 411,000 people (Ohio Development Services Agency, 2015). This growth has also been felt in other areas of the country and has called attention to the psychological consequences this population is living with in their new environments facing possible economic, social, and language barriers. The current literature places a large emphasis on the psychological consequences for children and adolescents instead of adults, and few psychological studies have focused on the impact that language barriers have on self-esteem. The goal of this study was to determine if there is a correlational relationship between language skills and selfesteem in a sample of Latino individuals from Northwest Ohio. Self-esteem has been defined by Rosenberg as ones’ sense of worthiness as a person. Self-esteem is only one part of an individual’s psychological well-being, but it is one of the primary components of their self-concept (Rosenberg, 1979). Self-esteem is influenced by social interactions, and previous research has found that positive cultural exchanges influence an individual’s self-concept and willingness to continue to build rapport with different groups (Valentine, 2001). The drastic increase in the Latino population in Ohio calls to question the impact this cultural or language interaction may have on the self-esteem of these individuals. The Latino population in Northwest Ohio experience cultural interactions everyday with the predominantly Caucasian and middle-class majority of the state. Self-esteem is a widely-studied construct across many disciplines of social science. Literature suggest that high self-esteem is related positively with coping mechanisms, expectancies, goals, and behaviors which allow an individual to be productive. It is negatively associated with physical and mental health problems, antisocial behavior, and substance abuse (Bandura, 1982; Brown, 1998; Donnellan, Trzesniewski, Robins, Moffitt, & Caspi, 2005; DuBois & Tevendale, 1999; Flory, Lynam, Milich, Leukefeld, & Clayton, 2004; SELF-ESTEEM IN SPANISH SPEAKERS 4 Harter, 1998; O’Connor & Vallerand, 1998; Robins, Tracy, & Trzesniewski, 2008; Trzesniewski et al., 2006). Previous studies have shown that African-American students report the highest level of self-esteem, followed by Caucasian students and then Hispanic students (Bachman, O’Malley, Freedman-Doan, Trzesniewski, & Donnellan, 2011). This review of the literature focuses on a variety of influences which can impact Latino selfesteem. Influences on Latino self-esteem Biculturalism and Acculturation Two relevant topics that have been the focus of previous research are the concepts of biculturalism and acculturation. Biculturalism is an indicator often used to predict the individual’s ability to navigate between cultural contexts depending on the cultures they have been exposed to (Nguyen & Benet-Martinez, 2007). By definition, bicultural individuals are people living at the juncture between two different cultures (LaFromboise, Coleman, & Gerton, 1993). Biculturalism is a product of acculturation, or the changes that occur when an individual encounters two or more cultures. Acculturation has been defined as the process that occurs when two groups are in direct contact with one another, which results in a change of the original culture of one or both of the group cultures (Redfield, Lenton, & Herskovits, 1936). Most often, this process results in minority individuals adopting the dominant culture (Garcia-Vasquez, 1995). A bicultural orientation is present in people who prefer to speak both Spanish and English or who maintain both mainstream U.S. and traditional Latino customs (Torres & Rollock, 2009). Individuals are constantly trying to seek a positive identity, and when their native culture is devalued or challenged, the individual could respond negatively to the new culture (Bernal, Saenz, & Knight, 1991). An individual’s self-esteem and personal identity affect their adaptation to a new culture and both of these factors are influenced by individual attitudes and behaviors (Kitayama & Markus, 1994). SELF-ESTEEM IN SPANISH SPEAKERS 5 Previous studies have found negative consequences associated with biculturalism which include intergenerational conflicts, family obligations, and societal pressures (Romero & Roberts, 2003). There is also research supporting a connection between greater mainstream orientation and higher self-esteem among Latino elementary age children (Gil, Vega, & Dimas, 1994), college students (Valentine, 2001), adults (Padilla, Cervantes, Maldonado, & Garcia, 1988), and older adults (Meyler, Stimpson, & Peek, 2006).