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| ENLACE: Helping Women & Children |
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Helping women build stronger relationships is the primary focus of ENLACE, a five-year-old community organization in Pomona, California.
Now working with FuturoNow, the group specializes in services to monolingual women. Men are welcome, organizers say, but many of the services are geared towards women and children, including cultural events such as "Dia de Los Muertos" and "Posadas."
As part of the FuturoNow Project, ENLACE provides in-depth relationship skill building classes for low-income immigrants from countries including Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala. The group has served more than 250 couples and singles, and says there work with FuturoNow is broadening their ability to reach individuals within the Hispanic community.
To contact ENLACE, email analivier0606@yahoo.com.mx or phone 909-260-3074.
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| New Year Financial Check-Up |
 The new year is a great time for husbands and wives to discuss their finances, a topic which is becoming an increasing problem for married couples across the country.
During difficult economic times, couples can either use their money to "stabilize" their family, or they can "destabilize" their home by making poor choices with the money they earn, says nationally known marriage and family therapist Annette Annechild.
"Too often couples work against each other when money is tight rather than conscientiously working together to make ends meet," Annechild said.
According to SmartMoney.com, 70 percent of all married couples talk about money every week, but they don't come up strategies to strengthen their financial position. To overcome monetary differences, marriage experts and financial analysts alike recommend couples spend time talking about money.
Couples should come up with short and long-term financial goals together. These could be as simple as spending less and saving more, or tracking all expenditures.
A united approach to making ends meet is more powerful than working separately without talking to each other, financial experts say. Money is tight for many families right now and couples must work together to keep their families financially stable.
Click Here For Financial Topics To Discuss As A Couple |
| Losing an Argument: Winning a Partnership |
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 In marriage, sometimes you have to lose an argument to win a lasting and rich partnership, according to marriage experts. Employing rules of communication focusing on compromise rather than winning will help individuals find solutions to build and enrich their marriages.
"Persevere with determination to arrive at a compromise and you will see that the cloud that oppresses and brings confusion to your situation will lift, little by little, and bring light and warmth to your home," says marriage and family therapist Dr. Alicia La Hoz.
Persevere and focus on one complaint at a time. Don't "escalate" a problem by jumping from one subject to another. Avoid raising past disagreements or arguments that you feel might help you make your point. Focus specifically on the issues and leave former criticisms in the past.
Speak for yourself in the present tense. Be brief and speak for yourself, not for your partner. Your disagreement is not about what you "think" your spouse is thinking. Remember it's impossible to read minds. Thinking for your spouse is confusing and toxic. Stay in the here and now and articulate your own thoughts and concerns.
Listen. Stop talking and listen to what your spouse has to say. The only way to arrive at a compromise is to stop long enough to really consider what your partner is saying. Try to understand your spouse's opinions and take time to recognize their concerns. "You have a good point," or "I understand your concern" are affirmations that help couples draw close to one another as they work out solutions to their problems.
Give the gift of compromise. If you win every argument, your spouse will begin to feel incompetent, ashamed, and oppressed. You must understand that you cannot always get what you want. It is best to compromise which leads to mutual trust and understanding.
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| Young Latinas Vulnerable to Cultural Pressures |
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 Highlighting the research of Dr. Luis Zayas, a psychologist and professor at Washington University in St. Louis, a recent Washington Post article painted a bleak picture for Latinas ages 12-17 who try to commit suicide more frequently than girls in any other racial or ethnic group their age.
Zayas is conducting a five-year study of more than 150 young Latina girls who have attempted suicide. He contends that young Latinas are particularly vulnerable as they try to navigate American culture while holding on to their traditional customs and family expectations.
According to the article, teenage Latinas leave behind extended families and tight-knit communities and are somewhat bewildered by a culture that "encourages them to be sexy and assertive," while holding on to "family expectations that they be modest and submissive,"
Some experts are calling for increased mental health resources for Hispanic teenage girls, the article says.
Click Here To Read The Washington Post Article
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