Hispanic Culture

Jazmin Quintana
CNL-509
Dr. Dara Brown
Communication

• Spanish is the most widely used language in my culture.

• Hispanics communication is more formal when communicating others and can be seen as
subservient or servile ( Hispanic Culture, 1996).
• Hispanics also are normally very friendly and touching with others even if it is the first
time, they are meeting (Jones-Smith, 2019).
• Hispanics tend to rely on nonverbal communication demonstrating affection between
both genders. They use touch to demonstrate understanding, active listening as well as to
show they care about what the other person is saying.
Parts of my Culture that Make me Proud
• I am proud of how close Hispanic
families are, or what is known as
familismo.
• I am also proud of my grandparents who
migrated from Mona Sonora because he
got a job on a local ranch in Lordsburg
New Mexico where he has lived since.
• I am also proud of the music, cuisine,
and dance Hispanics have brought to the
states.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

Areas for Improvement
• In more traditional Hispanic families' women play the role
of dedicated, supportive wives and mothers who are
submissive to their husbands (Jones-Smith, 2019).

• Very traditional Hispanic families hold rigid definitions of

sex roles forcing their children to identify or conform to
these rigid sex roles (Jones-Smith, 2019).

• I have lost multiple family members due to suicide, all of

them being men. Within in my family system and other
Hispanic families I have interacted with many do not
express their emotions or talk to others about the problems
they are faced with because of the gender roles within the
Hispanic culture (Nunez, Gonzalez, Talavera, Sanchez-
Johnsen, Roesch, Davis…Gallo, 2016).

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Stereotypes towards Hispanic Culture
• Hispanics are uneducated and will only be able to obtain careers as housekeepers, maids,
gardeners, or laborers.
• Hispanics or Latino/a’s sell drugs or work with cartel.
• Hispanics are difficult to understand due their heavy accent.
• “Hispanics are all the same; they constitute one homogenous cultural or ethnic group”
(Arranda, 2017, p. 27).
• Hispanics immigrants take jobs away from American White citizens.
Stereotypes within our Culture
• Individuals with mental health issues are considered to be crazy or loco in Spanish.
• Alcoholism is acceptable within our culture.
• Men are the sole providers of the family and should be strong.
• Older siblings especially older daughters are meant to help raise younger siblings taking
on parental roles.
Substance Use within the Hispanic Culture
• Hispanics adolescents are more likely to utilize substances
compared to their White American or African American
counterparts (Unger, 2014).

• The term machismo includes the ability to consume

alcohol without getting drunk (Jones-Smith, 2019).

• Alcohol is an acceptable substance to utilize and is often

present at all family events.

• Marijuana is substance that is deemed acceptable within

the Hispanic culture.

• Hispanics are often portrayed in movies smoking

marijuana as well as in pictures of chicano/vatos smoking
with their low riders, such as in the movie Blood in Blood
Out.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Counseling Perceptions
• Counseling services are often not sought by Hispanics due to their ability to afford
services (Jones-Smith, 2019).
• Catholic priests, ministers are utilized as resources within the Hispanic culture to help
with mental health concerns.
• Counseling services are often only sought as a last resort, when pushed by family
members, or when prayers do not help cure the problem (Jones-Smith, 2019).
• When individuals are diagnosed with mental health problems families who are less
traditional and supportive combine their beliefs and warmth to help the family member
remain accountable for their treatment.
My Cultural Background Influences Counseling other
Cultures
• Allows me to be more empathetic
towards other cultures and my own
based on my own experiences.
• Ensures I am cognizant of the varying
differences within different cultures.
• Creates the opportunity to assess my own
biases towards my culture and other
cultures.
• The affect of acculturation on individuals
of different cultures.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
References:
Aranda, R. (2017). Microaggressions and Hispanics: Far Reaching Consequences of
Marginalizing Statements and Attitudes. NYS Psychologist, 29(3), 25–31.
Hispanic culture. (1996). https://literacynet.org/lp/hperspectives/hispcult.html
Jones-Smith, E. (2019). Culturally diverse counseling: Theory and practice. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc. ISBN-13: 9781483388267
URL: https://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/sage/2018/culturally-diverse-
counseling_theory-and-practice_1e.php
Latino/a and Hispanic Culture in the U.S.(2020). InterExchange.
https://www.interexchange.org/articles/visit-the-usa/latino-hispanic-culture-in-us/.
References Continued
Nuñez, A., González, P., Talavera, G. A., Sanchez-Johnsen, L., Roesch, S. C., Davis, S. M.,
… Gallo, L. C. (2016). Machismo, Marianismo, and Negative Cognitive-Emotional
Factors: Findings From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos
Sociocultural Ancillary Study. Journal of Latina/o psychology.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102330/.
Unger J. B. (2014). Cultural Influences on Substance Use Among Hispanic Adolescents and
Young Adults: Findings From Project RED. Child development perspectives, 8(1),
48–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12060