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What Affects Hispanic Volunteering in the United States: Comparing the Current Population Survey, Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and the AIM Giving and Volunteering Survey

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Abstract

This study examines Hispanic formal volunteering and the cultural, social, and community context factors that affect their decision to volunteer. Using data from three surveys in the United States, the study finds that religious attendance, cultural background, and education are the most consistent and significant predictors of Hispanic formal volunteering. Religious attendance has a stronger positive impact on Hispanic volunteering than on non-Hispanics. The impacts of income, social resources, and community characteristics on Hispanics’ volunteering vary by surveys. Secular organizations serving children and youth and religious organizations are the favorite organizations for Hispanic volunteers.

Résumé

Cette étude examine le bénévolat hispanique et les facteurs culturels, sociaux, et communautaires qui influencent le choix du bénévolat au sein de ce groupe. Sur la base de trois enquêtes conduites aux Etats-Unis, cette étude démontre que la pratique religieuse, l’origine culturelle et l’éducation sont les facteurs essentiels qui incitent le plus communément les hispaniques au bénévolat. La pratique religieuse a un impact positif plus fort sur le bénévolat des hispaniques que sur celui des non-hispaniques. L’impact des revenus, du capital social, et des spécificités communautaires sur le bénévolat hispanique varie selon les études. Les bénévoles hispaniques s’engagent de préférence dans les organisations non-religieuses au service des enfants et de la jeunesse et dans les organisations religieuses.

Zusammenfassung

Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die formale ehrenamtliche Arbeit lateinamerikanischer Bürger sowie die kulturellen, gesellschaftlichen und gemeinschaftlichen Kontextfaktoren, die sich auf ihre Entscheidung zur Aufnahme einer ehrenamtlichen Tätigkeit auswirken. Unter Hinzuziehung von Daten aus drei in den USA durchgeführten Befragungen kommt die Studie zu dem Ergebnis, dass unter lateinamerikanischen Bürgern Religiösität, kultureller Hintergrund und Bildung die beständigsten und bedeutendsten Einflusswerte für eine formale ehrenamtliche Arbeit darstellen. Die Religiösität hat einen größeren positiven Einfluss auf ihre ehrenamtliche Arbeit als dies bei nicht-lateinamerikanischen Bürgern der Fall ist. Der Einfluss, den Einkommen, soziale Ressourcen und gemeinschaftliche Merkmale auf die ehrenamtliche Arbeit lateinamerikanischer Bürger haben, variiert in den Befragungen. Sie bevorzugen ehrenamtliche Tätigkeiten in säkularen Organisationen für Kinder und Jugendliche sowie in religiösen Organisationen.

Resumen

El presente estudio examina el voluntariado formal hispánico y los factores culturales, sociales y de contexto de la comunidad que afectan a la decisión de ser voluntarios. Utilizando datos de tres encuestas en los Estados Unidos, el estudio encuentra que la asistencia religiosa, el bagaje cultural y la educación son los predictores más coherentes y significativos del voluntariado formal hispánico. La asistencia religiosa tiene un impacto positivo más fuerte en el voluntariado hispánico que en el no hispánico. Los impactos de ingresos, recursos sociales y características de la comunidad sobre el voluntariado hispánico varían según las encuestas. Las organizaciones seculares que atienden a niños y a jóvenes y las organizaciones religiosas son las organizaciones favoritas para los voluntarios hispánicos.

摘要

本研究调查了拉美裔人正式的志愿活动和影响其对志愿者决策的文化、社会和社区环境因素。 根据对美国这三个调查的数据分析,本研究发现参加宗教活动、文化背景和教育往往明显预测着拉美裔的正式志愿活动。参加宗教活动对拉美裔志愿活动产生的积极作用强于对非拉美裔志愿活动的作用。在这三个调查中,收入、社会资源和社区特征对拉美裔志愿活动产生的影响也不同。为儿童和青年人服务的民间组织与宗教组织是最受拉美裔志愿者欢迎的组织。

ملخص

تبحث هذه الدراسة تطوع رسمي أسباني وعوامل السياق الثقافي والإجتماعي، والمجتمعي التي تؤثر على قرارهم في التطوع. بإستخدام بيانات من ثلاث دراسات لإستطلاع الرأي في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، وجدت الدراسة أن الحضور الديني والخلفية الثقافية، والتعليم هي المسببات الأكثر ثباتا˝وهامة للتنبؤ بالعمل التطوعي الرسمي الأسباني. الحضور الديني لديه قوة تأثير إيجابية على العمل التطوعي الأسباني أكثر من الذي من أصل غير لاتيني. الآثار المترتبة على خصائص الدخل، والموارد الاجتماعية، والمجتمع في العمل التطوعي من أصل أسباني تختلف حسب إستطلاعات الرأي. المنظمات العلمانية التي تخدم الأطفال والشباب والمنظمات الدينية هي من المنظمات المفضلة للمتطوعين من أصل اسباني.

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Notes

  1. The U.S. Census Bureau defines Hispanics/Latinos as those who classified themselves in one of the specific Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino categories listed on the 2000 Census questionnaire—“Mexican, Mexican–American, Chicago,” “Puerto Rican”, or “Cuban”—as well as those who indicate that they are “other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino”, which includes those whose origins are from Spain, the Spanish-speaking countries of Central or South America, the Dominican Republic or people who generally identify themselves as Spanish, Spanish-American, Hispanic, Hispano, Latino, and so on. In this study, the term Hispanic is used to describe both Hispanic and Latino population.

  2. The research project was conducted by the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation at the Arizona State University, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. It was part of a W. K. Kellogg funded collaboration project, the AIM Alliance (Arizona, Indiana, and Michigan).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Community Resources and Development, Arizona State University, 411 N. Central Ave., Suite 550, Phoenix, 85004, AZ, USA

    Lili Wang, Carlton F. Yoshioka & Robert F. Ashcraft

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  1. Lili Wang
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  2. Carlton F. Yoshioka
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  3. Robert F. Ashcraft
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Correspondence to Lili Wang.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 6.

Table 6 Survey methodology—CPS, PSID, and AIM
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Wang, L., Yoshioka, C.F. & Ashcraft, R.F. What Affects Hispanic Volunteering in the United States: Comparing the Current Population Survey, Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and the AIM Giving and Volunteering Survey. Voluntas 24, 125–148 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-012-9325-6

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