Originally Posted: December 1, 2018
SMU professor Priscilla Lui and co-author find that ‘Americanization’ of alcohol use affects women more than men
Higher rates of alcohol use and drinking consequences are found among Hispanic American adolescents and adults who are more “Americanized,” according to a new study authored by Southern Methodist University (SMU) professor Priscilla Lui and her colleague, Byron Zamboanga, at Smith College.
Using scientific research accumulated over the past 40 years, Lui and Zamboanga analyzed data from over 68,000 Hispanic Americans – including first-generation immigrants and native-born individuals. Lui’s research has found that people in this group who are more “Americanized” are more likely to:
- be drinkers,
- consume alcohol at greater intensity,
- experience more negative consequences associated with alcohol use, and
- affect women more than men.
Hispanics are the largest ethnic group in the United States. Similar results were found in the Asian ethnic group, which is the fastest-growing U.S. ethnic group. Those who are considered acculturated or “Americanized” tend to have adapted to the political, cultural, or communal influences in the mainstream America, and assimilated to its customs and institutions. READ MORE