Latina/Latino Culture
By: Kevin Floress
Overview
 The Latino Population
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Difficulties for Latinos
Latinos Underrepresented/served
Culture & Counseling Implications
Activity
The Latino Population:
“Latino” vs. “Hispanic”
 HISPANIC derives from the mostly
white Iberian Peninsula that includes
Spain and Portugal
 LATINO derives from the indigenous
people of the Americas (Mexico,
Central America, and South
America).
 “Latino” not included in U.S. Census
Bureau until 2000!
Now - “Hispanic or Latino of any
race.”
The Latino Population:
“Latino” vs. “Hispanic”
 One study: 1200 registered voters
 Older and liberal prefer Latino
 Assimilated, conservative, young prefer
Hispanic
 Hispanic and Latino, often used interchangeably. While
some resent the interchangeable use of the terms,
together, they represent a diverse group of individuals
who share many things in common such as language,
religion, and customs.
 Insert country name: _______American
 No definitive answer = preference!
The Latino Population:
Fastest Growing Population
 In 1990 Latino population = 22.4 million
 In 2000 Latino population = 35.3 million
= increase of nearly 58% in 10 years!!!
 Total U.S. population (2000) = 281.4 million
 35.3 million Latinos represent 12.5% of
population
= For first time, Latinos represent largest
minority group in U.S.
The Latino Population:
Fastest Growing Population
 According to American Community Survey by
U.S. Census Bureau:
2004 Latino population = 40.5million;
representing 14.2% of U.S. population
(nearly 2% increase in only 4 years!)
 Projection: By the year 2050, 1 of 4 American
residents will be of Latino descent!!
The Latino Population:
Diverse group
 More than 20 different countries
 Varying socio-cultural backgrounds
 Several different Spanish dialects
 72% 1st generation Latinos speak
Spanish
 78% 3rd generation older speak English
as primary
= Don’t assume b/c client has Latino
sounding surname they speak Spanish!
The Latino Population:
Diverse group
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58.5% Mexico
9.6% Puerto Rico
4.8% Central America
3.8% South America
3.5% Cuba
2.2% Dominican Republic
.3% Spain
Remaining 17.3% = “all other”
The Latino Population:
Where are Latinos in U.S.?
 75% in South and
Western U.S.
 15% in Midwest
 9% in Northeast
77% of population in
just 7 states: CA,
TX, NY, FL, IL, AZ,
NJ
The Latino Population:
Where are Latinos in U.S.?
 California = highest population (11
million)
 Texas = 2nd highest (6.7 million)
 New Mexico = highest proportion
(42% of residents)
Overview:

The Latino Population
Difficulties for Latinos

Latinos Underrepresented/served
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Culture & Counseling Implications

Activity
Difficulties for Latinos
 U.S. attributes for individual success
 Power inequities
 Racial profiling
Difficulties for Latinos:
U.S. Attributes for Individual Success:
“Self-Determination” + “Hard Work” = Success
“Lazy”+ “Incompetent” = Not Successful
Reality = Unequal opportunities based
on gender, race-skin color, national
origin, 1st language, socioeconomic
class, age, sexual orientation, etc……
Difficulties for Latinos:
Power Inequities
Unequal distribution of political, economic, social,
symbolic power in U.S.

Unequal distribution of opportunities among
varying ethnic & cultural groups.
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Alienation
(Torres, 2004)
Difficulties for Latinos:
Power Inequities
 Furthermore, Latinas (Latino women),
earn only 52% of equally educated
white males in FT, permanent
positions.
 Still far below the 72% Caucasian
females earn.
(Torres, 2004)
Difficulties for Latinos:
Racial Profiling
 Latinos not race; however, profiling exists
 According to Aguirre, author of “Profiling
Mexican American Identity:”
 During traffic stops, Latinos motorists 11%
probability of vehicle search; Caucasians 5%
 Latinos 8% probability of physical search; Caucasians
4%
 Latinos more likely to be victims of police physical
violence
Overview

The Latino Population
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Difficulties for Latinos
 Latinos
Underrepresented/served
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Culture & Counseling Implications
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Activity
Latinos Underrepresented &
Underserved
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Education
Popular Media
Political Domain
Business World
Latinos Underrepresented:
Education
 Latinos most undereducated population in
U.S.
 In 2001, Latino immigrant HS dropout rate
= 44.2%
 (7.4 % for all others combined)
 First generation dropout rate 14.6%
 Around 15% for later generations
(Mehring, 2005)
Latinos Underrepresented:
Education
 % of Latino population graduating from
college alarmingly low!
 Reasons for dropouts =
language barriers + attending lower
quality inner city schools
 Need to create more English language
programs that don’t interfere w/ reg.
class
(Mehring, 2005)
Latinos Underrepresented:
Popular Media
 Latinos over 12.5% of U.S. population
 Latinos represent only 1-3% of
primetime television actors/actresses
 Portrayed narrowly and often
negatively:
- Criminals, law enforcers, Latin lovers,
harlots or prostitutes, or comic relief.
(Mastrow & Morawitz, 2005)
Latinos Underrepresented:
Political Domain
 As of 2005, very few Latino politicians
 While mayor of Los Angeles and
governor of New Mexico are both
Latino, the total number of Latino
politicians can be counted w/2 hands
with fingers to spare.
(Roncevic, 2005)
Latinos Underrepresented:
Business World
 Very few Latinos in professional
business sector.
 Few small business owners, fewer
heads of major corps.
 Correlation with lack of education
 Extremely important! As Latino
success becomes increasingly
important for U.S. economic success.
Overview

The Latino Population

Difficulties for Latinos

Latinos Underrepresented/served
Culture & Counseling
Implications

Activity
Traditional Latino Culture and
Implications for Counseling
 Traditional beliefs
 Familismo
 Personalismo
 Gender Roles
Trad’l Latino Culture & Counseling:
7 Traditional Latino beliefs (text book, p.174)
1. Strict/separate roles for male-female
2. Strong family/community identity
3. Past/present time orientation vs.
future
4. Value elderly over youth
5. Value traditions & rituals
6. Respect authority
7. Value spirituality
Trad’l Latino Culture & Counseling:
Familismo?
 Faithfulness, loyalty reciprocity, and
unity within immediate and extended
family
 Family needs greater than individuals!
 Varies greatly from dominant culture
where autonomy is highly valued!
Trad’l Latino Culture & Counseling:
Familismo impact on counseling
What are possible implications for counseling?
Decision making can be difficult
(may need family involvement)
 Ask client preferred communication (designated family
member?)
 Multiple people may come to the counseling session
 May affect limits of confidentiality & change interventions
e.g. need to collaborate w/family members prior to treatment decisions
 Perhaps enroll family member assistance in intervention
plans
Trad’l Latino Culture & Counseling:
Personalismo?
 Intimate, personal, respectful
relationships
 Interactions should be warm, friendly,
and personal
 Interpersonal relationships more
highly valued than task achievement
Trad’l Latino Culture & Counseling:
Personalismo impact on counseling
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What are possible implications for counseling?
Spend increased time/effort in initial stages: Building
rapport & Therapeutic alliance
Rogerian skills: Display empathy, warmth, attentive
listening, genuineness, etc.
Possibly increase self disclosures so client sees
personal side
 trust & compliance
 greater likelihood of positive counseling outcome
Would you accept personal invitation from Latino
client?
Trad’l Latino Culture & Counseling:
Gender Roles - Male
Machismo – promotion of traditional male/female roles
Males (possible pros/cons)
Stereotypical Pros: work hard, protect, make important
decisions, and provide financially for family
Stereotypical Cons: Heavy drinking (manly to “hold you
liquor”), risk taking, highly authoritarian, physical
violence
Trad’l Latino Culture & Counseling:
Gender Role – Female
 Woman’s status correlate
w/ability to bear children
 Taking care of the family
 Good wife cooks, cleans, and
takes care of children
 Stands behind husband’s
decisions
Trad’l Latino Culture & Counseling:
Gender Role impact in counseling
What are possible implications for counseling?
 Recognize client’s contextual perspective of
male-female relations
 Refrain from forcing Anglo-American values
onto client
 May affect diagnosis of client:
(e.g. Latina that seems passive may not be
passive by her culture’s standards)
Summary
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The Latino Population
Difficulties for Latinos
Latinos Underrepresented/served
Culture & Counseling Implications
---> Activity
Activity:
Break into groups
(3 - 4members) Scenarios:
You are a community counselor:
Case conceptualization:
How would you approach and what
would you consider for the following
cases?
Scenarios
1. Unmarried, 3rd generation Latina.
Presenting issue: Lacks assertiveness
2. Married, Latino male. Has been in U.S. for
3 years. Presenting issue: Court ordered
alcohol treatment
3. Married, 1st generation Latina. Presenting
issue: Trust issues.
4. Unmarried, 2nd generation, Latino male.
Presenting issue: Anger control
5. Unmarried, newly immigrated Latina.
Presenting issue: Depression