Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations

Abstract

This article provides the introduction, background and rationale for the Major Contribution focused on five national ethnic minority psychological associations: the Asian American Psychological Association, The Association of Black Psychologists, the National Latina/o Psychological Association, the Society of Indian Psychologists, and the Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues (Division 45 of the American Psychological Association). The first five articles focus on each of the five major ethnic minority psychological associations and their relationship to the specialty of counseling psychology in general and, more specifically, to the largest professional organization of counseling psychologists, the Society of Counseling Psychology, Division 17 of the American Psychological Association. In the final article, we summarize general trends and make recommendations. In this introductory article, we (a) describe our rationale for the Major Contribution, (b) provide a brief history of counseling psychology's growing commitment to an inclusive multicultural psychology, and (c) conclude with a brief description of the articles and authors included in the Major Contribution. Major ContributionDelgado-Romero et al.

Social Justice in Counseling Psychology: Then, Now, and Looking Forward

“…Psychologists, as a group did not immediately act in response. The ongoing inaction led to the creation of ethnic minority psychological associations such as the Asian American Psychological Association, Association of Black Psychologists, National Association of Latinx Psychologists, and Society of Indian Psychologists, independent of APA-efforts in which counseling psychologists served as leaders (see Delgado-Romero, Forrest, & Lau, 2012). The initiative to create independent ethnic minority psychological associations was led by Dr. Joseph White, whose intention was to create a Black Psychology qualitatively different from, and that addressed the inherently racist structure of, mainstream White psychology (Cokley & Garba, 2018;Forrest et al, 2008;White, 1970).…”

Liderazgo: Culturally Grounded Leadership and the National Latina/o Psychological Association

“…As can be seen in our brief review, issues surrounding leadership and diversity are complicated and multifaceted, and models that accurately reflect diverse leadership styles are new to the field. Within professional organizations that are composed of predominantly White American members, racial and ethnic issues may go unaddressed or ignored; ethnic minority psychological associations are uniquely suited to give voice to these issues (Delgado-Romero, Forrest, & Lau, 2012). Fortunately, NLPA was influenced and supported by the pioneering work in diversity by groups such as ABPsi, AAPA, SIP, the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP), APA Division 45, and APA Division 35, the Society for the Psychology of Women.…”

“…The evolution of values from a generic commitment to diversity to articulating specific values enacted in governance, training, research, and service is a work in progress. This process has not been free from tension (see Delgado-Romero, Forrest, et al, 2012), and there are many areas in which to develop this commitment to psychologists from diverse racial-cultural backgrounds in general (see Forrest, Lau, & Delgado-Romero, 2012), and Latina/o psychologists specifically (Chavez-Korell et al, 2012).…”

Roles and Responsibilities of White Allies: Implications for Research, Teaching, and Practice

“…Multicultural psychology is premised on the recognition that power, privilege, and oppression influence individuals’ psychological well-being and that subtle biases can have profound influences on conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment (Sue & Sue, 2016). Working through the national ethnic minority psychological associations (e.g., Association of Black Psychologists), psychologists of color have led the charge to prioritize the interests of people from marginalized racial and ethnic communities (Delgado-Romero, Forrest, & Lau, 2012). Their efforts have resulted in important but modest structural changes in the American Psychological Association (APA).…”