Hispanic Families at Risk : The New Economy, Work, and the Welfare State

**Hispanic Families at Risk: The New Economy, Work, and the Welfare State**by Ronald Angel, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA and Jacqueline Angel, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA In the United States, work is the key to economic success, as well as the major source of health care coverage and retirement security. While Europeans look to the State for these benefits, Americans for the most part do not. This system of employment-based benefits means that those disadvantaged in the labor market are also disadvantaged in terms of health care coverage and retirement security. The authors of this work examine the overrepresentation of Mexican Americans in low wage or service sector jobs, which rarely come with health insurance or retirement coverage. At all ages, Mexican Americans have lower rates of health insurance and retirement coverage than do other minority groups, such as African Americans or other Hispanic groups. Although employment in jobs that do not provide benefits is one major source of this disparity, other factors, including immigration history, citizenship status, and language proficiency, contribute to the blocked opportunities for upward mobility that the Hispanic population faces. In their analysis, the authors work to deemphasize cultural or individual failure explanations of the persistent economic and benefit disparities between Hispanics and other groups, and focus on the role of institutionalized structural factors. In each chapter, the authors identify and critique the factors that affect the economic security and health care access of individuals throughout the life course, suggesting policies for reform. This work will be of interest to anyone working in the fields of cultural studies, public health and the sociology of work. With the focus on real world causes for the problems as well as potential solutions, policy-makers will also find this informative book an essential resource. Hispanic Families at Risk: The New Economy, Work, and the Welfare State by Ronald Angel, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA and Jacqueline Angel, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA In the United States, work is the key to economic success, as well as the major source of health care coverage and retirement security. While Europeans look to the State for these benefits, Americans for the most part do not. This system of employment-based benefits means that those disadvantaged in the labor market are also disadvantaged in terms of health care coverage and retirement security. The authors of this work examine the overrepresentation of Mexican Americans in low wage or service sector jobs, which rarely come with health insurance or retirement coverage. At all ages, Mexican Americans have lower rates of health insurance and retirement coverage than do other minority groups, such as African Americans or other Hispanic groups. Although employment in jobs that do not provide benefits is one major source of this disparity, other factors, including immigration history, citizenship status, and language proficiency, contribute to the blocked opportunities for upward mobility that the Hispanic population faces. In their analysis, the authors work to deemphasize cultural or individual failure explanations of the persistent economic and benefit disparities between Hispanics and other groups, and focus on the role of institutionalized structural factors. In each chapter, the authors identify and critique the factors that affect the economic security and health care access of individuals throughout the life course, suggesting policies for reform. This work will be of interest to anyone working in the fields of cultural studies, public health and the sociology of work. With the focus on real world causes for the problems as well as potential solutions, policy-makers will also find this informative book an essential resource. In the United States, work is the key to economic success, as well as the major source of health care coverage and retirement security. While Europeans look to the State for these benefits, Americans for the most part do not. This system of employment-based benefits means that those disadvantaged in the labor market are also disadvantaged in terms of health care coverage and retirement security. The authors of this work examine the overrepresentation of Mexican Americans in low wage or service sector jobs, which rarely come with health insurance or retirement coverage. At all ages, Mexican Americans have lower rates of health insurance and retirement coverage than do other minority groups, such as African Americans or other Hispanic groups. Although employment in jobs that do not provide benefits is one major source of this disparity, other factors—including immigration history, citizenship status, and language proficiency—further block opportunities for upward mobility within the Mexican American population. In their analysis, the authors work to deemphasize the popular, cultural explanation for the economic disparities and focus on more practical, policy-based solutions. In each chapter, the authors identify and critique the factors that affect the economic security and health care access of individuals throughout the life course, suggesting policies for reform. This work will be of interest to anyone working in the fields of cultural studies, public health and the sociology of work. With the focus on real world causes for the problems as well as potential solutions, policy-makers will also find this informative book an essential resource. Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Hispanic Workers and the Employment-Based Welfare State....Pages 1-15 The Latin Americanization of the US Labor Force....Pages 17-33 Parental Employment and Children’s Security....Pages 35-46 Employment and Benefits for Working-Age Hispanic Males....Pages 47-60 Family, Work, and Benefits for Hispanic Women....Pages 61-78 Income and Health-Care Insecurity Among the Mexican-Origin Elderly....Pages 79-99 Segmented Labor Markets, Segmented Lives: Hispanic Workers and the Employment-Based Welfare State....Pages 101-115 Back Matter....Pages 117-138 In the United States, work is the key to economic success, as well as the major source of health care coverage and retirement security. This book examines the overrepresentation of Mexican American in low wage or service sector jobs, which rarely come with health insurance or retirement coverage