Running Head: HISPANIC CULTURE 1

Cultural Immersion and Agency Assessment Report: Hispanic Culture

Donna Tuohey
Wilmington University












2


Populations History and Major Milestones
The term culture has different meanings but it is generally used to refer to the set
of values, standards, beliefs, art, music, and practices shared by a particular group. Hispanic or
Latino culture encompasses the traditions, language, idioms, religious beliefs and practices,
legends, arts, music, literature, cuisine, history, social and family values of the Hispanic people.
Hispanic culture consists of the traditions and customs of people with Latin American roots and
whose primary language is Spanish (Explore Hispanic Culture, 2012).
American history emphasizes the founding and growth of the British colonies in North
America, their emergence as an independent nation in 1776, and the development of the United
States from east to west. History sometimes omits the fact that there was significant colonization
by Spain of what is now the American Southwest from the 16th century onward. The whole
Southwest, from Texas westward to California, was a Spanish-speaking territory with its own
distinctive heritage, culture, and customs for many decades (R. A. Guisepi, 2014).
The Spanish-speaking citizens of the United States who were incorporated into the
country as a result of the Mexican War are called Mexican Americans. Their numbers have since
increased as a result of immigration. Other Spanish-speaking citizens came from Cuba and
Puerto Rico, and smaller numbers are immigrants from Central and South America and from the
Dominican Republic. Taken together, these people are called Hispanics, or Latinos. Hispanics
today form the fastest-growing ethnic minority in the United States. About 60 percent of
Hispanics trace their origin to Mexico.
3

The term Hispanic is not an ethnic description. It refers to native language and to cultural
background. Within the group called Hispanics are peoples of diverse ethnic origins. There are
African Americans and American Indians as well as individuals of purely European background
whose families have lived in the Americas for generations. Due to intermarriage, there are
descendants who represent a combination of several origins. Hispanics do not necessarily regard
themselves as a single group because their attachments are to their specific national origin. In the
case of many Mexican Americans, the national origin is within the United States if their
ancestors lived in the Southwest before the Mexican War.
Puerto Ricans enjoy a different status from other Hispanics in that they are citizens of the
United States by birth, whether they were born in their homeland or in the United States. They
were granted citizenship in 1917. Citizens from Puerto Rico may go back and forth between the
island and the mainland without visas or passports. Mexicans, Cubans, and others must enter the
country as immigrants with alien status and must apply for citizenship in the same way as do
other immigrants (Mathewson, J. 2008).
33.7 million Hispanics of Mexican origin resided in the United States in 2012, according
to an analysis of Census Bureau data by Pew Research Center. This estimate includes 11.4
million immigrants born in Mexico and 22.3 million born in the U.S. who self-identified as
Hispanics of Mexican origin. Mexicans are by far the largest Hispanic-origin population in the
U.S., accounting for nearly two-thirds (64%) of the U.S. Hispanic population in 2012. Hispanics
of Mexican origin are also a significant portion of the U.S. population, accounting for 11%
overall. The size of the Mexican-origin population in the U.S. has risen dramatically over the
4

past four decades as a result of one of the largest mass migrations in modern history (US Census
Bureau, 2014).
In 1970, fewer than 1 million Mexican immigrants lived in the U.S. By 2000, that
number had grown to 9.8 million, and by 2007 it reached a peak of 12.5 million. Since then, the
Mexican-born population has declined as the arrival of new Mexican immigrants has slowed
significantly. Today, 35% of Hispanics of Mexican origin were born in Mexico. And while the
remaining two-thirds (65%) were born in the U.S., half (52%) of them have at least one
immigrant parent.
Although there are Hispanics in most parts of the United States, some areas have
especially large concentrations. Eighty-six percent of Mexican Americans make their homes in
five Southwestern states: Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Texas and
California account for more than 50 percent of the total Hispanic population in the United States.
About two thirds of Puerto Ricans residing in the United States are in the New York City area,
including nearby New Jersey. About 60 percent of Cuban Hispanics reside in Florida. Another
20 percent are in the New York-New Jersey are. Illinois also has large numbers of Mexican,
Puerto Rican, and Cuban Hispanics--mostly in Chicago (Barrerra, A. & Lopez, M., 2013).
There are two basic reasons for Hispanic immigration to the United States: economic
opportunity and escape from political persecution. Very large numbers of Mexicans and Puerto
Ricans entered the country to escape poverty and to find a way to make a living. The 20th-
century Cuban migration, which began in 1959 when Fidel Castro took over the government of
Cuba, was mainly for political reasons.
5

Major Milestones
With more than 37 million speakers, Spanish is by far the most spoken non-English
language in the U.S. today among people ages 5 and older. It is also one of the fastest-growing,
with the number of speakers up 233% since 1980, when there were 11 million Spanish speakers.
As Spanish use has grown, driven primarily by Hispanic immigration and population growth, it
has become a part of many aspects of life in the U.S. Spanish is spoken by more non-Hispanics
in U.S. homes than any other non-English language (Barrerra, A. & Lopez, M., 2013).
In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim
National Hispanic Heritage Week, observed during the week that included Sept. 15 and Sept. 16.
The observance was expanded in 1989 by Congress to a month long celebration (Sept. 15 - Oct.
15), America celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico
and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Sept.
15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of
independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras
and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and
Sept. 18 (US Census Bureau, 2014).
Hispanics have had a significant impact on politics. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen became the first
Cuban American elected to the United States Congress in 1989. Henry Cisneros was the first
Mexican American to become the mayor of a major city (San Antonio, Tex.). In 1981 he was
named secretary of housing and urban development by President Clinton in 1992. Bob Martinez,
the first Hispanic governor of Florida, became the Bush Administration's antidrug leader in
March 1991. A Mexican American, Lauro Cavazos, became the first Hispanic named to a
6

Cabinet post when President Reagan appointed him secretary of education in 1988. President
Bush appointed Antonia Novello, a native of Puerto Rico, to be the first female Surgeon General
of the United States in 1989.
In science in 1968, Luis Alvarez won the Nobel Prize for his work with subatomic
particles. As a teacher and researcher at the University of California at Berkeley, he helped
develop microwave beacons, a ground-controlled landing approach for aircraft, and a new theory
for why the dinosaurs became extinct. Also, in 1995, Mario Molina, of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, along with two other scientists, won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for
research that helped the world confront the threat that chlorofluorocarbons pose to the earth's
protective ozone layer.
As well as having significant influence in literature, the arts and music, the Hispanic
culture has had an impact on education. Jaime Escalante, born in Bolivia, may be the nation's
most notable math teacher, who transformed Garfield High School in East Los Angeles,
California, from a school whose students' math test scores were always in the lowest percentile
in the country into a national symbol of academic achievement. His dedication and classroom
triumphs, which continue to inspire students and teachers nationwide, were portrayed in the 1988
movie "Stand and Deliver (de Varona, F. 1996).
Movie Review: Stand and Deliver
The movie Stand and Deliver is based on a true story that takes place in Eastern LA
during the early 1980s. The main character, Jaime A. Escalante, is a new teacher at James A.
Garfield High School determined to change the system and challenge the students to a higher
7

level of excellence. Escalante leaves a steady job for a position as a math teacher in a school
where teachers are more focused on discipline than academics. Escalante initially is not well
liked by the students. As the year progresses, he is able to win over the attention of the students
by implementing innovative teaching techniques, using humor to illustrate concepts of math and
showing the students the necessity of math in everyday life.
With persistence, Escalante, is able to transform troublesome teens into dedicated
students, ready to learn. Escalante begins teaching basic math, he soon realizes that his students
are capable of more than the expectations set forth by the school board. Escalante develops a
program in which his students can prepare to take AP Calculus by their senior year. Escalantes
intense math program requires that students take summer classes, including Saturdays, from 7 to
12. The contrast between home life and school life is apparent as the teens struggle to find the
balance between what other adults expect of them and the goals and ambitions they hold for
themselves.
The class had a large Hispanic student body and drawing from his own cultural heritage,
Escalante forms a bond with the students. He teaches his students previous knowledge of famous
Latinos and their great accomplishments, showing them that Latinos have the ability to learn and
are able to prove themselves as intellectuals. The students come to realize that the only way they
will escape the "barrio" is to improve themselves intellectually. After completing the difficult
test and receiving their scores, they are overwhelmed with emotion to find that they have all
passed the test. The Educational Testing Service calls into question the validity of their scores
when it is discovered that similarities between errors is too high due to all 18 students who took
the test answered the same four questions wrong. Angered by implications of cheating, Escalante
8

feels that the racial and economic status of the students has caused the ETS to doubt their
intelligence.
In order to prove their mathematical abilities and worth to the school, to the ETS, and to
the nation, the students agree to retake the test at the end of the summer, months after their last
class. With only a day to prepare. After the retake, these students truly stand and deliver when
they all pass the exam again, showing they deserve all they have achieved. With each passing
year after the first group of 18 students passed the AP Calculus test, the number of students from
Garfield High School passing the test increases from 18 to 87 by 1987 (Menendez, R. 1988).
Direct Immersion Experience- Comparison of the Hispanic Culture of South
America and the United States
In 1997 at the age of 22 full of curiosity, a love of traveling and a sincere desire to help
others, I traveled to Valencia, Venezuela as a missionary for my church. I completed a two
month crash course in Spanish before leaving for South America. I stayed in a small town over
an hour away from the city of Valencia and was partnered with a native Venezuelan who did not
speak English. I did not know anyone else in the small town other than my missionary
companion who only spoke Spanish. Even though my Spanish was very limited and
communication was extremely challenging I found the people to be open and appreciative of my
efforts to learn their language. I lived in Venezuela for almost three months before being
transferred to Los Fresnos, Texas along the southern most boarder of Texas where I lived for
eight months. I found a lot of similarities and differences among the Hispanic culture of
Venezuela and Texas. The following will be a comparison of my experience living among
members of the Hispanic culture.
9

My experience living in Venezuela had a deep impact on my ability to appreciate cultural
differences and how much people can take for granted. I struggled every day to communicate
basic ideas and words because of my limited knowledge of Spanish. My Venezuelan companion
did not speak any English but somehow we were able to communicate enough to get by every
day. The people we encountered on a daily basis in the town we lived in were open and giving.
Some of the residents had homes with basic electricity, running water and if they were fortunate
had a working TV with limited reception and channels. A TV was a big deal and something to be
proud of and shared with friends and neighbors. Most of the homes were humble and a source of
pride for the owners. In the same town extreme poverty and homeless families were common.
Entire families with several generations would make a home out of an abandoned building,
cement or mud shacks with thatched roofs and no electricity or running water. Regardless of
their means I found Venezuelans to be very giving, affectionate and humble and always offering
food or a drink and place to rest out of the hot sun.
Some of the best meals I have ever had were prepared and offered by families with
nothing else but a few chickens, black beans and cornmeal for arepas while sitting on crates,
mats on the floor or outside on makeshift chairs. We carried our own water everywhere because
the local water was often not filtered and a source of potential sickness. Time was not a concern
when visiting and was never more important than a conversation. I observed the same to be true
of the Hispanic families I encountered in South Texas who lived in either extreme poverty,
humble and modest to upper class homes. Food was always offered and to say no was an insult,
visits and conversations would last for hours and tortillas were homemade and abundant.
10

When greeting a stranger, family member or friend Venezuelans greet with a hug and a
kiss on the cheek and show sincere delight and appreciation in their interactions with each other.
I found while in Texas most Hispanic individuals would great people in the same manner with
some preferring a reserved handshake or a hello without an embrace similar to most Americans.
Conversations with Venezuelans were typically polite and casual with the focus being on the
person and their families. Even though I spoke very broken Spanish, people in Venezuela
seemed genuinely appreciative of my effort and were often willing to teach me the correct
pronunciation of words. Venezuelans were fascinated with anything American and would often
play American music, wear American clothes with names of famous brands or sports teams.
Venezuelans were also quick to criticize American politics and government and believed
everyone who lived in America was rich and arrogant.
I found language more of a barrier in South Texas with the majority of individuals
speaking a combination of both Spanish and English. The area I was living in was predominately
Hispanic and Spanish speaking. I always did my best to speak Spanish in front of Spanish
speaking individuals. While in South Texas I was partnered with a girl from Utah who spoke
English like myself. At times we would speak English while in the company of individuals who
spoke Spanish and English and were told that we were rude for doing so. The common
interchanging of Spanish and English words during a conversation made communication difficult
at times in Texas. There was also a high expectation to speak Spanish well while in South Texas
by Hispanic people. I often experienced criticism for my basic Spanish speaking abilities.
Families were viewed as the focus and center for people in both Venezuela and South
Texas. Hispanic families typically include extended members, multi-generational, neighbors and
11

friends and independence can be viewed as disloyal. Non-Hispanics place an importance on
being independent and encouraged to not be reliant on family. The people I encountered in
Venezuela were very self-sufficient. They grew most of their own food, what they did not grow
they cooked themselves and did not let anything go to waste. Corner stores were very limited and
carried items such as flour, rice, cereal and essentials for cooking. A pot was used for cooking,
eating, storage and sometimes furniture for sitting. Transportation was either walking or riding
an overcrowded bus to the nearest town.
In conclusion some of the most striking resemblances between Hispanic Americans and
South Americans are their strong familial ties and insistence on that as a normal way of thinking.
It seems no matter what religious, or economic differences there maybe this remains the same, as
a culture family is a strong and irreplaceable tie for Hispanic Americans.
Assessing the Field Agency- Innovative Schools
Agencys Community: Innovative Schools provides education related services to
schools serving students in grades K-12 in both public and charter schools in all three Delaware
counties. IS does not serve a specific demographic or population. Each of Innovative Schools
three divisions target specific areas of education and seek to provide services in school
leadership, administrative support and as a charter management organization. Innovative Schools
is located in the city of Wilmington in the Community Building. Innovative Schools acts as a
Charter Management Organization for Founding Boards striving to develop a charter school in
their community. Founding Boards can contract with Innovative Schools to complete the charter
application process, obtain funding, staffing and adaption of a deeper learning model. IS
determines the recipients of their services by vetting applications from Founding Boards based
12

on the strength of the Founding Board, the need of the community in which the proposed school
would be placed, and the strength of the school concept (Innovative Schools, 2014).
Innovative Schools is currently the CMO for Delawares first bilingual elementary
school, La Academia. La Academia will be the first dual language Expeditionary Learning
elementary school in Delaware with a focus on nurturing bilingual, biliterate and multicultural
children (La Academia, 2014).
Administration and Staff Training: Innovative Schools provides charter management
organization, school staffing services and leadership training to board members, all public and
charter schools, teachers and administrators in the state of Delaware. The agency does not work
with a specific population or demographic and does not offer diversity training to its staff.
Innovative Schools works with the education community and employs members of different
races and cultural backgrounds including the Hispanic population.
Funding: Innovative Schools relies on grants from several sources to maintain operations
and programs. IS receives a yearly grant and has a sponsorship from the Rodel Foundation of
Delaware. Rodel provides the majority of ISs operational funding. IS receives grants from
nonprofit organizations and for profit companies such as JP Morgan, Capitol One, The
Longwood Foundation, The Welfare Foundation , United Way and several various funders. IS
also receives funding as a charter management organization (CMO). Founding Boards engaged
in starting a new charter school contract with IS to complete the charter application, adapt a
deeper learning model, and acquire facilities and staffing of the new charter school. Innovative
Schools will assist Charter Boards in applying for grants to pay for CMO services.
13

IS provides contracted services such as school administration recruitment and staffing
services for both public and charter schools. Additional funding is obtained through the Project
Based Learning workshops given by IS staff to public and charter school staff and paid for by the
schools. Innovative Schools is actively researching and applying for over 30 grants at any given
time throughout the year to support agency operations, staffing and programs.
Staff Sensitivity: Agency staff has been observed to be a resource for members of the
community engaged in improving education and developing successful learning models for all
children in grades K-12. Services provided by the agency and staff are directed at meeting an
educational need within the community and working with local members who are interested in
improving education in their community.
Agency Programs and Services: Innovative Schools partners with Founding Boards to
navigate charter authorization and launch a high quality, deeper learning charter schools.
Innovative Schools provides direct technical assistance through the charter application process,
and for those charter applications that are approved by the authorizer - Innovative Schools
serve as the Charter Management Organization until the schools first charter renewal. This
arrangement extends the Founding Boards capacity to prepare a charter application and obtain
charter approval, implement the academic and administrative components of the school
successfully during the first year of operation and beyond, and ensure appropriate oversight.
Currently Innovative Schools is acting as the CMO for La Academia- bilingual elementary
school.
Quality: Innovative Schools accepts applications from Founding Boards each
year. Applications are vetted based on the strength of the Founding Board, the need of the
14

community in which the proposed school would be placed, and the strength of the school
concept. The agency requires board members to be members of the community the charter
schools will serve and who are invested and committed to improving education.
Effectiveness: The agency has charter school boards in Delaware with establishing a charter,
choosing and implementing a deeper learning model, staff recruitment and student enrollment.
The agency is in the charter application process to open five more schools in the next three years.
Innovative Schools has partnered with schools and school districts in all three counties.
Efficiency: Innovative Schools strives to form partnerships with all public and charter
schools throughout Delaware. Over seven districts throughout the state have partnered with IS to
adapt Project Based Learning, fill administrative positions through the school staffing program,
mentor and hire graduates from the Delaware Leadership Program to become principles. The
agency has acted as a CMO to twenty two charter schools throughout Delaware. In addition to
local schools, IS has partnered with out of state organizations such as the New York City
Leadership program to adapt the Delaware Leadership Program. IS also formed a partnership
with the Buck Institute for Education to adapt the Project Based Learning program that has been
instituted in over eleven DE schools.
Acting as a CMO to new charter schools, Innovative Schools works with the Founding
Boards to research and adapt a deeper learning model. IS has partnered with four national school
design models: Big Picture Learning Model, Early College High School Model, Expeditionary
Learning Model and New Tech High School model. Innovative Schools assists Charter Boards
with researching, touring and adapting the appropriate deeper learning model to fit the needs of
the charter schools target population.
15

The Innovative School Model Initiative is a signature education program started by
Innovative Schools and supported through a close partnership with United Way of
Delaware. The program is a statewide strategy to launch a network of twenty-five deeper
learning schools in Delaware by 2016. To accomplish this goal, Innovative Schools and United
Way are working to build a fund of nearly $4 million by 2016, through investments from
businesses, foundations and individuals, that can be issued as grants to Delaware public schools
that wish to replicate deeper learning models in place of their traditional academic program.
Personal Cultural Competencies
Engagement, Trust and Relationship building: Understanding and recognizing an
individuals cultural background is the first step in the relationship building process. To build a
relationship of trust with individuals from the Hispanic cultural it is important to know their
families country of origin and not assume. Also, identify with an individuals strong family
connection and values may assist in engaging a person from the Hispanic community. Placing an
emphasis on showing respect and using a formal way of addressing an individual when first
meeting them may assist in the relationship building process.
Assessment and Problem Definition: Race and ethnicity have an impact on professional
relations, and inadequate cultural competence results in less effective services. A client with a
worker of a different ethnicity may assume that the worker will not understand the clients world.
This decreases the likelihood that the client will continue services. Workers can often have a
poorer opinion of those clients whom they see as having significantly different views from
themselves. Culturally sensitive community education may help more Latinos realize the
potential benefits of services.
16

Learning and self-examination are critical when developing cultural competence.
Reading books about Latino history and culture, attending ethnic specific events can help with
cultural awareness. It is also important to examine ones own beliefs, values, and culture, and to
determine to what extent clinical interventions are based in Western, middle-class, European
American values.
Personalismo refers to the value that Latinos place on interpersonal relationships. Non-
Latino workers must be sensitive to this, and may need to adapt their style to the expectations of
a Latino client. Some modifications may include an increased amount of self-disclosure,
accepting gifts (often food), and more physical contact (handshakes, pats on the back), as well as
being closer spatially. Latinos value respect, social workers need to understand the hierarchy of
power within a family system. It is also important to develop personal relationships before
proceeding to a professional relationship. Assessments should include the influence of culture
and how the persons community can be helpful. The assessment should also include issues of
national origin, birthplace, immigration experience, length of time in the country, language
preference, and the meaning of being Latino. The culturagram is an assessment guide for
understanding immigrant populations (Seipel, A. & Ineke, W., 2014).
Contracting and Goal Setting:
Goals: 1. Involve parents and other family members as agency partners and educating them
about community resources and services.
2. Recognize the hierarchy of power with a family system.
3. Build a personal relationship of trust before engaging in services.
17

Objectives: Involve parents and other family members as partners and educate them about
services and resources.
1. Help family members to become active members of the team and helping staff to
recognize the value of those families as a part of the team.
2. Provide services that are driven by the needs and preferences identified by the child
and family.
3. Services are based in the community so children can remain connected to their
families and to their environmental and cultural norms.
NASW Standards for Cultural Competence
Standard 5: Service Delivery Social - Workers shall be knowledgeable about and skillful
in the use of services available in the community and broader society and be able to make
appropriate referrals for their diverse clients.
Agency: Innovative Schools is active in providing services to meet the educational needs
of the community by acting as the charter management organization for Delawares first
bilingual school. The agency serves the education field and seeks to improve education for all
children in the state.
Program and Services: Innovative Schools programs are available to all schools, staff and
administrative school leaders in all communities. The agencys programs are focused on
providing deeper learning models and closing the achievement gap for all students. Innovative
Schools does not work with a specific demographic, and works to fill education needs within the
community by working with community members to serve diverse needs within education.
18

Personal Cultural Competencies: Cultural competence is a work in progress and a
continual effort to gain a deeper understanding of other cultures. Personal cultural competence
can be achieved and improved through study and personal experience. After completing the
cultural immersion project I feel I have gained a deeper understanding, appreciation and
connection with the Hispanic Culture through my personal experience living in South America,
researching Hispanic history and reviewing a movie focused on a Hispanic individuals
contributions to education.











19

References
Barrerra, A. & Lopez, M. (2013). A Demographic Portrait of Mexican Origin Hispanics in the
United States. Retrieved on August 5, 2014. From
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/05/01/a-demographic-portrait-of-mexican-origin-
hispanics-in-the-united-states/.
Barrerra, A. & Lopez, M. (2013). What is the Future of Spanish in the United States? Retrieved
on August 5, 2014. From http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/05/what-is-the-
future-of-spanish-in-the-united-states/.
De Varona, F. (1996). Hispanic Contributions Foundations, Inc. Retrieved on August 7, 2014.
From http://hispaniccontributions.org/pManager_E.asp?pid=home_E.
Explore Hispanic Culture (2012). Retrieved on August 6, 2014. From http://www.explore-
hispanic-culture.com/hispanic-culture.html.
Innovative Schools (2014). Retrieved on June 15, 2014. From
http://www.innovativeschools.org/contact-us.
La Academia Charter School (2014). Retrieved on August 9, 2014. From
http://academiacharter.com/.
Mathewson, J. (2008). Hispanic Culture in the United States. Retrieved on August 6, 2014. From
http://www.worldissues360.com/index.php/hispanic-culture-in-the-united-states-54956/.
20

Menendez, R. (Director). (1988). Stand and Deliver (Motion Picture). United States: Warner
Bros.
R. A. Guisepi (2014). The Story of Hispanics In The Americas. Retrieved on August 6, 2014.
From http://history-world.org/hispanics.htm
Seipel, A. & Ineke, W. (2014). Culturally Competent Social Work Practice with Latino Clients.
Retrieved on August 9, 2014. From http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-
articles/Culturally_Competent_Social_Work_Practice_With_Latino_Clients/.
United States Census Bureau (2014). Profile America Facts: Hispanic Population. Retrieved on
August 5, 2014. From
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/c
b13-ff19.html