MovieChat Forums > Quinceañera (2006) Discussion > Teen Pregnancy + Latinos-Hispanic respon...

Teen Pregnancy + Latinos-Hispanic respond

posted 17 years ago by sadie_001
14 replies | jump to latest

I have read that 50% of latinas teenagers give birth before the age of 20. Its about time that the Hispanic community starts to pay attention to it. I am sick of turning on the spanish channels and seeing them not cover this issue as a problem to the hispanic community...Nor has the Latino community or any Latino association cover this issue. They seem to ignore it.They don't cover this as a huge issue..Even though it is the reason why most latinos are living in poverty.

Being latina, 26 (single, no kids), other latinos always seem to look down on me just because I have no kids. Like there is no life without kids...Just because I want to concentrate on my education first. Whats wrong with that? I have a Bachelor degree working on getting my masters degree. It always seems like I have to do more explaining to my own community than to others on why I want to get my masters..Do any latinos ever feel the same way?

[–] spdd1314 17 years ago

Sort of
My family wants me to go to college, I'm only a freshman in high school, and most latinos I go to school with do too so it's not a big thing about wanting to continue your education.

And yeah I know what you mean about them not covering the issue of pregency of young latinas.

At my school at least like 1/3 of the girls are pregnent. And it's sad seeing, freshman, sophmores, and jr girls walking around with maternity clothes.
Most Senior girls are not pregent because they are the ones that stuck to school instead of dropping out

Eryka

[–] charmed1tictac 16 years ago

ok most the pregnant girls at my school are hispanic. but i am 17 and half-hispanic i have a child hes 1 and i have not dropped out of school.

[–] alwaysflaca 16 years ago

I think the issue stems from the fact that a lot of our grandparents or parents came from places where people didn't even go to high school (college was out of the question) and this wasn't frowned upon, it's just how life WAS. So, if you get pregnant at 16, what's really the big deal if you had nothing else going for yourself anyway?

Believe me, I am most certainly NOT an advocate of teen pregnancy, but it's hard to wash away a cultural mindset (and I'm referring to the cultural of poverty, not Mexican or Latino cultural as a whole) just because you move to the United States.

Many people in the Latino community, due to unfortunate life circumstances, grew up having little to nothing expected of them academically, so they were simply NOT raised to shun early pregnancy, which can make them ill-equipped to prevent this phenomenon in their own children.

[–] madeinjalisco 16 years ago

Actually, teen pregnancy is not causing poverty but rather, is a PRODUCT of poverty.

Research shows that most of the girls that become pregnant while still in high school were already doing poorly in school and pregnancy does little to affect their life course (See K. Luker's "Dubious Concepetions"). If anything, there is research to indicate that girls are more likely to get their sh*t together and graduate from high school (albeit through nontraditional means) as a result of becoming parents (See Edin and Kafalas, "Promises I Can Keep").

As someone pursuing an advanced degree I would think that your analytical skills would be a little sharper. Yes, adolescent pregnancy is a problem in our community-- But don't swallow everything that the NCPTP serves you without examining it a little bit first.

[–] alwaysflaca 16 years ago

Madeinjalisco, to whom are you responding? It would appear that you are "correcting" me, when I (before you) had already stated that teen pregnancy is often a product of poverty (or culture of poverty) and is not innately due to one's, race, ethnic background, country of origin, etc.

[–] strangelangel 16 years ago

you also have to consider some things like access to birth control and abortion. being that most latinos are catholic, abortion is a BIG NO NO, compared to other groups who might be more willing to abort rather than be teen moms..just an idea

[–] alwaysflaca 16 years ago

Yes, I agree. But I still insist that in a lot of Latino social circles that are headed by people that grew up destitute and disenfranchised, there does not exist the same stigma that is attached to teen pregnancy that can be seen in other groups. Sometimes it's viewed as "just life" and the children are seen as gifts from God. A full household is a happy household. I don't mean to say, though, that non-Latinos reject or mistreat children born of "unplanned" pregnancy, nor do I mean to imply that Latinos are somehow "better" at managing said situation.

[–] AnimatedEvey12 16 years ago

I do agree that Hispanics need to be aware of this issue. I am a Junior in High School, Mexican-American and I plan on continuing my education and I hope to become a film maker when I am older. I have heard of some situations where if a girl gets pregnant she HAS to marry the father of the child. My sister told me one time this girl who had a Quinceanera, and then later got pregnant and her parents found out and had to get married...not by the church though.

I do consider myself to be pro-choice and I was disappointed when the law to legalize abortion in Mexico did not pass because the Church butted in. My sister (who lives in Mexico) told me even though it's illegal , people still perform abortions even though it's not safe....*shudders* just think about back alley abortions gives me the chills, it would be better to not use a freaking clothes hanger to abort a pregnancy.

As for if I have ever been in a relationship, not yet and like I said before, I am focusing on my education. As weather I will want to marry in the future is uncertain, although I do want to adopt children than having children of my own. I know this may sound a bit weird, but I do not want to marry a hispanic man, why? Honestly, I don't find them attractive and I also want a mix in my family instead of my family being mostly hispanic so that's one of the possible reasons why I am like that.

Everybody say YATTA!!!

[–] yesika32 16 years ago

It is not a statistic that latinas have a higher rate of getting pregnant than all other groups. It may be a statistic that latinas give birth as teens at a higher rate that other female ethnic groups. The latino culture unlike the American culture values family, food and catholicism. The American culture is about power and success. You don't believe me? Think about it. You are attending a family function or perhaps you are in a bar meeting someone, or maybe you are at a game and you meet your significant other's parents. The introductions are formal, cold and simple. No hugs, no kisses. One of the first three questions is what is your name, what do you do. If you are a student in college, what do you study and how far are you in school? What are your plans? What are your accomplishments?
What do you do and where do you place in your company?
Sucess is very important. How many lifetime movies do we see where the white girl goes against the norm by having this baby. Look at madonna, papa don't preach. hush hush don't tell and no one will know.
In latino culture there is no such thing as abortion or adoption. How dare anyone let some stranger care for our own flesh and blood? Have you ever heard that before? Of course.

In the latin culture it is less shameful to get pregnant at an early age and start the greatest accomplishment of a latina's life, motherhood.

There is a lower rate of suicide in african american elderly women and elderly latinas. This is because they are viewed as successful through their children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Men however have a higher rate of suicide as they hit retirement age. This is because once they stop working or once they stop being successful they serve no purpose, feel useless etc. A woman can and will always be a mother because it a sacred beautiful thing.
In white culture, being a mother is often viewed as taboo. We have terms as housewife that demonstrate the unimportance that white society places on raising a family.

[–] Dovexfeatheredxraven 16 years ago

^ I don't think that motherhood is taboo in American culture. If anything, America is built on the family unit. Is it so wrong to want to be able to provide for our children? Love might be all you need, but it doesn't feed you. =p

[–] melikepie51 16 years ago

Well of course we don't value Catholicism... it's kinda against how we do things here.

I disagree on that we do value family and food. Hell, it's one of our foundations (Thanksgiving). The family unit is definitely stronger in minority culture, which I know since I am a minority, but to write out Americans as not valuing family and food is rather ignorant. Yes, we value success too, but only because this is a capitalist society. Being successful is another foundation of ours. We wouldn't be where we are today (if you ignore what that Bush guy has done) if it weren't for valuing success and improvement. Just because we have the urge succeed and rise above does not mean we don't care about food and family, the two things you need to survive.

I personally have no plans on becoming a mother anytime soon. And why should I? I'm still in college... but motherhood is a major commitment and accomplishment. To say that "white society" places no importance on raising a family is also ignorant of you. There wouldn't be a "white society" if somewhere along the line two people thought that having offspring would be a good idea.

[–] Sparkle2006 16 years ago

I disagree that white society does not value motherhood. We simply value becoming financially repsonsible before we enter motherhood.

We don't need a generation of uneducated teen mothers in this country. I'm sorry, but I don't want a culture that says that's OK in this country at all.

[–] Lucem 15 years ago

It might be because of the fact that, despite the U.S funding programs to reduce Teenage Pregnancy, it does no good. The reason, that people may look down on you is because, most (Notice most) Spanish and Spanish descendants are Catholic, and as the rules go, Catholics are not to use contraceptives that can purposely prevent pregnancy. So, that's probably the reason. But then again, what do I know? Lol

[–] Sleight_of_Mind 15 years ago

i disagree that meeting other people especially in laws, is formal and cold. where are we meeting them, a funeral? we usually meet these people at parties.and for a meeting of such caliber to be described as cold and formal only means the relationship wouldn't develop at all. americans can love and laugh too. we aren't all money hungry businessmen on wall street. and even they fall in love.

There's just a possibility that I will kiss a doorknob.
T~O #210