Culturally Responsive Counseling with Latinas/os

Special Education Referrals and Disciplinary Actions for Latino Students in the United States

“…Addressing the disproportionality for students comprising the largest U.S. ethnic/cultural group requires a contextualized knowledge of Latinos in the U.S. Latinos are the numerically largest, rapidly growing, youthful, racial/ethnic group in the United States (Arredondo, Gallardo-Cooper, Delgado-Romero, & Zapata, 2014;Gloria & Segura-Herrera, 2003). Although Latinos may emigrate from one or more of 20 Latin American republics (e.g., Central and South America, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico), their presence in the United States actually dates to the 1500' (i.e., Spanish conquest of indigenous peoples) including Spanish settlements in Florida, New Mexico, and the annexation of Mexican lands in 1848 (e.g., New Mexico, California, Texas, Nevada) post MexicanAmerican war (Garcia-Preto, 2005;San Miguel & Valencia, 1998).…”

“…The racial, national, and ethnic heterogeneity within Latinos necessitates a culturally grounded, psychosociocultural understanding (Arredondo et al, 2014;Gloria & Rodriguez, 2000) to begin accurately responding to the question: "Who are Latinos?" With a contextualized understanding, educators may reframe (mis) perceptions to fuel strength-based, approaches that more holistically address the needs of Latino students.…”

Professional School Counselor Perceptions of Systemic Barriers Affecting Latino Students: Implications for Socially Just Preparation and Practice

“…Cultural values (e.g., familism, ethnic identity, collectivist orientation) are especially salient for many Latino youth and adults (Arredondo, Gallardo-Cooper, Delgado-Romero, & Zapata, 2014; Santiago-Rivera, Arredondo, & Gallard-Cooper, 2002;Sue & Sue, 1999).…”

“…Thus, Latino students are often labeled language-impaired and are overrepresented in special education classes (Arredondo et al, 2014). Although 14% of Latinos were high school drop outs (Pew Hispanic Center, 2013), Latinos who speak only English at home or speak English "very well" are found to be more likely to have a GED than Latinos with limited English speaking skills (Fry, 2010).…”

“…Parental involvement and family structure are recognized as important in understanding Latino students' academic motivation and perseverance (Henry et al, 2011). The influence of family unity and collectivism is high among Latinos and the family unit strongly shapes Latino students' perception of education (Arredondo et al, 2014). Latino students view parental support as essential, such as assistance with homework and supporting academic motivation (Henry et al, 2011).…”