Multicultural Issues in the Helping ProfessionEssay Preview: Multicultural Issues in the Helping ProfessionReport this essayMulticulturalism is described as “the practice of giving equal emphasis to the needs and contributions of all cultural groups especially traditionally underrepresented minority groups in a society” (Webster’s, 2003). In our country “it is estimated that by the year 2050, no more than 50% of the population will be of Anglo ancestry” (Cillo, 1998). It is also important to consider and recognize the number of sub-cultures that exist such as interracial couples, the disabled such as children with autism, and homosexual cultures.
In this new era we live in, interracial marriages and relationships are becoming more customary than forty years ago. When the immigration policy changed allowing more Asians and Hispanics into the United States, the flood gates opened for interracial marriages between Asians and Whites and Hispanics and non-Hispanics (Rosenfeld).
Nevertheless, interracial marriages continue to bring up significant disputes, especially marriages between blacks and whites. There are white people who will never be satisfied with an interracial (black-white) marriage and will probably always have “mixed and intense hostile attitudes” towards these kinds of couples (Frankenberg, 1993; Root, 2001).
It is interesting to look at the past to see how interracial relationships have merged. John Rolfe and Pocahontas’ intermarriage in 1614 was the first to be recorded in North American history. Between 1614 and 1660, America’s first biracial children were born in colonial Jamestown, Virginia to intermarriages such as white-black, white-Indian, and black-Indian. The total number of biracial people in America by 1775 was between 60,000 and 120,000 (Cruz & Berson, 2001).
Historically, as the number of interracial marriages in America grew at a steady pace, many early Americans, especially whites, were displeased with the concept and wanted something done to put an end to it. The governmental assembly of Virginia proclaimed a law in 1661, “prohibiting interracial marriage” and later passed a law “prohibiting ministers” from performing marriage ceremonies between racially mixed couples (Cruz & Berson, 2001). As the year 1959 drew closer, almost half of the United States had miscegenation laws primarily dealing with “black-white marriages while extending an open invitation to whites, Malayans, Mulatto’s, Mongolians, and Native Americans” (Cruz & Berson, 2001).
The decline of intermarriage has led to many public-health and social issues that are still on the horizon, including the growing disparities in health care costs and unemployment. Among the more pressing social issues, racial injustice in America has been increasing steadily for too long. To better understand these issues, it is essential to have some understanding and discussion of how and why interracial couples are perceived by most populations. For centuries, scholars have been able to draw complex connections that can help inform the social, political, economic, and, most importantly, political perspectives of today’s interracial couples. These connections help to understand how racial oppression, racial inequality, and economic discrimination affect people of different racial and ethnic origins. For example, there are few, if any, studies on interracial couples in general and only a few studies on their relationships and their economic consequences. In addition, the relationship between economic inequality and interracial marriage in the United States has been poorly defined in many areas, and is often misconstrued, overblown, or misconceived. For example, while many people across the political spectrum (particularly minorities) hold that racial oppression and anti-immigrant prejudice have been a significant cause of racial racial inequality in the US, most have failed to explore the economic and political implications thereof, and the effects are rarely explored in any meaningful way. This lack of investigation has created one of the most important gaps in literature on race, especially when examined in the context of the recent debates over welfare reform and immigration reform, labor market reform and the legal status of illegal immigrants today. What is clear is that interracial couples do differ from one another politically. Many of the challenges facing interracial couples are not simply political. The problem is also political. The United States has always faced many challenges in finding a stable, supportive, and secure economic future between people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, but the United States is well positioned to manage the problems. And thus, although the United States is not the only country in the world to struggle with its problems, it should not be viewed as failing to solve those problems. We know how to address those challenges. There is no simple answer. Some may argue the United States must be more successful than others, but the current interracial marriages are at best imperfect. The U.S. should address its economic woes and social problems at greater depth and be more successful and successful at integrating interracial couples. This article explores these issues and presents several arguments in support of these ideas. 1. Interracial partners are economically disadvantaged. When interracial couples marry, their economic outcomes are adversely
The decline of intermarriage has led to many public-health and social issues that are still on the horizon, including the growing disparities in health care costs and unemployment. Among the more pressing social issues, racial injustice in America has been increasing steadily for too long. To better understand these issues, it is essential to have some understanding and discussion of how and why interracial couples are perceived by most populations. For centuries, scholars have been able to draw complex connections that can help inform the social, political, economic, and, most importantly, political perspectives of today’s interracial couples. These connections help to understand how racial oppression, racial inequality, and economic discrimination affect people of different racial and ethnic origins. For example, there are few, if any, studies on interracial couples in general and only a few studies on their relationships and their economic consequences. In addition, the relationship between economic inequality and interracial marriage in the United States has been poorly defined in many areas, and is often misconstrued, overblown, or misconceived. For example, while many people across the political spectrum (particularly minorities) hold that racial oppression and anti-immigrant prejudice have been a significant cause of racial racial inequality in the US, most have failed to explore the economic and political implications thereof, and the effects are rarely explored in any meaningful way. This lack of investigation has created one of the most important gaps in literature on race, especially when examined in the context of the recent debates over welfare reform and immigration reform, labor market reform and the legal status of illegal immigrants today. What is clear is that interracial couples do differ from one another politically. Many of the challenges facing interracial couples are not simply political. The problem is also political. The United States has always faced many challenges in finding a stable, supportive, and secure economic future between people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, but the United States is well positioned to manage the problems. And thus, although the United States is not the only country in the world to struggle with its problems, it should not be viewed as failing to solve those problems. We know how to address those challenges. There is no simple answer. Some may argue the United States must be more successful than others, but the current interracial marriages are at best imperfect. The U.S. should address its economic woes and social problems at greater depth and be more successful and successful at integrating interracial couples. This article explores these issues and presents several arguments in support of these ideas. 1. Interracial partners are economically disadvantaged. When interracial couples marry, their economic outcomes are adversely
The decline of intermarriage has led to many public-health and social issues that are still on the horizon, including the growing disparities in health care costs and unemployment. Among the more pressing social issues, racial injustice in America has been increasing steadily for too long. To better understand these issues, it is essential to have some understanding and discussion of how and why interracial couples are perceived by most populations. For centuries, scholars have been able to draw complex connections that can help inform the social, political, economic, and, most importantly, political perspectives of today’s interracial couples. These connections help to understand how racial oppression, racial inequality, and economic discrimination affect people of different racial and ethnic origins. For example, there are few, if any, studies on interracial couples in general and only a few studies on their relationships and their economic consequences. In addition, the relationship between economic inequality and interracial marriage in the United States has been poorly defined in many areas, and is often misconstrued, overblown, or misconceived. For example, while many people across the political spectrum (particularly minorities) hold that racial oppression and anti-immigrant prejudice have been a significant cause of racial racial inequality in the US, most have failed to explore the economic and political implications thereof, and the effects are rarely explored in any meaningful way. This lack of investigation has created one of the most important gaps in literature on race, especially when examined in the context of the recent debates over welfare reform and immigration reform, labor market reform and the legal status of illegal immigrants today. What is clear is that interracial couples do differ from one another politically. Many of the challenges facing interracial couples are not simply political. The problem is also political. The United States has always faced many challenges in finding a stable, supportive, and secure economic future between people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, but the United States is well positioned to manage the problems. And thus, although the United States is not the only country in the world to struggle with its problems, it should not be viewed as failing to solve those problems. We know how to address those challenges. There is no simple answer. Some may argue the United States must be more successful than others, but the current interracial marriages are at best imperfect. The U.S. should address its economic woes and social problems at greater depth and be more successful and successful at integrating interracial couples. This article explores these issues and presents several arguments in support of these ideas. 1. Interracial partners are economically disadvantaged. When interracial couples marry, their economic outcomes are adversely
According to the Council on Contemporary Families (Warren, 2007), during the late 1960’s, “fewer then 2 percent of married couples were interracial.” In 1968, Clarence Krygsheld of white descent married Faye Hightower of black descent because they were fond of one another and wanted to spend their lives together. This was a very unpleasant union for them because the majority of the Clarence family refused to attend the wedding. Krygsheld was surprised at the behavior of his family. “It was like I had died,” he says (Tibbles, 2007). Since the 1960’s, interracial marriages have blossomed and in 2005, 7.5 percent of marriages were of mix couples (Tibbles, 2007). Michael Rosenfeld of Stanford University thinks the change came about because of the civil rights movement which permitted whites and blacks to socialize more, thus creating a love triangle between the two races (Tibbles, 2007).
America has mixed feelings about interracial marriages. Professor Randall Kennedy of Harvard University is supportive of interracial marriages, “especially between blacks and whites” for America because it will probably help to close the racism gap and promote a more loving atmosphere within society. Professor Kennedy is aware that there is still hostile opposition towards interracial couples, but “their efforts to develop loving transracial bonds are to be encouraged and applauded” (Kennedy, 2001-2006). Professor Kennedy supports interracial marriages because he feels it decreases racism and promotes a better America.
Interracial couples deal with hostility and disapproval of their relationship from society, family members, and coworkers almost daily. The Journal of Marital and Family Therapy has suggested several coping methods that would help interracial couples. The counselor must be sensitive to the fragile needs of the interracial couple. She suggested several coping strategies, such as “awareness, support groups, humor, family, and confronting” (Killian, 2001).
To become cognizant of the situation, the couple may want to “increase their awareness and indulge in positive communication among themselves” (McNamara, et. al). Joining an interracial support group may provide positive ways of handling the negative feedback that comes from the community or from society in general. Talking to family members of both partners and a willingness to help them to understand these choices may help them feel more comfortable with the whole situation. Finally, confronting the people with negative attitudes towards the interracial relationship may be something the couple might want to try, while keeping in mind that others are entitled to their opinion. The helper should make suggestions such as discussing negative feedback from family members who do not quite understand the relationship. Another suggestion the helper could make to the couple would be building their own family identity, by starting their own traditions (McNamara, et. al, 1999).
Although interracial relationships have come far in today’s world, there remain those who frown upon these types of unions. The hatred, hostility, and discomfort will always be present, but these behaviors don’t have to limit something that could be positive between two people.
Autism is a neurological disorder that has three prominent symptoms. Children with autism have speech delays that present themselves in difficulties with language and communication, and can even cause them to be completely nonverbal. Children with autism also have trouble learning appropriate social skills which greatly impacts their peer interactions, as well as interactions with adults. Autistic children tend to fixate on one thing, or a few things, but have a difficult time expanding their interests to a variety of things. The fixations become obsessions that they have difficulty ignoring or controlling, and that can eventually rule their lives. In addition to these symptoms, many children with autism have sensory needs that should be fulfilled in ways that stimulate them. These may include deep pressure massages, as well as other things