On the Road to Social Transformation: Utilizing Cultural

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On the Road to Social TransformationUtilizing
Cultural Community Strengthsto End Domestic
Violence
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Annual Conference July 18-23, 2008 Washington,
DC

• Rosie Hidalgo, JD
• Director of Policy and Research
• Washington, DC

Ivonne Ortiz TA Project Coordinator Jacksonville,
FL
Julia Perilla, JD Director of El Centro Georgia
State University Atlanta, GA
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Sandras story

• Sandra, a 25 year old Dominican mother of
  3, has been staying in the shelter home for 4
  days. After nearly losing her children to Child
  Protective Services as a result of a 911 call
  made by her daughter Marcela, she decided to
  leave her abusive husband. Her children Tiffany
  2 years old, Fabian 3, and Marcela 10, are
  experiencing severe behavioral issues as noted by
  the Shelter Manager Mary. She claims that the
  children sleep all together, run around, do not
  eat the food that has been prepared and that the
  2 year old screams when the mother leaves her
  side.
• Mary also has noted that Sandra is not
  respecting the house rules (by lighting candles
  in her room, watching Spanish TV) that she had
  explained to her personally with the help of the
  10 year old. Sandra tells her caseworker that
  she is ready to go home because she has nobody to
  talk to all day and the children want to return
  home. Still after 4 days the caseworker has not
  been able to get all the details about Sandras
  case because the interpreter only comes once a
  week and Sandra speaks minimal English.

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Questions
What barriers is Sandra encountering since the
day she arrived at the shelter home? What
changes to services can be put in place to ensure
Sandras success?
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Presentation Objectives

• Provide an overview of changing demographics
• Promote a human rights/social change framework
  for addressing domestic violence
• Address the importance of cross-cultural
  understanding and the utilization of community
  strengths
• Encourage the development of Culturally
  Proficient programs and organizations

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Latinas/os in the United States

• Approximately 44 million Latinas/os living in the
  U.S. (15 population)
• Heterogeneous group embracing varied histories,
  class backgrounds, and cultural and linguistic
  subtleties from 22 countries of origin
• Approximately 40 of Latinas/os in U.S. are
  foreign born

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Foreign-born population in U.S.

• Of the total foreign-born population in U.S. (35
  million)
• 51 were born in Latin America 
• 25.5 were born in Asia
• 15.3 were born in Europe
• The remaining 8.1 were born in Africa and other
  regions of the world.
• Foreign-born residents make up 13 of the
  population today, compared to 15 in 1910 at peak
  of immigration influx

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Alianza 2008
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The future well-being of this nation is dependent
on

• our ability to embrace diversity,
• build cross-cultural understanding,
• help each individual to realize his/her own
  potential, and
• build a more just, non-violent society that
  vigorously protects the human rights of all
  individuals

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Culture

• Multidimensional and dynamic
• Each culture, while confronting numerous
  challenges, also has multiple strengths
• Cultural groups often lend vital support and aid
  to group members, enabling individuals to
  experience a sense of coherence and belonging

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Cultural Proficiency

• A more proactive state where cultural knowledge
  and skills are continually sought, integrated,
  and utilized by individuals and institutions
• To promote cross cultural understanding, service
  innovation, and excellence

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Galaxy of an Individual
Culture
History
Gender
Class
Immigration Laws
Local Community
State Laws
Faith Community
In-laws
Ethnicity
Children
Spirituality
Work
Police
Family of Origin
NAFTA
Partner
Schools
VAWA
Courts
Philosophy
Service Agencies
Race
Federal Laws
Human Rights
Sexual Orientation
Tapestri, Inc., 2002
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Domestic Violenceas a Human Rights Issue

• No one shall be subjected to torture or to
  inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment...
• (Universal Declaration of
• Human Rights, Article 5)

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Why a Human Rights Stance in Domestic Violence
Work?

• Usual methods have not created real change
• Over reliance of CJS, shelters, funding have
  created unintended consequences
• Work should not be about providing services, but
  creating lasting change
• Individuals affected must be part of process

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Approach to intervention

• Services vs. accompaniment
• Hierarchical vs. horizontal relationships
• Personal/organizational beliefs regarding
  families/individuals with whom we work
• End goals

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At the Individual Level

• Willingness to
• live free of violence acts of coercion
• examine ones own cultural biases
• commit to attitude behavioral changes that
  respect dignity self determination of all
  people
• Life-long commitment to
• self awareness/reflection,
• acquisition of cultural knowledge and skills that
  facilitate communication and understanding across
  and within cultural groups
• Translate knowledge into action

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At the Organizational Level

• Incorporate into mission, vision values
  fundamental human rights principles (respect,
  dignity self determination)
• Adopt intentional practices to eliminate
  institutional racism/oppression other barriers
• Provide services programs that meet community
  needs in culturally responsive ways
• Commit to
• building egalitarian practices, including input
  from constituents/clients
• Recruiting, retaining, training, mentoring
  bilingual/bicultural culturally competent staff
  
• Achieving organizational cultural proficiency
  reflected in proactive policies practices

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Creating a Comprehensive Framework

• Fundamental guidelines
• DV violates the human rights of survivors their
  children by creating unsafe fearful
  environments
• Their safety must be central to any work we do
• Safety is unattainable unless we practice
  cultural competence consistently

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Creating a Comprehensive Framework

• In creating relevant effective programs
  interventions
• Culture is central to effective interventions
• Culture must never be used to condone violence
• Women's experiences voices must guide our work
• We may need to intervene in ways unusual by
  mainstream standards

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Latino Cultural Values

• Familismo/ The Central Role of Family
• Gender Roles
• Personalismo
• Respeto and Simpatia
• Spirituality and Religion

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Barriers Faced by Battered Latinas When Seeking
Help

• Lack of information about services
• Fear of deportation
• Language barrier
• Distrust of law enforcement
• Negative experiences with DV programs

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Addressing the Intersectionality of Oppressions

• Racism
• Oppression
• Internalized oppression
• Ethnocentrism
• Anti-Immigrant sentiment

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Cultural Proficiency Continuum

• Cultural Destructiveness Cultural Deficit
  Perspectives
• Cultural Blindness
• Cultural Awareness
• Cultural Competency
• Cultural Proficiency

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Language Access Issues

• Ensuring Meaningful Access to those with
  Limited English Proficiency (LEP) under Title VI
  of the Civil Rights Act
• Recipients of Federal funds are not allowed to
  discriminate based on race, color, or national
  origin
• Protection against national origin discrimination
  includes persons with limited English proficiency
  (Executive Order 13166, Aug. 2000)

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Community Engagement

• True Partnerships and collaborations with
  community-based organizations representing
  marginalized groups
• Making room for new models of how to do the work
• Utilizing cultural and community strengths

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Community Engagement (contd)

• Community accountability for working to end
  domestic violence
• Sharing resources and providing space at the
  table
• Fostering leadership development