Latino Families: The Relevance of the Connection Among Acculturation, Family Dynamics, and Health for Family Counseling Research and Practice

Acculturation is a central experience for Latinos in the United States. In this article, the authors define acculturation and address its evolution from a unidimensional to a multidimensional construct. Also, the authors present central dynamics of the Latino culture and to Latino families before they address the manner in which acculturation relates to selected health indices. Last, the authors present the family as a mediator between acculturation and health for Latinos.