Latinos in the United States are an ethnic group with a rich history and culture. This ethnic group has experienced many issues in the U.S. This paper will look at the historical and sociodemographic information on the Latino population and illustrate how future social work professionals can use the NASW Code of Ethics and the week’s readings to develop strategies.
The Latinos have a diverse heritage, including roots in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, Dominican and South America. In recent years the population has grown rapidly. The Latino population in the United States was 62.1 million by 2020, 19% of all Americans. They are the second largest ethnic group after white people and ahead of black people. In the last decade, it has rapidly grown, and its population has grown by 23%. Many Latinos are descendants of people who lived in places such as Texas, New Mexico, California and Arizona. These places were annexed by the united states and resulting in the displacement of many Latinos. Today, Florida, California and Texas comprise half of the Latino population in the united states (Nadeem, 2022). New Mexico and California are two states where the largest ethnic group is the Latinos.
Four Latinos in a group of ten have experienced differential treatment in education, healthcare, jobs and criminal justice. Discrimination, language barrier and lack of resources in the education sector are major issues that Latinos face in the united states. These issues affected the number of educated Latinos and limited chances for acquiring high-paying jobs. Hispanic pupils attend schools with fewer resources, inexperienced teachers, and greater dropout rates. Latinos also have different healthcare results. Hispanics lack health insurance and suffer financial hurdles to care, which lowers preventative care and increases chronic illness rates. Environmental pollution is higher in Latino populations, causing respiratory and other health issues. Hispanics also face job discrimination. Hispanics are underpaid and discriminated against in hiring, advancement, and compensation (Findling et al., 2019). It can increase poverty, economic insecurity, healthcare and housing shortages, and criminal justice disparities also affect Latinos.
The health and well-being of Latinos in the United States have been greatly impacted by the wide range of experiences they have had to endure. Disparities in social, economic, and health outcomes caused by these factors have persisted and may persist for generations. The lack of education, healthcare, and employment possibilities seriously challenges Hispanics’ upward social mobility and economic stability. Many Latino families struggle economically and are forced to rely on charity or have several breadwinners to make ends meet. It can lead to food insecurity, poor health, and deplorable living conditions (Findling et al., 2019). When educational and occupational opportunities are hampered due to financial constraints, the cycle of poverty can worsen.
In addition, Latinos sometimes may feel isolated and unwelcome in white-dominated American society due to cultural differences. Isolation and a lack of chances to interact with others and contribute to society are two negative outcomes of discrimination and a lack of access to social services. It is impossible to emphasize these events’ dangers to one’s health. As a result of a greater incidence of chronic diseases and less equitable access to healthcare, Hispanics may experience a lower quality of life and a shortened lifespan (Findling et al., 2019). Furthermore, environmental pollution is linked to respiratory and other health issues, further exacerbating health inequalities.
Working with Latinos as a social worker requires high self-awareness and commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards and values. They must ensure that their values and biases do not hinder their client work. It involves cultural humility and sensitivity to diverse Latino experiences and opinions. Social professionals serving Latinos must uphold respect, decency, and social justice. It includes identifying and correcting client-worker power imbalances and working with clients to identify their strengths and needs. Social workers must also adjust their treatments to clients’ cultural demands.
Social workers must also understand the historical and sociopolitical framework that has shaped Latino experiences in the U.S. This demands a detailed grasp of the social, economic, and political forces that have molded this population’s experiences and how they have affected their welfare. Generally, working with Latinos demands cultural humility, social fairness, and ethical conduct that understands their particular needs (Findling et al., 2019). Social workers must ensure that their views and biases do not hinder their ability to provide effective, culturally appropriate therapies that promote client well-being and dignity.
The following are examples of negative impacts that may occur in the delivery of services when personal values are imposed on clients. Imposing personal ideals on customers can harm service performance. The client-social worker relationship may deteriorate. Whenever a social worker pushes their values or biases on a client, the client may feel judged, ostracized, or mistreated. The client-worker relationship may break down, making the client less inclined to seek assistance or follow treatment recommendations. Negative effects may also result from the social worker failing to consider essential details about the client’s situation. If a social professional were to force their views on a client regarding parenting or family dynamics, they might ignore the client’s cultural or religious beliefs (Findling et al., 2019). Interventions not tailored to the individual or their family may be unnecessary, useless, or harmful.
Pushing one’s ideals upon customers might exacerbate any preexisting power differentials between the two parties. A social worker’s imposition of their values on a client, for instance, regarding substance abuse or sexual activity, can reinforce stigmatizing beliefs and add to the client’s sense of shame or inadequacy. It can also make it harder for the client to receive assistance or advocate for their needs, further marginalizing the person.
Future social workers can use the NASW Code of Ethics to develop strategies to keep their values separate from their professional practice, even if they and their clients disagree on fundamental issues like values, beliefs, traditions, practices, and lifestyle choices. Taking some time for introspection and self-examination is the first order of business. In order to provide the best service possible to their clients, social workers should examine how their values and beliefs shape their professional practice. Social workers can benefit from this method since it allows them to examine their work for signs of bias or the effect of personal views.
Social workers who can recognize their prejudices and try to overcome them are better able to put their professional ideals first. Developing a sense of cultural humility and sensitivity is an essential part. As such, social workers must be receptive to new information about their clients’ cultures and willing to modify their services accordingly. As part of this process, it is important to keep learning and growing, seek out mentors and advisors, and constantly assess and improve one’s practices and methods. Setting up defined responsibilities and boundaries inside an organization is another useful tactic.
In conclusion, historical and sociodemographic issues have hampered Latino Americans. These experiences have caused Latino health disparities, educational inequality, and social and economic marginalization. Social professionals help Latinos achieve social justice and equity as they can deliver culturally appropriate and unbiased therapies that fit each client’s needs by separating personal ideals from their work. Social workers can also utilize the NASW Code of Ethics and the week’s readings to separate personal values to retain professionalism and enhance client well-being and dignity. Social workers can assist Latina families and individuals to succeed by promoting positive transformation.
References
Findling, M. G., Bleich, S. N., Casey, L. S., Blendon, R. J., Benson, J. M., Sayde, J. M., & Miller, C. (2019). Discrimination in the United States: Experiences of Latinos. Health Services Research, 54(S2), 1409–1418. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13216
Nadeem, R. (2022, June 14). 1. A brief statistical portrait of U.S. Hispanics. Pew Research Center Science & Society. https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2022/06/14/a-brief-statistical-portrait-of-u-s-hispanics/
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