Division News and Notes: Multiculturalism in Action

This brief report presents an overview of the third biannual National Multicultural Conference and Summit held in Hollywood, CA, highlighting the experiences of one of your representatives. The conference title was “The Psychology of Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Disability: Celebrating our Children, Families and Seniors”. It was hosted by Divisions 17, 35, 44 and 45, with Division 44’s Dr. Steven E. James serving as the Chairman of the coordinating committee representing each of the host divisions. This year, Division 42 was proud to be listed as a Donor, having made a contribution towards the conference and having sponsored five of the Division’s leadership to attend, including our President, Jean Carter, , Finance Chair and Member-at-Large, Jeff Barnett, Council Rep, Rita Dudley-Grant, Student/ Early Career Psychologists Task Force Chair, Mike Gallardo, and Membership Chair, Doug Haldemann. Other Division members and leaders attended on their own or representing other groups, including Carol Goodheart and Barry Anton from the APA Board of Directors and our incoming Program Chair, Josephine Johnson, immediate past Chair of the Committee of State Leaders. Yet other Division members, such as Melba Vasquez, currently on the ballot for Council of Representatives for the Division, were featured speakers. Cleary our Division was well represented.

While the focus of the conference was on sweeping themes of interest to all psychologists, there was much that could inform and appeal to the practitioner. At the opening ceremony, credit and praise were given to the decades of effort that resulted in the passage of the Multicultural Guidelines. We were particularly proud to see our Division 42 president, Dr. Jean Carter, honored as one of the authors of the guidelines and key movers in accomplishing its passage. There will be more information regarding the guidelines presented to Division members, our Division co-sponsored a preconvention workshop led by Dr. Carter and others on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 in Toronto. It was striking to note the multicultural composition of the attendees. All persons present were committed to the issues of expanding our awareness of issues of culture, gender, disability and their intersections. Yet the discussions did not generate from a perspective of disenfranchisement, but rather from one of positive offerings to our country and our culture as a whole. As Terry Cross stated in his keynote address on “Culture as Resource for Strengthening Families”, culture is not a problem to be solved but rather a resource to be used.

Several other exceptional keynote addresses were widely acknowledged as highlights of the conference. Dr. Gordon L. Berry spoke on the influence of television on children’s self image. He noted the vast hours children spend watching TV and the continued lack of positive multicultural role models on shows that were aggressively targeted to young audiences. He cautioned the importance of active parental involvement and the countering of negative stereotypes.

Another keynote was given by Dr. Martha Banks, current Council Representative from Division 35, The Society for the Psychology of Women. Her far ranging discussion on Disability in the Family, a Lifespan Perspective, gave a scholarly comparison of different cultures’ and countries’ management of severe and disabling conditions from infancy through advanced age. She clearly made the case for the interactions between culture and support for families with disabled members. This clinician was made keenly aware of the significant role the psychologist can play in helping caretakers manage their own emotions and sustain their ability to care in the face of long term challenges in the care of the chronically physically disabled individual.

Interspersed with these stimulating presentations were several presentations of relevance to practitioners, with a number of the sessions directly addressing practice concerns, particularly counseling and therapy with a variety of populations. Overall, more than one third of presentations spoke to the issues of practice with diverse populations. A major theme in these workshops and symposia was the changing demographics in America. Hispanics are now the largest ethnic minority and the combined ethnic minority population will outstrip the non-minority population of the United States by mid century. As is currently the case, ethnic minorities and people of diverse backgrounds will be found in all walks of life, and some will require the services of an independent practitioner. The challenge for the practitioners is to be willing to expand one’s worldview to understand the perspectives of persons from diverse backgrounds. As such, a standing room only presentation was given on the multicultural guidelines and access to training for the development of multicultural competence in practice.

A particularly stimulating and unique aspect of the conference was the “difficult dialogues”. Initiated in the first multicultural conference held in 1999, this forum provides an opportunity for psychologists to discuss the values and attitudes that inform their practice. It is a particularly moving experience as it provides a safe yet stimulating setting for challenging and perhaps bringing to awareness underlying beliefs which can be barriers to care.

One of the difficult dialogues—that regarding social class--was co-facilitated by Dr. Nancy Baker and this author. Similarities between Whites, Hispanics and Blacks were discovered in terms of the movement from one class to another, which may include leaving behind family, friends and a part of one’s identity. In contrast, enduring characteristics such as race, or ethnicity or permanent disability cannot be left behind. Hence group participants were forced to grapple with a shared and yet dissimilar experience that impacts as much on the therapist as it does on the patient. Class privilege vs. white privilege were concepts considered in the context of ever changing psychological identities.

Other difficult dialogues considered broad ranging issues from AntiSemitism, the American Indian experiences with healing, to topics such as exploring White Ethnicity, Health and Ability, Weight and Attractiveness and Multiple Identities.

The invited address by Terry Cross was both stirring and challenging. He pointed out that healing doesn’t necessarily mean curing, and that families in balance can face difficulties as well. He also noted that a major challenge for practitioners is how to finance creative interventions. This interface between creativity and market place issues was a refreshingly pragmatic look at the challenges inherent in growing one’s practice along culturally diverse lines. Where once money making as a goal was looked down upon and perhaps perceived as elitist , currently a more reality-based approach, acknowledging the desire to live well, is also considered.

Terry Cross, who is a Native American clinical social worker and motivational speaker, used a powerful Indian Proverb about the bear cubs’ fight to regain their mother as an analogy to show that hatred could never overpower love. The multicultural conference was proof certain that within the field of psychology, openness and acceptance can break down the barriers of mistrust and misunderstanding which have for so long hampered the field. It is hoped that Division members will continue to seek out avenues for expanding their practice and their worldview. The National Multicultural Conference and Summit is a wonderful step on that path.

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