JOURNAL 8 (Lum text reading) LATINO AMERICANS

In this chapter it talks about cultural competence with Latino Americans. Latino population represents the fastest growing sector of the population in the United States. Because of the wide range of diversity in the Latino population there is a lot to be educated on as a social worker to be knowledgeable, aware and competent in working with this group of people. Latinos are diverse in character and are comprised of a multitude of national origins from all parts of Latin America, Caribbean (Puerto Rican, Cuban) and Mexico. Mexico represents the largest number of Latinos in the United States.

It is good to know a little bit about the history and heritage of each group of Latinos which will help you have a better understanding of each person. Historically and demographically, Latin America is complex in that virtually every world ethnic, racial and religious population has immigrated to various parts of Latin America. The history of oppression in the U.S. society and negative stereotyping Latinos contribute to the ongoing experience of discrimination and racism toward Latinos.

Understanding the origins of Mexican Heritage, Puerto Rican experiences Cuban experiences, Central American experiences, South American experiences, Elderly Latinos, Latino Gay and Lesbian research will help you better understand the vast diversities and demographics, complexities and oppressions of each of these groups. It is important to read up literature to define each groups problems experiences and to understand as a social worker how to work with each group.

One example of understanding a groups origin is with the Mexican Heritage. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo resulted in the sale of what is now California and New Mexico to the United States for 15 million in 1848. This negotiation was an outcome of the U.S-Mexican War and led to long-standing tensions between the native Mexican residents and the new U.S. settlers. Through the years this has caused much oppression with riots stereotypes, segregation, racial discrimination, hate crimes and border deaths. The abuse of Mexican -heritage persons continues and is buttressed by the abuse of academic scholarship, such as Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington's warning that Mexican immigration to the United States "looms as a unique and disturbing challenge to our cultural integrity.

Each group has there own individual history and oppression and experience and mistreatment. It is extremely important as a social worker to work be culturally competent with each group. In being effective with each group there are five elements essential to ensuring that a system, institution, agency, or professional is able to become more culturally competent: 1) valuing diversity; 2) having the capacity for cultural self-assessment; 3) being conscious of the dynamics inherent when cultures interact; 4) having institutionalized cultural knowledge; and 5) having developed adaptations to diversity, basing practice on accurate perceptions of behavior, constructing impartial policies, and demonstrating unbiased attitudes.

Learning how to be culturally competent without contributing to negative stereotypes about Latino clients involves workers being willing to examine their own cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic status and discern the degree and extent of their own cultural programming.