This monthly digest is written primarily for the staff of UC Cooperative Extension. It is produced by the staff of ANR's News and Information Outreach in Spanish (NOS) based on news reported by mainstream news media and reputable research institutions. Inclusion in the digest does not imply endorsement, nor does SBMS assume responsibility for the veracity of the information. We invite our readers to refer to the source to read more of each particular brief; we'll try to always include a link.

Nearly half of the low-income Latino children surveyed by Penn State researchers in WIC clinics were treated with herbs by their caregivers for common ills such as diaper rash, colic, teething symptoms, stomachaches, coughs and colds. The study is the first to report on herbal use by participants in the WIC program. Dr. Barbara Lohse, associate professor of nutritional sciences who led the study, says, "Nutrition professionals and WIC educators have hesitated to talk about herbs for children because they feared that it would encourage acceptance and, perhaps, cause people to start using them. Our study has shown that more WIC clients than we thought are already using them, mostly in moderate and appropriate ways. However, because some herbal use has the potential to do harm, we urge herbal education in WIC clinics." The researchers surveyed 2,562 caregivers with children living in Kansas and Wisconsin who were attending a WIC clinic. Child herbal use was reported for 1,363 of the children ranging in age from 1 week to 17 years. The majority of the children treated with herbs were younger than age 5. The reasons given by the caregivers for using specific herbs varied. For example, aloe vera was used for burns, cuts and rashes as well as gastrointestinal problems, asthma, colds, ear infections, fatigue and urinary symptoms. Although most of the herbs that the participants reported giving to children were those with relatively low risk, the effects of long term use and interactions with prescription and over-the-counter medications are unknown. Ten herbs with known safety issues, including St. John's wort, kava and red clover, were also given to children and taken by the caregivers themselves. "Because little data exist on the safety of herbals during pregnancy, when breastfeeding, and in children, use of these products should be discouraged, but the reality is that herbals are widely used in these populations," the researchers said. 

Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association in a paper, "Survey of Herbal Use by Kansas and Wisconsin WIC Participants Reveals Moderate, Appropriate Use and Identifies Herbal Education Needs." February, 06 http://www.adajournal.org/issues/contents

Demographic change in the United States can be told by looking at the popularity of a single name: José.  “José” is the No. 1 name for baby boys in Arizona; in Texas, it has held the top spot since 1996. It is the fourth most popular name in California. Nationwide, it is listed as the 28^th most popular boys’ name, according to the Social Security Administration. “It is a name that tells you something about demographic forces shaping America. It is verifying what we have been saying about the shift in population in the U.S.,” said Armando Solórzano, a professor at Utah University. “By 2040, the Anglo-American population will be the minority at 47 percent. This is a reflection of that.” The cultural change under way can be marked in other ways, such as the growth in businesses and groups catering to Spanish-language customers. Popularity of a name is just one more way to see the transformation. “With that shift in population comes the shift in culture,” Solórzano said. “Usually, the culture makes itself present through naming people, naming situations, geographical places.” José is not the only Latino name on the rise in America. “There are seven or eight Latino names on the top 100 and most of them are charging up the list,” said Bruce Lansky, author of numerous baby-name books. According to Lansky, “Latino parents are thinking somewhat differently about girls. We don’t have a single, obvious equivalent of José for girls. Spanish girls are getting names that are more Americanized.”

Source: Adams, Brooke. “José rises on name list in changing America.” January 26, 2006. The Salt Lake Tribune. http://www.sltrib.com

The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act opened the United States to a new wave of immigration from Asia, Africa and the Americas. Compared to their home countries, the United States has offered most new arrivals a chance to do well. More important are the prospects for integration and social and economic mobility on the part of their children, also known as the second generation.  According to data from the 2004 Current Population Survey, Mexicans accounted for 29 percent of the 34 million foreign-born persons living in the United States. No group was remotely as numerous. Filipinos, the next largest group, made up only four percent of the foreign born. Among immigrants, the Mexican foreign born have consistently been the least educated. In 1970, eight of every 10 adult Mexican immigrants lacked a high school degree; in 2004, the proportion fell to just under six in 10, well over 30 percent above any other group. The Mexican foreign born are overwhelmingly concentrated in low-skilled, low-wage work. Forty-four percent of all men born in Mexico fall in the bottom quintile of the male wage distribution. Also, of the 10.3 million undocumented immigrants in 2004, 57 percent (or 5.9 million) are from Mexico, according to estimates from the Pew Hispanic Center. With nearly two-thirds of all Mexican immigrants undocumented, legal status affects their ability to obtain work that matches their skill level. The children of immigrants from Europe, Canada or Australia are an especially old group; almost 60 percent are at least 50 years old. By contrast, young children predominate among all the other national-origin categories. Indeed, the national origins of immigrant children ages 10 or younger closely resemble the national origins of the foreign-born population, with one key exception: Mexican-origin youth account for a disproportionately large 37 percent of the 5.7 million in this group. The distinctive age structure of the second generation implies that the advent of a "new" second generation has yet to yield its full effect. As of now, the institutional impact is mainly felt by public schools, especially those in the major immigrant-receiving cities where growing immigrant numbers have produced a large population of school children of immigrant origins. The impact on the labor market is far more modest because most of today's second generation has not yet reached working age.

Source: ”Second-Generation Mexicans: Getting Ahead or Falling Behind?“ March 1, 2006.  Roger Waldinger and Renee Reichl , University of California Los Angeles.  http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=382

According to Hunger in America 2006, more than 25 million Americans—including nearly 5 million Latinos, nearly 10 million Caucasians and nearly 10 million African Americans—receive emergency food assistance from America’s Second Harvest, the Nation’s Food Bank Network each year. Although Latinos report a high level of food insecurity (over 22 percent), a large number of low-income working Latinos living in poverty do not seek emergency food assistance. "This report confirms that Latinos are not seeking food assistance even though there is a clear need given their lack of economic resources. It is extremely disturbing that many Hispanic families are going hungry at a time when they face high rates of poverty,” said Jennifer Ng'andu, Health Policy Analyst of National Council of La Raza. According to the U.S. Census 2001 Poverty Report, the poverty rate for Latinos is 21.9 percent versus 12 percent for the total population and 8 percent for whites. About 70 percent of the clients seeking emergency food assistance are living below the federal poverty line, and nearly 40 percent have at least one adult working in their household. Many low-income Latino families going without emergency food assistance make difficult choices every day between spending food and buying everyday necessities. More than 40 percent of all the clients in the America’s Second Harvest Network report having to choose between paying for utilities or heating fuel and food; 35 percent had to choose between paying for rent or a mortgage and food; 32 percent report having to choose between paying for medical bills and food.

Source: “New Hunger Study: Nearly 5 million Latinos Seek Emergency Food Assistance Each Year”, Hispanic PR Wire, February 23, 2006, http://www.hispanicprwire.com/