The week following the presidential election of Donald Trump was particularly difficult for me. Although largely concerned of his fit for office, I was most concerned about how to address his presidency with the Latina students in my after-school program. I worried specifically about how they were handling his election in a county where over 60% of the electorate voted for someone whose primary platforms were mass deportation and wall construction. The Monday following the election, I walked into the classroom intent on ensuring the safety of my Latina mentees only to find that they had found it within themselves. The two girls, who I would later find out were cousins, demonstrated the kind of unconditional love and support that I hoped to …show more content…
Through coursework in Pan-African studies and other diversity-related disciplines, I began to integrate my growing cultural understanding into my scholarship of psychology; often finding myself asking questions to which there were few answers. These questions led me to begin my formal research career as an undergraduate research assistant at the Cooperative for African American Family Excellence (CAFÉ) at the University of Louisville. As a part of CAFÉ, I helped to examine relationships between child and parental anxiety in African American families through test administration (ADIS-IV) and case conceptualization. While conceptualizing one dyad, a child drew my attention. Despite having a mother who endorsed many anxiety-related symptoms, he endorsed none. When we considered what could be responsible for his notable resilience, we discovered that the young boy had been a member of his community football league and cited his coach as a major …show more content…
The program and associated faculty have demonstrated a continued vested interest in the use of research to describe, evaluate, and intervene in diverse communities. Through this exceptionally rigorous program, I hope to gain skills in social policy development, applied participatory research, and community intervention and development. I find my own learning style reflected in the teaching style of the program and look forward to the possibility of acquiring hands-on experience as I advance my theoretical understanding of community psychology and
I’ve always been proud to be Mexican-American. I recognize that this aspect of myself makes me unique. I represent a rich culture with so much to offer. My family immigrated to North Carolina in the late 90’s; however, almost two decades of separation from our hearth hasn’t dulled our Mexican culture and pride. Now, more than ever, it is important for young Hispanics to embrace their roots. It is imperative for young Hispanics to send a message that being American and Hispanic isn’t mutually exclusive. Hispanics, first-generation, second-generation, or even fourth generation, have so much to offer to the United States. I embrace my Mexican heritage- my Hispanic heritage, because I want other young people to do so too. I want to lead by example and one day be able to pass the torch to a next generation of young Hispanics.
As my school made news yet again this year, I felt panicked. How was I supposed react? Students hanging a “build a wall sign”, didn’t directly target me, I am not latino. But as ASB president I am not here to just represent those who look like me, but also
In 2008, African-American presidential nominee Barack Obama garnered 67% of the Latino vote. In his bid for re-election, President Barack Obama acquired 71% of the Latino vote (Pew Research Center). With these statistics in mind, one can conclude that there has been a consistent growing pattern of continued co-operation between blacks and Latinos at the national level. This is in complete contrast however, to the mindset of some observers who believed that Latinos would not come out in the numbers they did because of racial bias and because of the fact that Obama received much less support amongst Latinos in the democratic primaries when faced against Hilary Clinton (Hero & Preuhs, p.3). Many people mistakenly thought this to be so because
For Black people, race is a never-ending conscious component of life in America. We live in a country with a history of slavery that, once ended, extended into an institution and system of laws; Jim Crow, that continue to keep members of the Black community “othered” and invisible. The threefold purpose of this writing is to discuss how the treatment of African-American patients engaging in psychoanalysis and psychoanalytically informed psychotherapy - as they exist today - fails to meet their full potential in the healing of the Black psyche; and to consider how the training curriculum can be expanded to include writings of Black psychoanalysts; and to encourage the analytic community to be opened up to include more analysts of
To effectively lessen the effects of lifelong racism and discrimination, Hays & Erford (2014) recommends a strength-based approach, with the counselor focusing on the individual and family capacities. Focusing on the client’s positive attributes and favorable cultural norms can encourage one to become more resilient (Vaterlaus, Skogrand, & Chaney, 2015). Furthermore, applying counseling skills such as unconditional positive regard, empathy, consistency, focusing on the client, and providing a supportive environment can all help the therapeutic relationship (Hays & Erford, 2014). Additionally, making the counselor/client relationship equal will also allow the client to feel more comfortable, may dispel the mistrust of counseling prominent in African American culture (Hays & Erford, 2014). Finally, acknowledging the racial differences with the client could encourage them to discuss the racism and discrimination they may have experienced (Hays & Erford, 2014).
These events of the election lead me to ask Alejandra and Fernando about the anti-protest that have been bursting out all over the country. I asked Alejandra and Fernando how they feel about them and if they had participated in an any of the protest. (Fernando) – “Well right after they announced the winner a lot of people at UCLA were not happy so they started a protest against Donald Trump. It was around 11:50 pm when the protest happened. I would have joined but I had a long day from work and school and I had to wake up early the next day. Is not that I didn 't care and I didn 't want my voice to be heard I was just not emotionally ready I literally started crying. Although I wasn 't there physically I was there in spirit because it was great to have a community back you up. I could hear the chants of "f*** Donald Trump," "We want equality, not supremacy," and "we hate Trump" then after that they quickly faded away. I heard from friends that the protest was around 600 students and it ended up really late like around 3 in the morning. Although I was not present my protest is getting my education and to achieve my goals. As well as to empower others and to show them that anyone can achieve anything if you believe in yourself. As well as to show my community and people of color that they belong at UCLA”.
Born to Hispanic immigrants Juan and Celina Baez Sotomayor on June, 25th, 1954, I was raised in the Bronx (one of New York’s five boroughs) as the eldest of two. My brother, Juan Sotomayor, and I had a happy childhood, until my father died suddenly in 1963, leaving us in my mother’s care. Though my mother barely made due as a nurse, she managed to send my
What are the experiences of Latina/Latino “Undocumented, Unafraid, and Unapologetic” (UUU) activist living in San Diego County, California under the Trump presidency? By UUU activist, I mean anyone who self-identifies as a Latina/Latino UUU activist, and is advocating, in any capacity, for affordable education for undocumented students, the DREAM act, DACA, and comprehensive immigration reform. Based on in-depth interviews in San Diego County, California, with Latinas and Latinos, over the age of eighteen, who self-identify as UUU activists, I will begin to address this question. A Latina/o critical race framework will guide the current study. The aim of my work is to capture the struggles, motivations, and challenges UUU activist face and
Black boys are daily victimized by toxic shaming. In the black culture there is little concern about the emotional wellbeing of black boys. Many young black boys are conditioned to be victims by emotional abuse, experienced at home and at school. Emotionally abused black boys are filled with rage. Primed to act out they become adults who are rageoholics. There is often so much attention given the concrete material manifestations of the impact of racism and other forms of social oppression on black males that the psychological impact of early childhood abandonment is not highlighted.
In effect, while race has special meaning for African Americans, it 's absent in the psychotherapy systems and clinical sessions that typically guide a clinician 's work with African Americans. What a pickle! For all the polemicists out there, in a nutshell, there are competing visions for psychotherapy with African Americans. Neither side is monolithic. On one side, which I 'll call the Universal approach, researchers and scholars hang their hat on the belief that psychotherapy systems are sufficient for treating African Americans because
At McKinney Boyd High School’s graduation ceremony in Texas, a student named Larissa Martinez did not give a regular speech. She told everyone there that she was an undocumented immigrant. Larissa was not the only one who stood up there to say that she was undocumented. In fact, there were two students that announced that they were undocumented immigrants. When Larissa said what her status was, there was a huge standing ovation for her. It was not easy for her to stand up there and give that speech. She had a lot of courage to go up there to reveal a secret of a lifetime. After someone else from another school heard about it, he made a post on Twitter and there were comments that were either supporting her or attacking her. Larissa described what it has been like in her life to be
The Latinos in my class differed in the way that they were proud to say they were Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Dominican. Thus, I pursued a relationship with these classmates and I began to feel differently about Latinos. I realized that I was taking part in the prejudice thoughts my previous classmates had toward Latinos by concealing my identity. I also recognized that Latinos were struggling to pursue a better life and that we are looked down upon. As a result of discrimination, it is difficult for us to accomplish our goals in life. Presently, every opportunity I get, I talk about my culture. I discuss the hardships Latinos face and I describe my experience growing up Puerto Rican. Although I am Puerto Rican, I don't know as much about my culture as I should. Reading Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America by Juan Gonzalez has brought new insights to my knowledge of Puerto Ricans and Latinos in general. Gonzalez focuses on language and writes that speaking Spanish is treated as a handicap instead of as an asset.
The beginning of class had a somber tone for the first time this semester. The news stunned our class, along with the entire world, with the announcement of Donald Trump as President. How alarming was that decision, especially during a time when the focus of our class contradicts the Vice President’s belief of equality for the LGBTQ community? It broke my heart to see my professor cry, sensing that a level of power and civil rights for a large population is now in jeopardy.
a) an initial meeting- to be polite you might shake their hand. If you are meeting a distant family member you might hug them instead.
Through this class, I understand the general gist of what controls the community in terms of power, organizational strength, and political influences. I have learned about what factors into certain decisions that community members make and what the recent outlook of community participation is. Even though I learned that community participation and involvement in organizations has declined over the past years, it is hopeful to find ways to combat this social apathy that is happening in America today. I enjoyed learning about strategies to help groups of people interact and create an active and responsive community power. The Greene and Haines text was well-organized, strategic, direct, and practical to the subject matter.