Hispanic Women in Texas: An Increasing Portion of the Underclass

This research analyzes datafrom the 1980and 1990 CurrentPopulation Surveyfiles and attempts to determine whether human capital or cultural explanations provide a viable frameworkfor understanding the experience of Hispanic women in Texas. The authors' results suggest that the low income and high rates ofpoverty experienced by these women result from structural changes in the family and in the labor market rather than from individual deficiencies (lack of "human capital") or any value system associated with Hispanic culture.