Latino

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Historical and Cultural Background
Latinos, or Hispanics, refers to the people that have a historical connection with Spain. It consist of the South American continent, islands of the Caribbean in the Atlantic Ocean, and Central American ranging to North America's southwest of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California to the south portion of Wyoming. The vast expanse demonstrates a culture of many sub-cultures through history of relocation, integration, and suppression due to the Western exploration of one’s native land. The development and migration of people have led today of twenty one countries with different cultures, and histories that reflect the Hispanic and Latino culture.

Since the terms Latino and Hispanic refer to such a wide range of countries and separate cultures, this guide will focus its efforts on Mexican, Puerto Ricans, Cubans since they continue to be the three largest Latino groups int he US.

Common Hispanic Values

 * Simpatia – the need for behaviors that promote pleasant and non-conflicting social relationships.
 * Allocentrism – high levels of conformity, mutual empathy, willingness to sacrifice for the group, and high levels of personal interdependence.
 * Need of the family is more important than the individual.
 * Fatalism – external locus of control. Feelings of powerlessness.
 * Personalism – preference for close personal relationships
 * People are more important than paperwork
 * Warmth and genuineness
 * Do NOT be “mechanical”


 * Respeto – esteem for elders and authority.
 * Younger respect the older
 * Women respect the men
 * Children respect parents


 * Familismo – emphasis on the family, including the extended family and friends
 * Flexibility within family roles is NOT valued
 * Carino - personal quality of being affectionate.
 * Expression of verbal and nonverbal endearments
 * Often shown by kisisng on the cheek, hugging
 * Confianza - development of trust, intimacy, and familiarity within a relationship.
 * Must be earned
 * Once earned a strong bond is established
 * Work - a reliance on manual labor and the acceptance of "pain" related to it.
 * Will move to where the work is

Counseling Methods and Considerations


Based on what Hispanic client value, counselors should strive to be warm and respectful. The client will expect a formal relationship at the beginning of counseling. The therapists should then give a brief description of what counseling is and the role of each since counseling is foreign to Hispanics. Confidentiality should be thoroughly explained and allow the client to state the problem in their own words as they see it. The therapist should explain the treatment to be used to the client and show why it is believed it will best achieve the counseling goal. Assessing the problem from external sources should never be ruled out either. Such external sources can include, but are not limited to; need for food, shelter, employment, or stressful interactions with agencies.

If language becomes a hindrance in therapy, the use of an interpreter could be helpful. It should be noted that interpreters can lose client meaning. If a client knows no English then it may be best to refer. However, even if your Latino client speaks English, let them integrate Spanish into the treatment, especially when processing high emotional issues. For those clients who are bilingual, expect multiple levels of acculturation. A problem they are having may be Hispanic, but they may also have Anglo cultural problems in other circumstances.

Recommended Therapies
It is often helpful to offer a time-limited, solution-based therapy when working with Latinos. However, understanding emotions and how emotions can be responses of thoughts is also helpful. Therefore, a mix of the two following theories is recommended:
 * Brief Solution Focused
 * CBT

Marital Therapy
Many couples will not be aware of the problem or acknowledge a real reasoning for coming into counseling. They are often ruled by gender roles which means they may want to prove the other is wrong. The concept of joining together is challenging so caution must be taken when introducing problem solving. The Gottman Couple Therapy Method and Prepare/Enrich both prove very helpful in equipping Latino couples, but therapists cannot introduce these methods in their typical way.

A suggested opening is to use the "Sharing Strength and Growth Areas" worksheet from Prepare/Enrich to help introduce the Latino clients to possible deficits in the marriage that they cannot identify on their own. Once the couple has completed the survey on their own, when they return to therapy the therapist can review each category which allows the couple to finally see their habits in the marriage. This can be followed up by using the Prepare/Enrich intervention "Creating a Wish List" which has each spouse write three things they wish the other would do more or less in the relationship. This helps identify problems and establishes communication, especially utilizing the use of "I" langue rather than "you" language. As the therapists watches the interaction, Gottman's theory of the Four Horseman can be identified and the couple would be open to the therapist's impute and observations.

Four Common Family Structures

 * Intact Familia - Parents who still live together; may include other members of the extended family.
 * Single-Parent Familia - Most commonly headed by Latina single mothers, associated with high rates of poverty and teen pregnancy.
 * Bicultural Familia - Two types: acculturated bicultural and cross-cultural bicultural (interethnic marriage).
 * Immigrant Familia - With searations and reunions due to migration; changed roles for women and children.

Common Family Problems

 * Designated Gender Roles - Accepted that men will have two or three families in different towns. Not accepted for women to have unfaithful relationships.
 * Single Moms - High risk of depression and eldest son may become over protective.
 * Changing Gender Roles - As the family acculturates into the dominant culture, traditional prescribed gender roles will change. Can cause stress, depression, and anxiety.
 * Counselor response inlcudes demonstrating an understanding of the expectations, acknowledging the positive dimensions, and recognizing the cultural values of respect and family.

Effective Witnessing
In witnessing to the Hispanic culture it is important to recognize the relationship one first builds with them. A Caucasian person sharing the Gospel to a Hispanic may come across as suppressive because one’s belief and history from the past. The Gospel understanding of the crucifixion has strong ties of emotional response to those suffering like Jesus. The confianza translates to trust, confidence, and close counterpart of connection. The confianza one creates builds a bond that has received the earned the respect to listen, maintain a strong relationship of trust to share with another person. Meeting a person where they are to help them goes a longer way than just sharing the Gospel to them one time. It is more effective to allow for hospitality to take its course and get to know the person before just sharing the Gospel.

Additional Resources
http://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/book/bridging-academic-divide - brazilian immigration (better source than one below)

http://immigrationinamerica.org/391-brazilian-immigrants.html  - brazilian immigration

http://doddcenter.uconn.edu/asc/research/guides/immigration/MigrationToday_XI_4_1983_1.pdf  - cuban immigration

http://www.nber.org/chapters/c0099.pdf  - mexican immigration

http://www.ccpr.ucla.edu/publications/featured-books/generations-of-exclusion-mexican-americans-assimilation-and-race  - mexican assimilation

http://acad.depauw.edu/~mkfinney/teaching/Com227/culturalportfolios/CUBA/NonVerbal.html  - cuban communication (multiple avenues/links inside)

http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/cultural-considerations-when-working-with-mexicans  - mexican communication styles

http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_br.htm - brazilian communication

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/brazil-country-profile.html - brazilian communication

http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/guidestoolkits/ethnographicguides/mexico/chapters/chapter2.pdf - very good source of Mexicans

http://www.wwu.edu/culture/DennenTorres.htm  - brazilian families

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10268973 - good book source for Latino families

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10389067 - very good book source for cuban

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10514587 - latinos in the midwest

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10797265#ppg=119 - have highlighted portions

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10167437 - have highlighted portions

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10172717

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10555574&ppg=1

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10514587

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10389067

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10268973

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nobts/reader.action?docID=10797265