My broad research interests are immigration, inequality, and acculturation. As I began making progress towards my Master’s degree I focused my interests a bit and settled on the effects of physical disability on depression among elderly Mexican Americans. What affects does acculturation have on the disability-depression relationship among this population? Moreover, does one gender benefit more from the acculturation process than the other? I am interested in finding whether less acculturated Latino males will experience greater levels of depression as physical disability sets in because of the cultural differences that put more emphasis on a male dominated Mexican household. In doing this I expect to further enhance our understanding of the role that culture plays in mental health as well as its importance.
B.S.: Wayne State College
Email: avillarrealjr2@unl.edu
