Latinas feel more pressure to excel at home at work, study says. Here's why
Latinas in the United States feel pressure to excel at home and work while juggling cultural expectations, according to a new report.
The findings are part of the Pew Research Center’s bilingual National Survey of Latinos, which explores what it’s like to be a Latina in the U.S. today by analyzing life pressures, daily life experiences with harassment and discrimination, and their views on their general happiness and sources of joy.
The study, conducted among 5,078 Hispanic adults in November 2023, Latinas account for 17% of all adult women in the U.S. today. The population grew from 16.6 million to 22.2 million from 2010 to 2022, the largest increase of any major female racial or ethnic group, according to the research center.
Additionally, most Latinas in the U.S. have recent immigrant connections, with more than three-fourths being first- or second-generation immigrants.
The study found that a majority of Latinas say that expectations to do housework, be beautiful and start families are among the top pressures for Hispanic women in the U.S.
Yet, the study also found that nearly 9 in 10 Latinas are either extremely or very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their family life. About the same ratio of Latina women say they are extremely happy or somewhat happy with how things are going in their lives recently.
Here's a rundown of some of the key findings from the study.
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Latinas say they feel pressure from family or work
The study found that about 6 in 10 Latinas often feel pressured related to family or work, with about 53% saying they feel pressure to care for children or elderly family members, support their family financially, or live close to them. 39% of Latinas say they often feel pressure to be successful in their job or career.
Hispanic men also feel life pressures from family or work, the study found. About half of Hispanic men say they often feel pressure to support their family in some way, and 40% say they face pressure to be successful at work.
However, Latinas are more likely to say Hispanic women face pressures such as cooking and cleaning at home, being pleasant to others and starting a family than to say this the same about Hispanic men, according to the survey.
Latinas say they feel more pressure than Hispanic men to do house chores and be pleasant
More than two-thirds of Latinas say Hispanic women face a great deal or fair amount of pressure to cook and clean at home, compared with 19% who say the same is true for Hispanic men.
The study showed that 62% of people say Hispanic women face pressure to be beautiful, such as by dressing nicely, wearing makeup or doing their hair and nails. By comparison, 37% of Latinas say Hispanic men face pressure to be handsome.
More than half of Latinas also say Hispanic women face pressure to get married and have children, while 36% saythe same is true for Hispanic men.
Hispanic men generally agreed that Latinas feel more pressure than Latinos to perform well in tasks associated with gender roles for women. For example, 57% of Hispanic men say Latinas face pressure to cook and clean at home, compared with 18% of Hispanic men who say they face this pressure.
Among Hispanics, gender disparities vary by setting
About half of Hispanic women say sexism against women is a problem in different settings, including at work, at school, in their families and in entertainment media. Hispanic men are less likely to say so, according to the survey.
However, the number of women who say sexism impacts their daily lives in other settings is significantly smaller. About four in 10 Hispanic women say that being female or Hispanic impacts their daily life experiences with harassment and discrimination.
About 43% of women say their Hispanic identity or skin color shapes their daily life experiences a great deal or a fair amount. Overall, 54% say at least one of these shapes their daily life.
Hispanic men are somewhat less likely than Hispanic women to say the same thing for both of these aspects, but similar shares of Hispanic women and Hispanic men say they have been treated as if they’re not smart.
The study also found that Latinas’ opinions on how much gender shapes their lives can vary by age, education, place of birth and political party.
Younger Latinas (ages 18 to 29), Latinas with a bachelor's degree or higher, Latinas who identify or lean Republican, and Latinas who were born in the United States were most likely to say their gender shapes their daily life.
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Life satisfaction for Latinas
Similar shares of Hispanic women and men say they are satisfied with their family, social lives and the quality of life in their communities.
Some groups of Latinas were more likely to feel optimistic about their lives than others. It was more likely for immigrants, Republicans and older Latinas to say they are happy and satisfied with their families than other Latinas.
Over half of Hispanic women say they are extremely or very satisfied with their family life. A smaller share (about one-third) say they are satisfied with their social life and the quality of life in their local community (34%). However, only about one in five Hispanic women say they are satisfied with their financial situation.
Hispanic men have mostly similar views, though they are somewhat more likely to say they are extremely or very satisfied with their social life.
Where do Hispanic women find joy?
Most Hispanic women say spending time with family or friends brings them a great deal or fair amount of joy or fulfillment.
About 58% say the same about traveling, while about half say so about outdoor activities and theirspiritual or religious practices.
Hispanic men are less likely to say they get a great deal or fair amount of joy or fulfillment from these activities or practices, but they are slightly more likely to say participating in sports or exercise brings them joy.
Most Latinas also say they have enough time to do the things they want to do, with 34% saying they extremely or very often have enough time and 45% saying they sometimes have the time. Similar shares of men say the same.
Yet, the study found some of the biggest differences in sources of joy come from those with different levels of education:
75% of Latina college graduates say traveling brings them joy, compared with 47% of Latinas with a high school diploma or less.
53% of college graduates say creating or experiencing art brings them joy, compared with 28% of those who completed high school or less.
Among Latinas who are not retired, 50% of college graduates say their job or career brings them joy, compared with 28% of those with a high school diploma or less.
46% of college graduates say participating in sports or exercising brings them joy, compared with 30% of those with no more than a high school diploma.
Laura Daniella Sepulveda is a trending reporter for the Arizona Republic. Reach her on Twitter at @lauradaniella_s or by email at laura.sepulveda@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Latinas feel more pressure to excel at home at work, study says
