Avelina Rivero is an Extension specialist in family resiliency, and an assistant professor in the Department of Family Social Science. Born and raised in Arizona, she recently survived her first Minnesota winter and is ready for many more to come.
What does family resiliency mean to you?
It is the ability of a family to come together to overcome, adapt and thrive in the face of adversity. Resilience requires not only individual effort but also collective action. When I see the word resiliency, it makes me think of the word strength.
What role does culture play in shaping mental health?
Culture influences how families think, interact and form their beliefs and priorities. Ultimately, culture shapes how people understand, express and cope with emotional challenges. It also influences beliefs about what mental health is, what affects it, whether seeking help is acceptable and which symptoms are noticed or prioritized.
For example, some cultures tend to rely solely on family for emotional support, while others encourage seeking therapy.
What is the goal of your work in Extension?
My current body of research explores factors that shape Latina body image and mental health outcomes, including family relationships and cultural values. I am also planning a future project about “eldest daughter syndrome” in Latino immigrant families.
My goal in Extension is to build relationships with Latino-led community organizations and ultimately develop a program with materials tailored for Latino families on managing conflict, boundaries, body image, talking to kids about body safety and navigating family transitions.
I am currently working on the 40-Day Project, which is dedicated to providing Latina postpartum mothers with culturally relevant resources to help them through “the fourth trimester” with a newborn. I worked with Extension educators and community partners to develop body image-related resources for mothers.
How are you engaging community partners in your work?
Right now, I’m working with CLUES (Latino Communities United in Service), meeting with Latino teens to talk about body image and mental health. CLUES is Minnesota's largest Latino-led nonprofit organization.
I recently got feedback from teens saying they wanted to know what it is like to be Latino in grad school, so I was invited back to share my story about navigating majority white spaces in academia, and dealing with discrimination and other barriers as a first-generation Latina student.
What upcoming projects are you excited about?
I am most excited about the webinar I am planning for June 10. It is geared toward parents, and aims to provide them with knowledge and tools to help promote healthy body image to their adolescents. Research shows that body dissatisfaction is linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety and eating disorders. I will discuss the factors that influence adolescent body image and eating habits, as well as the role of social media.