Intergenerational Perceptions of English Speaking and Spanish Speaking Mexican-American Grandparents

Hispanics are facing a number of problems, such as poverty, hunger, and a high dropout rate at school. Health-care reform and changes in Medicaid and Medicare are bound to further challenge the resiliency of minority families. To strengthen families from within, relevant programming should be implemented. Information regarding the strengths and needs of Mexican-American grandparents was obtained in order to adapt existing grandparenting programs for this population. Mexican-American grandparents (n = 181), parents (n = 148), and grandchildren (n = 173) provided information on grandparent satisfaction, success, teaching, difficulty, frustration, and information needs. Multivariate analyses of variance found differences for English and Spanish speaking grandparents. Spanish speaking grandparents reported a greater need for information than English speaking grandparents, and more frustration when dealing with adolescents than with younger children. For the English speaking grandparents, all of the generations agreed that grandparents under the age of sixty-one experienced more frustration than their older counterparts, and those who spent more than five hours a month with their grandchildren were more effective in their role. Possible factors that account for the findings are discussed and recommendations for establishing a grandparent program are presented.