General
The Hispanic Experience in Marriage Preparation by Lydia Pesina
THE HISPANIC EXPERIENCE IN MARRIAGE PREPARATION By Lydia Pesina, Director, Family Life Office, Diocese of Brownsville
In addressing the Hispanic experience in marriage preparation, it is important to highlight that currently Hispanics constitute the largest minority group in the U.S.--38.8 million or 13% of the population. This includes 13.3 % in the Northeast., 7.7% in the Midwest, 34.8% in the South, and 44.2% in the West. The population is soaring because of immigration and higher birth rates. It is also important to acknowledge the cultural and educational diversity: 66.9% are of Mexican descent, 14.3 % Central and South American, 8.6 % Puerto Rican, 3.7 % Cuban, and 6.5% other. Sixty percent of Hispanics currently in this country are U.S. born. In reference to the educational diversity, it becomes incumbent on us as pastoral agents to consider the current U.S. Hispanic reality when using printed marriage preparation materials and pre-marital inventories: 27% have less than a 9th grade education, 16% 9-12 grade education, 45.9% high school and some college, and 11.1% a bachelor’s degree or more. (Statistics taken from “USA Today”: Census by Haya el Nasser, November 2003).