Working
with First Generation Latino Families
Editors Note: Special thanks to Union County DSS for sharing
the information and providing direction for the development of this
article and this issue of Practice Notes.
As stated earlier in
this issue, nearly two-thirds of the current North Carolina Hispanic
population is foreign born. Given this fact, it is highly likely that
many of the Latino parents you will be interacting with as a child welfare
worker will be first generation.
To enhance your ability
to support these families and protect their children, this article will
explore common first generation Latino attitudes about authority, discuss
issues that may come up in your work with them, and offer suggestions
that will help you build trusting, constructive relationships with Latino
families.
Views
of Authority
First generation Latinos
views of authority are influenced by their experiences in their countries
of origin, by Latino cultural norms, and by their experiences here in
America.
Although conditions
differ among and even within countries, authorities in many Latinos
home countries can be extremely punitive and corrupt. Because attracting
the attention of the authorities can have such negative consequences,
people learn not to seek official help, even if they have been victimized
or are in need. This tendency is further reinforced by the Latino cultural
norm of familismo which, because of its emphasis on ties to and
reliance on relatives and friends, makes people reluctant to go outside
their family or community for help.
Some Latinos have also
had negative experiences of authority here in the U.S. If they or a
family member are here illegally, Latinos may shun authorities because
they fear deportation. There also have been reports of Hispanics who
have been arrested for minor offenses but spent days or weeks in jail
due to the lack of translators or attorneys who speak Spanish.
Latinos may also have
negative encounters with their employers or landlords. Many of North
Carolinas Spanish-speaking immigrants come as agricultural workers,
and in that capacity are subject to low wages, unsanitary conditions,
toxic chemicals (herbicides, pesticides), and fraud on the part of employers.
If they are undocumented, speak no English, or are simply unaware of
their rights, Latinos can exploited by landlords and other businesses.
All these things, taken
together, can cause Latinos to fear and distrust authorities and to
assume that people in positions of power do not respect them or their
culture. This attitude towards authority may be responsible for missed
court appearances or other appointments.
Overcoming
Common Barriers to Intervention
Distrust of Authority.
Distrust of authority figures is a significant barrier to child welfare
intervention with Latino families. Yet it is not a concern unique to
Latinos, since most families involved with DSS are distrustful and resentful
of initial attempts at intervention. Workers can overcome this barrier
the same way they overcome it with other familiesby being open,
warm, and clear about their objectives. Knowledge of and comfort with
Latino culture are also tremendously helpful in overcoming this barrier.
Lack of Cultural
Awareness. A workers ignorance of Latino cultural norms and
values can be a serious obstacle to child welfare intervention. For
example, personal rapport and relationship to othersespecially
family membersis cherished among Latinos. Yet someone unfamiliar
with Latino culture might look at Hispanic families and label their
relationships as codepedent or enmeshed (Grayson, 2001). Similarly,
a worker might see reluctance to discuss family matters with an outsider
as guilt or resistance rather than as an expression of familismo. If
one is unfamiliar with a culture, there are limitless opportunities
for miscommunication and misunderstanding.
The key to overcoming
this barrier is self-education. To familiarize themselves with Latino
culture, workers should ask Hispanic coworkers, friends, and clients
to help them learn about Hispanic culture. As a secondary approach,
they should seek out books, music, movies, and cultural and community
events.
Language is another significant hurdle for child welfare agencies.
To overcome this barrier, they need certain resources, including:
Many believe that an
agency cannot adequately address the issues of the Latino population
by simply translating forms and hiring interpreters. To do this, agencies
must employ bicultural staff. As one CPS supervisor explained: I
dont know what it feels like to be first, second, or third generation
Latino. You can employ people to translate and to be interpreters, but
you have to have at least one person who is almost an in-house consultant
to help you with that.
Family Hierarchy
and Gender Issues. In traditional Latino families there is usually
a clear hierarchy where the head of the household is the oldest male.
This person ultimately makes all important decisions for the family.
Especially during the initial contact, if it is appropriate and consistent
with agency policy, child welfare workers should ask to speak first
with the head of the household. Explain your role and the purpose of
your visit to this person and, if you wish to speak with other members
of the household, ask this persons permission to do so.
If the child welfare
worker is a woman, she may have a great deal more success in her interactions
with the male head of the household if she treats him deferentiallyfor
example, by letting him ask many of the questions. At issue here is
the head of the households dignity and, by extension, the dignity
of the entire family.
If a child welfare
worker disregards hierarchy she may experience delays or difficulty
working with the family. For example, the mother may say, I have
to talk to my husband about this. This is not a stalling tactic,
she really must consult her husband. Or the mother may fall silent,
stymied by the social workers failure to involve the father.
Joining
with the Family