1. 1 Understanding Latinos and Latinas Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph. D.

2. 2 The link between physical and emotional believe that strong emotions may cause physical illness and thus perceive the psyche as affecting one’s physical condition. They would rather seek medical treatment.

3. 3 Slow to accept mental health services Why?  high tolerance for psychopathology among Latino/Latina families.  barriers such as economics, language, environment and sociocultural factors.  Issues with the therapy.

4. 4 Reference Issues Hispanic (e.g. census descriptor)  Latino is a nongendered term.  Latinos refer to males and Latinas to females.

5. 5 Population Estimates 2000 US Census  12.5 percent  35.3 million in the US  Projection 2030 – 63 million  Projection 2050 – 88 million

6. 6 Education Over 1/4 th have less than a 9 th grade education. Approximately 2/5 have not graduated from high school. Latino/Latina children are often  misplaced into special ed classrooms  directed into non-college bond tracks (Gay, 2000).

7. 7 Employment & Income By 2000, almost 7% of Latinos/Latinas age 16 and older were unemployed as compared to 3.4 % Whites. Puerto Ricans have the highest unemployment rates (8.1%) whereas Central and South Americans have the lowest (5.1%). For those employed FT – 1/4 th earned $35,000 or more as compared to 50% of Whites.

8. 8 Religion Predominant religion – Catholicism.

9. 9 The Latino/Latina College Student Issues:  lower SES status  underemployment  experiences of oppression and racism.

10. 10 Some Issues Acculturation

11. 11 Traditionalism-Modernism  Strict and separate role definitions for men and women  Strong family and community (group) identity and loyalty as contrasted with individualism  Time orientation to the past and present vs the future

12. 12 Traditionalism-Modernism  Valuing of age (elderly) vs youth  Valuing of traditions and rituals  Subservience to conventions and authority vs questioning of authority  Valuing of spirituality vs secularism

13. 13 Familismo Familism or familismo refers to Latino/as’ profound sense of family.  Strong feelings of loyalty  Interdependence  Family needs vs. individual needs

14. 14 Family extended kinship systems Nonrelated family members  compadres or comadres  padrinos or madrinas  hijos de crianza

15. 15 Family La familia serves as a natural support system  providing support  acting as a buffer against stress  Latino/a nuclear families to expand to include extended family members, nonblood-related members, new generations, and adult members

16. 16 Family as a liability In the Latino/a culture, family support can be both a strength and a liability.

17. 17 Great value placed upon: Great value is placed on manners, courtesy, and harmonious relationships. As a result, conflict, direct argument, and contradiciton are considered rude. Such a cultural script  deviate from the simpatia are likely to be rejected by more traditional Latinos/as.

18. 18 Gender Roles Gender roles in the Latino/a cultures are frequently represented as negative stereotypes. Latinos/as continue to adhere to traditional gender roles. Modification?

19. 19 Gender Machismo: traditional sex roles Historically, Mexican concepts of machismo.

20. 20 Machismo Machismo has both positive and negative connotations; but it is almost always negatively defined.

21. 21 Negative Stereotypes The negative stereotypes and perceptions of Latinos/as are many.  marianismo and hembrismo Marianismo: the value that women are expected to revere and emulate the Virgin Mary and endure suffering. Hembrismo: embodies “femaleness”

22. 22 Latino/a youth  unique mental health issues  acculturation gap  lower SES  Undereducation  negative stereotypes  experiences of oppression and racism.  Other issues

23. 23 Older Adults Problems:  Physical and emotional difficulties of aging compounded with: Cultural alienation Racial discrimination Language barriers Lack of health insurance Limited financial resources Different cultural customs and beliefs poverty