CHAPTER 12: Individuals and Families of Latin Descent

1. CHAPTER 12:Individuals and Families of Latin Descent Developing Multicultural Counseling Competence: A Systems Approach Second Edition Danica G. Hays and Bradley T. Erford

2. Latin American Heterogeneity • U.S. Latina/os currently account for over 16% of the U.S. population (≈50.4 million) • Latina/os living in the U.S. come from 19 countries • Variation in food, Spanish dialects, indigenous tongues, folk tales, burial rituals, dances, religious nuances, educational experiences, immigration statuses, career opportunities, & economic realities • Latina/os share obstacles to political, social, educational, & emotional stability • 39% Latina/os do not have a high school diploma • 12% Latinoa/ os are employed in office and administrative support; 10.4% are in the construction trades • Median age of Latina/os in the U.S. is 27 years

3. Mexicans • 65.5% of all U.S. Latina/os • U.S. immigration debate has focused on Mexicans due to their large concentration along border-states • Some individuals assume that non-native U.S. residents are in this country illegally, leading to racism & stereotypes • Issues of discrimination & limited socioeconomic advancement are compounded by large high school dropout rates & low 4-year college completion rates

4. Puerto Ricans • Second largest group of Latina/os in the U.S. (9.1% of U.S. Latino population) • Live in & around metropolitan centers in the Northeast • Those born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens • Have experienced drops in median household income since 2000, and now trail Mexicans and Cubans, but have increased the rate at which they finish high school • More likely to have health insurance but are less likely to own a home than Cubans and Mexicans • Have also influenced the arts & politics

5. Cubans • 3.5% of U.S. Latina/o population – 3rd largest U.S. Latino population • Cubans are more concentrated in South Florida & New York • Most Cuban immigrants came to the U.S. for political reasons & most immigrated within the last 50 years • Highest rate of high school & college graduation • Higher mean earnings than all other U.S. Latina/os • Held four congressional seats and two Senate seats in the 112th U.S. Congress • Cubans still experience economic hardship, acculturative stress, & educational barriers

6. Caribbean Hispanics/Latina/os, and Central & South Americans • Dominicans, Colombians, Guatemalans, & Salvadorans make up a large percentage of the “other” U.S. Latina/os with at least 500,000 individuals from each group residing in the U.S. • Currently, 1.6 million Salvadorans reside in the U.S. – the same number as Cuban Americans • Immigration patterns are much more difficult to characterize with many reasons for leaving native lands • Difficult to make generalizations due to inherent nature of heterogeneity as it relates to education, unemployment, public assistance, & mean earnings • Counselors should find out information about U.S. Latina/o client experiences before drawing incorrect conclusions

7. Latin American Culture and Values • “Somos Immigrantes/We are Immigrants” • Language • Religion & Spirituality • Vast majority identify as Christian (89.9%) with most as Roman Catholic (67.6%) although there are Latino/a Jews and Muslims • Catholicism is related to colonization of Latin American countries by Spanish & Portugese conquistadors • U.S. Latina/os are more likely to turn to a priest, minister, or curandero (healing man) in a time of emotional difficulty than mental health professionals

8. Latin American Culture and Values Cont. • Gender Roles • Machismo- a strong, virile, omnipotent man who takes care of his family by providing food & shelter • Marianismo - requires a woman to be pure, make sacrifices for the husband’s & children’s benefit, not engage in premarital sex, & be a nurturing female role-model for her daughters • Counselors should assess the importance & observance of traditional gender roles • Counselors should assess their own attitudes towards marianismo & machismo

9. Latin American Culture and Values Cont. • Families • Immediate & extended family are of extreme importance • Familismo - an individual’s consideration of one’s parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, & even close friends of the family & religious godparents when making decisions • Counselors should consider how the client views & defines the immediate & extended family

10. Latin American Culture and Values Cont. • Interpersonal Relationships • Personalismo - warmth, affection, worrying about others, & positive regard for those close to an individual • Confianza - trust & confidence; the closest counterpart to rapport in a counseling relationship

11. Individual Differences & Identities • Core cultural values are mediated by immigration status, generational status, & socioeconomic status • Immigration status • Crucial to understanding the options, barriers, & opportunities Latina/os face in the U.S. • Forced migration vs. voluntary migration • Counselors need to openly discuss the stressors of living undocumented in the U.S. and network with local resources • Generational status • First-generation immigrants are those who were born in a different country & immigrated to the U.S. whose children would be considered second-generation immigrants • Counselors should find out from their clients what they consider themselves to be in relation to their generational status

12. Individual Differences & Identities Cont. • Socioeconomic status • SES of undocumented immigrants • Additional stressors include: more workplace discrimination, perceived disempowerment to report precarious working conditions, fewer opportunities for upward mobility, and insufficient medical and financial benefits

13. Mental Health Issues of Individuals of Latin Descent • Systems play roles in the experiences of U.S. Latina/os on personal, family, & community levels • Counselors should keep in mind the richness & variety of the U.S. Latino experience as they prepare to assess the counseling needs, strengths, & goals of their clients • Use & familiarity of Spanish in the U.S. leads to limited English fluency • Communication barriers may contribute to mental health concerns for U.S. Latina/os • U.S. Latina/os experience barriers in the workforce & school settings which adversely affect & compound mental health issues • The U.S. educational system is not as equally available or helpful to Latina/o students • Lower levels of education impact self-efficacy levels, & contribute to higher poverty & limited earnings • Limited health insurance for Latina/o population

14. Mental Health Issues of Individuals of Latin Descent Cont. • Acculturative Stress • Grief & Loss – Associated with leaving loved ones behind, sacrificing cultural traits and mores for those of the host culture or having a minority status • Additional Concerns • Domestic violence, substance abuse, depression, divorce, unemployment, teenage pregnancy, physical & sexual abuse victimization, academic struggles, & homelessness may contribute to fear, anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness, or anger in Latina/os • May be directly related to cultural manifestations of grief and acculturative stress

15. Guidelines for Counseling Clients of Latin Descent • Counseling needs, strengths, goals, & objectives vary according to age, immigration status, country of origin, where they settled in the U.S., socioeconomic status, language preference, assimilation, and many other factors • Use of cognitive-behavioral & directive approaches

16. Counseling Considerations for Adolescents of Latin Descent • Counselors can use Individual, Group, & Family interventions • Attention to age and birthplace of children of Latin descent, and their identification with a Latino heritage • Counselors should pay close attention to the academic experiences of their adolescent U.S. Latina/o clients due to the important role school plays in the development & socialization of teenagers. • Cuento Therapy - “fairy tale”; used to model desirable social behaviors for Puerto Rican children

17. Counseling Considerations for Adolescents of Latin Descent Cont. • Counselors should be aware of the adolescent’s: • difficulty reconciling bicultural statuses • feelings toward gender roles & sexual orientation development • limited exposure to culturally-related extracurricular school activities • potential substance use as a coping mechanism for stress • level of experience & exposure to various career opportunities • Use of individual and group interventions • Use of Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT)

18. Counseling Considerations for Adolescents of Latin Descent Cont. • Consider the impact of immigration status and the practice of cultural & religious customs • 1st generation immigrants may experience constant stress over immigration status • They may also feel a sense of pride at achieving citizenship or guilt for giving up affiliation with their country of origin • The amount of time a Latina/o adult has lived in the U.S. can influence the vigor with which they adhere to Latino norms, customs, traditions, & religious practice • Counselors should assess if and how the client’s presenting problem is related to immigration & a longing for cultural connections

19. Counseling Considerations for Adolescents of Latin Descent Cont. • Counselors should be aware of adults: • struggling with caring for elderly parents in the American society where values concerning elders are different • experiencing discrimination in the workplace & underemployment • with difficulty connecting to their children due to their biculturalism • with feelings of powerlessness because they must depend on their children to serve as translators • who feel the need to send remittances to family, friends, or creditors in their native countries, while struggling for economic stability in the U.S.

20. Counseling Considerations for Adolescents of Latin Descent Cont. • A systems-approach to counseling should be employed • Individual interventions should focus on the different culturally-related factors that may be impacting the presenting issue • Group counseling is the “modality of choice” due to its benefits of cohesion & universality • Counselors should not assume that they can lump U.S. Latina/o clients into any type of group • There may be hesitation for family therapy due to cultural norms (e.g., seeking help from family & clergy members) • The family system is often partially responsible/affected by the issue(s), so involving family members can become a precarious experience • Use of genograms and eco-maps