NAVIGATING
CULTURAL
DIVERSITY
PRESENTED BY: THE COALITION OF LIMITED ENGLISH SPEAKING ELDERLY
There never were in the world two
opinions alike, no more than two hairs
or grains; the most universal quality is
diversity.
Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)...
French philosopher and essayist
CLESE Mission
To improve the lives of limited English
speaking elderly by providing leadership,
advocacy and education.
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The only way most limited English speaking
elderly receive services is through a
provider that speaks their language and
understands their culture. CLESE provides
support and technical assistance to member
agencies.
Ethnic groups in CLESE...
Arab
Afghan
Assyrian
Bhutanese
Burmese
Cambodian
Chinese
Cuban
Ethiopian
Ethnic Chinese from South East
Asia
Filipino
Greek
Haitian
Herzegovinian
Lithuanian
Indian
Japanese
Korean
Lao
Mexican
Pakistani
Polish
Puerto Rican
Romanian
Russian
Serbo-Croatian
Somali
South and Central American
Ukrainian
Vietnamese
What is culture?
Culture...PASSED DOWN FROM ONE
GENERATION TO THE NEXT
A way of life
A product of collective memories and intellect
The behaviors and beliefs of a particular group
Culture can be defined in several ways…
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According to one definition culture is a philosophy of life and death.
Culture is passed on from generation to generation as beliefs and values,
patterns of behaviors by parents, other family members and teachers.
Another definition of culture is "the deposit of knowledge, experiences, beliefs,
values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial
relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions
acquired by a large group of people in the course of generations
through individual and group experiences.
A third, more common, definition of culture is "a socially constructed and
historically transmitted pattern of symbols, meaning, premises, and rules."
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The common theme throughout all these definitions is the
description of culture as a dynamic, constantly evolving
process. Culture is what we do and how we do it;
culture is what we consider "normal" thinking and behavior.
In other words, culture is assimilated from life by
living.
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Acculturation is the process of acquiring a second
culture…language proficiency
Assimilation is the process of replacing one's first culture
with a second culture…become bicultural…abandoning their
original culture
Adaptation is the process of adjusting to living in
accordance with social or cultural norms…basic survival
skills in new culture
The Elements of Culture
Include...
Language
Religion
Values
Customs & Traditions
Art & Literature
Economic Systems
www.fminet.com
Forms of Government
Food
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Cultural Competence is the willingness and ability of an
individual or a system to value the importance of
culture in the delivery of services to all members of the
community…Empathy towards others… Culturally
competent case manager values differences and is
responsive to diversity at all levels of interaction with client.
It is the continuous promotion of skills, practices and
interactions to ensure that services are culturally
responsive and competent.
The first step in becoming culturally competent
is to possess capacities of genuine warmth and
interest in cultural differences. From that flows
compassion and respect for the struggles which
immigrants and refugees face in a new society.
To understand how culture plays a role you
must first understand how an
individual/group views the role of:
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Individual
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Family
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Community
Barriers to service
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Cultural beliefs and behaviors: demanding services or
unwillingness to receive services
Not understanding how the social service system
works
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Cognitive decline
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Language
Limited English ability is a barrier in many ways...
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Older adults whom you speak with may have
difficulty understanding what you are saying
because of:
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Choice of words
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Speed
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Clarity and tone of voice
Ways to overcome barriers
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Be patient
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Always use an independent interpreter
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Speak slowly and clearly - but you don’t need to shout
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Ask for clarification if you are uncertain if you
understand a response
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Avoid using idioms “no ifs ands or buts”
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Watch your use of jargon such as “do you get it?”
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Do not use acronyms such as “CCP” or “IDOA”
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Identify the most appropriate means of
communication: phone, letter, possibly email
People can only live fully by helping others to live...
Cultures can only realize their further richness by
honoring other traditions.
Daisaku Ikeda
Latino and Chinese Cultures…
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Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United
States. As of 2012, Hispanics constitute 17% of the United
States population, or 53 million people.
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In 2012 there were more than 4 million Chinese people living in the
US;
Chinese make up 1.2% of the total US population, and they are the
largest Asian ethnic group, comprising almost 25% of all Asian
Americans.
Despite their low birthrates, Chinese households tend to be larger
due to the common practice of multiple generations and extended
family living together
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Latinos in Illinois come from Argentina, Belize, Bolivia,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Mexico (1,600.000), Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela
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Other groups in the Asian community include: Japanese,
Koreans, Vietnamese, Thai, Laotians, Hmong and
Cambodians; as well as those from South Asian countries
such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
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The majority of Chinese-Americans are from one of two
nations: either from the mainland of China (People’s
Republic of China) or Taiwan (Republic of China), an island
nation only 75 miles from the Chinese mainland.
People from both countries share a similar racial, ethnic and
religious background. However, there are important
language and cultural differences between those two.
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Total population in Illinois as of July 1, 2013 was
12,882.000
Persons 65 years and older consisted of 13.5% of the total
population; roughly 1,750.000
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1 out of 10 older adults in Illinois were born in another
country
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About 50,000 older adults in Illinois are Latinos
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About 10,000 older adults in Illinois are Chinese
Discussion:
A Latino
and
Chinese perspective
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From the Latino perspective, the expectation is that the
family will provide care; usually it is the oldest child,
probably daughter. The needs of the older adult are
important. Some 37% of Latino elders doesn’t speak English.
From the Chinese perspective, the expectation is that care
will be provided by the family, especially the oldest son. The
needs of the older adult are subservient to the needs of the
family. Some 39% of Chinese elders doesn’t speak English.
How do they live?
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7% of Latinos elderly live alone
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34% of Latinos elderly rent
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12% of Chinese elderly live alone
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25 % of Chinese elderly rent
Describe the family composition of a typical
Latino and Chinese home
Age and income
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35% of Chinese elderly are 75 years of age +
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21% of Latino elderly are 75 years of age +
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6% of Latino elderly receive SSI
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12% of Chinese elderly receive SSI
Share a story of how/why a typical older adult
came to the United States
Education
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82% of Latino elderly did not finish high school
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44% of Chinese elderly did not finish high school
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37% of Latino elderly have limited English ability
(limited means that they do not speak English well or at all)
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39% of Chinese elderly have limited English
ability
How do language and education impact ability
to integrate into the social services system in
the U.S.?
Family Dynamics
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The acculturation is central in the multigenerational Latino family. Social
adaptation, gender role flexibility, movement of women into the labor force,
increased vulnerability to marital disruption – more typical after the
immigration to the U.S. The familism still strong defined as face-to-face
interaction or supporting behaviors and it remains a more typical feature of
Hispanic families.
Twenty percent of the world's population lives in the People's Republic of
China. The percentage of three-generation family households increased
dramatically since 2000 in China. Such change, however, does not mean that
Chinese families are returning to the more traditional structure. Older people
live with married child. The family transformation in contemporary China
was caused by the tremendous fertility decline and by significant changes in
social attitudes and economic mobility.
Describe the role of the older adult in the
family
Hospitality
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In both cultures you will most likely be offered tea
or some food
In both cultures it is considered polite to accept it
whether or not you choose to drink it or eat it
Why is hospitality so important in your
culture?