GSLIS Edition - Simmons College

patients of their diagnosis, with the families’
belief that loved ones should be protected
from bad news. Holley has learned
that talking to the relatives first, with the
patient’s permission, eases the problem.
And when the prognosis is terminal, she
helps clients and families to let go.
Indeed, Holley’s level of involvement
can be intense. In the instance of the
Portuguese-speaking man with the head
injury, she was immersed in all aspects
of the months-long case, going so far as
to assist with negotiations regarding the
removal of surgical staples in his scalp.
The Cross-Cultural Landscape
Cultural competency — the ability to meaningfully interact
with people of other cultures — certainly remains the goal.
• Nearly seven million Americans — 2%
of the population — self-identify with
two or more racial categories.
Nava’s work, too, depends on clients
recognizing the authenticity of her background.
Like Holley, she’s found that her
clients, almost all immigrants like herself,
prefer to speak in their native language.
“When you’re anxious or depressed or
stressed out, even if you speak English,
you tend to fall back on your mother
language,” she says. “You can express
yourself better.”
To work with her handful of U.S.-born
clients, Nava, who came to the U.S. 30
years ago, adjusts her work style accordingly.
“It’s not uncommon for a Brazilian
client to hug me, or a Portuguese woman
to give me a kiss on the cheek at the end
of a session, but that would scare the
Americans!” she says, laughing.
Yet how to handle end-of-session
pleasantries is the least of her concerns.
One of Nava’s daily struggles is overcoming
cultural biases against psychotherapy;
often her patients feel embarrassed, balk
at medication, and fear being labeled
“crazy.” As a result, they come in for a
few sessions and then may disappear. The
fact that there are few additional support
services for Portuguese speakers doesn’t
help. But sometimes clients trickle back
in; one recently returned after seven years.
Nava believes that many of her clients
wouldn’t seek therapy at all if they didn’t
see their own cultures mirrored in the
Alliance staff. Still, it’s a fine balance;
Nava’s effectiveness relies on a shared language
and experience, yet she must rein
in the temptation to make assumptions
based on her own background.
“I may feel that I automatically know
what they’re going through,” she explains,
“but I make it clear that in no way am
I imposing my view on them. I make it
clear that they have choices.”
To better understand her clients’ needs
and to help other practitioners, Nava
has begun to organize conferences that
explore the immigration experiences and
social work needs of Portuguese speakers,
particularly women. The most recent
conference, “Mulher: The Evolving World
of Portuguese-Speaking Women,” was
held at Simmons in April. Also on the
agenda for Nava: conducting and publishing
research on Portuguese women and
mental health.
Nava and Holley agree that with each
new challenge and client, their effectiveness
increases — whether it’s becoming
aware of a new resource to recommend,
or finding a way to interact more knowledgeably
and compassionately.
This indefatigable desire to listen
and learn, says Professor Kamya, is what
effective cross-cultural social work is
all about.
“Just when we think we have the
answers, we need to go back and look
again,” he says. “We need to keep
asking questions — and questioning
ourselves.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alicia Potter ’91
is a Boston-based freelance writer who has
published articles in numerous magazines,
including Health, Self, Elle, and Family-
Fun. Her first work for children, a picture
book titled Fritz Danced The Fandango,
will be published next summer by Scholastic.
• Nearly 38 million people (12%) of
people in the U.S. are immigrants.
• More than 300 languages are spoken
in the U.S.
• The U.S. is the fi fth-largest Spanishspeaking
country in the world.
• Portuguese speakers are the secondlargest
linguistic group in Massachusetts.
• The U.S. is home to more religious
groups than any other country.
• The number of immigrants living in
Massachusetts has increased more
than 15% from 2000 to 2005.
• Latin Americans comprise Massachusetts’
largest group of new immigrants.
Sources:
Wikipedia; U.S. Census Bureau 2005
American Community Survey; Massachusetts
Alliance of Portuguese Speakers;
National Virtual Translation Center;
Working Immigrants; Adherents.com;
The Diversity Training Group
20 simmons alumnet.simmons.edu