Issues of separation and reunification in immigrant Latina youth.

Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California San Francisco, 2 Koret Way, Rm. N-411Y, San Francisco, CA 94143-0606, USA. naomi.schapiro@nursing.ucsf.edu

Latinos make up 12.5% of the total U.S. population, and the largest source of migration to the United States is from Mexico. The intersection of acculturation and risk for Latino immigrant youth is complex, with recent arrivals being protected in the context of strong family ties. Youth, and particularly young women who have been separated from their parents during migration and later reunited, face particular problems that have not been well studied. This article discusses possible stresses facing reunified families, with implications for nursing practice and suggestions for future research.

PMID: 12449000 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]