The importance of multicultural competence is indisputable in light of the following facts:
"We are fast becoming a multicultural, multiracial, and multilingual society. The recently released 2000 U.S. Census reveals that within several short decades, persons of color will become a numerical majority."
Those same Year 2000 Census results indicated that:
Over 50% of the state of California is composed of minority groups.
Over 30% of New York City is internationally born.
Approximately 70% of the District of Columbia is African American.
Close to 37% of San Francisco is Asian American.
Nearly 70% of Miami is Latino.
Increasing diversity is the result of greater immigration of ethnic minorities and the higher birth rates among the minority populations when compared to their Caucasian counterparts.
According to Census data, approximately 45% of public school students are people of color.
Racism can directly impact the health status for persons of color and result in decreased life span and susceptibility to illness.
Racial/ethnic minority groups have less access to health care. The nature of services is woefully inadequate; they are more likely to be medically uninsured; and the services provided are often inferior and more likely to result in the death of racial/ethnic minority clients.
Clinicians, like the rest of the population, are not immune from inheriting the biases, stereotypes and values of the larger society. And, try as they might to avoid doing so, they may unintentionally act out these biases in the treatment of their clients of color.
Our course is an attempt to proactively respond to Wing Sue's (2003) reminder that, "Culture-specific mental health treatments consistent with the cultural values and life experiences of a particular group may prove more effective than conventional forms of treatments."
