The Effect of Toxic Stress on Brain Development: A Focused Study of Hispanic Elementary School Children in an Urban Setting
By Naia Luz Marcelino
The conditions of low-income living and the prevalence of discrimination have been long studied in African Americans; however, the Hispanic community has long been overlooked in this research, despite their parallel struggles with the pessimistic products of poverty. There is a knowledge gap in the study of adverse stimulation associated with incessant deprivation, bias, prejudice, and stereotypes applied to Hispanics/Latinos. This research focuses on how continuous struggles analogous to poverty affect the brain development and cognitive function of Hispanic children from Union City, NJ: the most densely populated city in the United States with the highest hispanic diaspora in the State of New Jersey. Two surveys were developed utilizing the Likert Scale, a derivative of the Everyday Discrimination Scale, and CDC’s Developmental Standards to measure the correlation between the reports of parents’ challenges and the teacher’s observation of the children. Contrary to previous studies on African American preschoolers in similar living conditions, they revealed that the children of Union City were provided with nutritious foods, proper health care, and little exposure to discrimination. After a careful analysis of the government programs and services provided to the constituents of Union City, it could be confidently concluded that these results are due to a unique administration and “close-knit” community. This integration of neurological studies and sociology sets an example for the governments of other low-income communities to implement, refine and improve the children’s prospects and reduce developmental issues within their towns.