Juana's Surviving In America

made friends and experienced cultures from around the world. Khanna and Johnson (2010), also state that biracial individuals have found that having the ability to associate with various races have actually worked as an advantaged because of their ability to associate with multiple groups. This attitude eventually became the approach the student had with dealing with his racial identity. According to him, he no longer tried to identify with a particular group, and part of this a lesson that he was taught by his parents. Though he experienced different ideas about his identity from family members, his parents were very intentional with the way they socialized all of their children to the world they lived in. Neither of them could relate to his …show more content…
In the book, Juana mentions her mother creating an alter and praying for her father, and it is the faith centered aspects of their lives that often gave them the strength to get through the hard times they experienced. One of these instances occurred when Juana’s mother attended the celebration and allowed for herself to be whipped, with the hopes that this sacrifice would be accepted by God. In an article titled Surviving in America (2015), the author speaks of the church’s role in assisting starving families in many countries to include Mexico which according to Deignan (2015), has approximately 11 million of their residents making it into the United States. Once in the United States, it is often the faith based organizations that support immigrants as they navigate a new country. This is not only the case with Hispanic immigrants, but also the fact when speaking of African Americans and their fight to overcome racism. According to the student, he can remember attending church every Wednesday and Sunday and this was because in their home his family’s religious beliefs were the center of everything. Also, though the students’ family never offered any sacrifices like Juana’s mother, he did mention that his family faithfully offered ten percent of their income as a sacrifice. This idea that a higher power is in control was something that his father always preached, and historically is …show more content…
The different theories would be used in an effort to identify the areas of concern, and then the chosen theory is used to create an effective objective for the client. When asked, the student interviewed explained that he was not familiar with many of the different theories prior to taking the course. With this statement, the interviewer asked the student what theories discussed during the course would he use to enhance his cultural sensitivity when working with Hispanic and Latino clients. He immediately explained his new appreciation for the Strength Perspective and explained how he as a social worker often focused on the lack of resources that many Latino and Hispanic clients have, and when reading about this theory he realized the importance to focus on the strengths. As cited by Wilson (2006), the Strengths Perspective theory was originally developed in the University of Kansas School of Social Work, and has been continuously developed as the theory is used with various groups. The theory emerged as a response to the idea that social workers were focusing on the problem of their clients, rather than the possibility and strengths. It is with this understanding the interviewed student explained he will now assist those who are in this