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Cultural Issues
Do you feel too Latino to be American or too
American to be Latino?
In a cultural limbo where you feel “ni de aquí, ni de allá”?
There is no single Latino experience. Latinos come from different countries: Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, and many other countries. There are Afro-Latinos, Brown Latinos, Asians, and White. Our immigration experiences differ; some come undocumented, some are refugees, and others come with legal documents. Some come by plane, and others take long journeys and risk their lives. We have different traditions and even accents. Yet, when we come to the United States, everyone is put in one term, Latino.
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For immigrants, the transition into a new culture is complex and sometimes even traumatic. Immigrants leave loved ones behind and, many times, do not know if there will ever see them again. They must learn a new language, customs, and laws. They often face anti-immigrant sentiments in their new land. The first generation is not the only one who faces cultural challenges. Second and later generations often feel they do not belong to either country, not the country of their ancestors or their native land.
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Living in between two cultures, one that values collectivism and more conservative gender roles and another one that values individualism and less strict gender roles, can be stressful and confusing. Moreover, our families' expectations of us could differ from the expectations of society or even our expectations of ourselves. So how can we navigate everyone's expectations and be our true selves and who we want to be?
Cultural identity issues could cause:
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Feelings of being misunderstood or judged
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Isolation/Loneliness
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Feelings of frustration in professional, social, or family settings
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Feelings of shame/guilt
Avanza takes pride in offering our clients culturally sensitive services. We know the close relationship between our clients' identities and cultures. In counseling, we explore how cultural values affect your emotional, psychological, professional, social, and spiritual self. We help you discover your authentic self, embracing the parts of you from each culture and parting ways with cultural values and beliefs that may be having unhealthy effects on you.
