Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Embracing Community Cultural Wealth
Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, is a time to honor Hispanic and Latino communities’ rich and diverse cultural contributions. This period was chosen because several Latino countries have their Independence Day Celebrations, including Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Beyond traditional celebrations, this month also provides an opportunity to delve into the “Community Cultural Wealth” concept and how it uniquely enriches our society.
“Community Cultural Wealth” is a framework to recognize and value the cultural assets and strengths of marginalized communities. Cultural Wealth as defined by Yosso (2005, p. 77) is the “array of knowledge, skills, abilities, and contacts possessed and utilized by Communities of Color to survive and resist macro-and-micro forms of oppression.”
How can EMDR therapists celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?
EMDR therapists can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by intentionally using the lens of Community Cultural Wealth to identify internal and external resources in their clients. We asked EMDRIA members the following:
“Describe some internal and external resources that you strengthen/install with your Hispanic/Latinx clients. How do you embrace Community Cultural Wealth?”
*** Claudia Arias
*** Jessica Flores (English and Espanol)
*** Dalila Guerrero Santa Cruz
*** Viviana Urdaneta Melo (English and Espanol)
*For closed captioning, play the video you wish and click on the ‘CC’ icon in the lower right-hand corner.
Resources
Blas, Terry. You Say Latino: A Mini Comic. Vox. www.vox.com/2015/8/19/9173457/hispanic-latino-comic
Blossom, P. It’s More Important Than Ever to Remove the Stigma Around Latinx Mental Health. Oprah Daily. www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a29518665/latinos-mental-health-stigma/
EMDRIA. (2021). What Should EMDR THerapists Know About Hispanic or Latinx Populations? Focal Point Blog. www.emdria.org/blog/what-should-emdr-therapists-know-about-hispanic-or-latinx-populations/
EMDRIA. (2022). EMDRIA Members Respond: Identity and Heritage Representation for Hispanic Heritage Month. Focal Point Blog. www.emdria.org/blog/emdria-members-respond-identity-and-heritage-representation-for-hispanic-heritage-month/
Flores, V., & Irias, E. Lifting Latinx: A Primer About Working Effectively with the Hispanic and Latino Population, Ep. 129. Clearly Clinical Podcast. https://clearlyclinical.com/podcast/ceu-therapy-hispanic-latin-community
Garcia, K. Why Latinos can benefit from a culturally competent therapist, and how to find one. Los Angeles Times. www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2021-12-29/how-to-find-a-culturally-competent-mental-health-professional
Gomez, Shirley. Bilingual Mental Health Resources for the Latinx Community. Hola! https://us.hola.com/lifestyle/20210917g2gerzsos3/bilingual-mental-health-resources-for-the-latinx-community/
Harris, H., Urdaneta, V., Triana, V., Vo, C. S., Walden, D., & Myers, D. (2018). A pilot study with Spanish-speaking Latina survivors of domestic violence comparing EMDR & TF-CBT group interventions. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 6(11), 203-222. Open access: https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2018.611015
Health and Human Services. National Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 Fact Sheet. Office of Minority Health. www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/hispanic-heritage-month/
Hinojosa, Maria. From Invisible to Visible: TedxPennsylvaniaAvenue. YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAucrEPi4sM
Latino USA. Podcast. https://www.latinousa.org/
Levis, R. V. (2017). Placing Culture at the Heart of EMDR Therapy. In Nickerson, M. I. (Ed.), Cultural Competence and Healing Culturally-Based Trauma with EMDR Therapy: Innovative Strategies and Protocols (pp. 97-112). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.
Levis, R. V., & Siniego, L. B. (2017). An Integrative Framework for EMDR Therapy as an Anti-Oppression Endeavor. In Nickerson, M. I. (Ed.), Cultural Competence and Healing Culturally Based Trauma with EMDR Therapy: Innovative Strategies and Protocols (pp. 79-96). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.
Manrique, J. (2017). Therapy used for U.S. veterans finds success among traumatized immigrants. Center for Health Journalism. https://centerforhealthjournalism.org/fellowships/projects/therapy-used-us-veterans-finds-success-among-traumatized-immigrants
Natural History Museum. Beyond Gender: Indigenous Perspectives, Mapuche. NHMLAC. https://nhm.org/stories/beyond-gender-indigenous-perspectives-mapuche
Natural History Museum. Beyond Gender: Indigenous Perspectives, Muxe. NHMLAC. https://nhm.org/stories/beyond-gender-indigenous-perspectives-muxe
Piech, E. Fuerza: LGBTQ Latinx Youth Speak Their Truth. YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P5knjMj-64
Rodriguez, N. Intersectionality & Latinx as Digital Disruptions of Identity. TEDx. www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUqqgMkC2T8
The Hispanic Star. Infographic on Latino Mental Health. https://hispanicstar.org/resources/
Wylde, A. Elles: Being Non Binary and Latinx. YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-ccuUFF-Ts
Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity, and Education, 8(1), 69-91. https://doi.org/10.1080/1361332052000341006
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Additional Resources
If you are a therapist interested in the EMDR training:
- Learn more about EMDR at the EMDRIA Library
- Learn more about EMDR Training
- Search for an EMDR Training Provider
- Check out our EMDR Training FAQ
If you are EMDR trained:
- Check out EMDRIA’s Let’s Talk EMDR Podcast
- Check out the EMDRIA blog, Focal Point
- Learn more about EMDRIA membership
- Search for Continuing Education opportunities
If you are an EMDRIA Member:
- Learn more about EMDR Consultation
- Find clinical practice articles in EMDRIA’s Go With That Magazine
- Search for articles in Journal of EMDR Practice and Research in the EMDRIA Library
Date
September 29, 2023
Client Population
Racial/Cultural/Ethnic Groups
Practice & Methods
DEI/IDEA
