Statistics and Tips

• Projections indicate that racial / ethnic minorities will constitute a numerical majority sometime between 2030 and 2050
• Experiences with racial / ethnic minorities will enhance one’s cultural competence. Explore yourself as a racial/cultural being.
• Try to understand what your intense emotions mean for you when they arise. Take an active role in exploring yourself.
• Awareness of communication style differences between ethnic groups is important. These communication styles may largely be informed by cultural background.
• Individuals must evaluate their state of ethnic identity and determine how it might impact work with clients of the same or different ethnicity. Addressing ethnic or other differences between individuals can be helpful.
• Ethnic groups may share similarities, but there are also within group differences. For example, simply because a patient checks “African-American,” “Asian,” or “Hispanic/Latino” on an intake form does not mean that he or she shares cultural, social, religious, linguistic, socioeconomic, and physical characteristics with others who check the same box.

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Resources for Specific Populations

African Americans

• Working with African American Families
• A Cultural Competency Model for African Americans (HIV related care)

Asian Americans

• Working With Asian American Families
• Asian American Statistics and Information (Presentation Format)
• A Cultural Competency Model for Asians and Pacific Islanders  (HIV related care)

American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians

• Working with American Indian Families
• A Cultural Competency Model for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians (HIV related care)

Hispanic and Latino Americans

• Working with Hispanic Families
• A Cultural Competency Model for Latinos (HIV related care)

Arab Americans

• Arab Families: An Overview
• Working With Arab American Children and Families

Multiracial Individuals

• Working with Multiracial Families
• Multiracial Children

Portions adapted from the following: Sue, D. W. & Sue, D. (2013). Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice. (6th edition). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.