At the elementary school level, advocacy at its core can be done through the education of both teachers and students. While the Servant Leadership activity incorporated ways to help students find their voices and sources of inspiration, advocacy aims to change the environment around those students to be more supportive and inclusive. Though Diwali is not celebrated by all Asian Indians or Indian-Americans, it is still a very prominent holiday and celebration in much of the cultural community (National Geographic Kids, 2018). Moreover, educating the school community about the history of India, in general, is something that can easily be included in schools that have Asian Indian-American students. The school counselor should be cautious not to choose books that are stereotypical and thus counterproductive in educating the young educational community (Morgan, 2009). However, simple does not always mean stereotypical. A simple explanation of Diwali may, in fact, be perfect for many of those students in the younger elementary school grades.
References
Gupta, S. S. (2015). A Children’s History of India. New Delhi, India: Red Turtle.
Morey, A. (2017). Diwali. North Mankato, MN: Cantata Learning.
Morgan, H. (2009). Teaching tolerance and reaching diverse students through the use of children’s books. Childhood Education, 85(2), 106.
National Geographic Kids. (2018). Diwali. Retrieved from https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/diwali/#diwali_candles.jpg.
Ratts, M. J., Singh, A. A., Nassar-McMillan, S., Butler, S. K., & McCullough, J. R. (2015). Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies. Publisher unknown.
Rupi Kaur is an Indian poet who immigrated to Canada at a young age and who has become increasingly influential in the writer and poet world through her imaginative use of social media. Her poetry has inspired many across the globe to follow their passions, and her American fan base is large. Her creativity and passion have inspired this servant leadership activity. Research shows that Asian Indian-American students are often expected to have strengths in certain areas and thus enter certain career fields based on their cultural group’s acknowledged success within those career disciplines in the past. Moreover, the notion of familial trauma, career, and experience is prominent (Farver, Xu, Bhadha, Narang, & Lieber, 2007). However, this can put pressure on young students to follow in their family’s footsteps and feel uncomfortable exploring or voicing their own passions, consequently burying pieces of their identities. Knowing that the stigma around mental health still permeates throughout this cultural community, school counselors must be creative in how they help children explore their own identity and potential strengths (Turner & Mohan, 2016).
Many gifted students at the school counselor’s internship site are Asian Indian-American. The school counseling team has been considering ways to help students in the gifted classes explore their leadership styles, learning styles, and personalities. As a class, so as to not single out any particular students, students will participate in a poetry activity that encourages them to highlight at least three distinct traits about themselves that they believe helps them be successful and unique in life. Whether or not these descriptors include their families is not important, as it is not the job of the counselor to decide what is or is not important. Therefore, the students will ultimately be encouraged to explore their creativity and consider their own ideas vs. the “expectations of others” as mentioned in Graham’s definition of Servant Leadership (Graham, 1995). “Others,” in this case, could be the school counselor or the students’ families.
References
Graham, J. W. (1991b). Servant-leadership in Organizations: Inspirational and Moral. Leadership Quarterly 2(2), 105-119.
Kaur, R. (2018). Tory Daily. Retrieved from http://www.toryburch.com/blog-post/blog- post.html?bpid=429114
Farver, J. M., Xu, Y., Bhadha, B. R., Narang, S., & Lieber, E. (2007). Ethnic identity, acculturation, parenting beliefs, and adolescent adjustment: A comparison of Asian Indian and European American families. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 53(2), 184-215.
Turner, E. A. & Mohan, S. (2016). Child mental health services and psychotherapy attitudes among Asian Indian parents: An exploratory study. Community Mental Health, 52, 989- 997.
Stereotypes are a prominent part of society that are often damaging to the groups that they claim to define. There are even stereotypes that exist for what a “typical minority group” should look like, endure, and struggle. This is the twisted situation that Asian Indian Americans find themselves in the middle of. Often seen as having the advantage in comparison to their counterparts from other minorities, Asian Americans as a whole (though this includes a vast range of cultures, ethnicities, and nationalities) are generally labeled as being more educated and incredibly intelligent. Yet, by society’s standards, they are still not up to par with their white neighbors.
Immigration laws and patterns have brought a large population of educated Asian Indian-Americans to the United States and with them has come a work ethic that is deemed acceptable by the White-dominant, Capitalist society that has been established here. What does this mean at a systemic level? Should all Asian Indian-American children face the pressure of being the top of their class, becoming a doctor or an engineer, while simultaneously having to worry about the ignorant person down the hall thinking their food smells funny? Why are pieces of one’s identity acceptable, but others are not? If an Asian Indian-American child wants to be an artist, what does that mean in regard to his identity and family values? For this reason, I included the graphic of the Asian Indian-American TV characters well known in society today. Cici from New Girl is depicted in the middle. As an aspiring model who falls in love with a white, Jewish man, she struggles to gain the approval of her parents who are firmly rooted in their cultural norms. Overall, there are numerous layers to systemic challenges we have to consider as counselors.
The picture above represents a family, perhaps larger than the outdated “average American family” so often described in pop culture and society at large. From a strengths-based perspective, Asian Indian-American individuals often have strong immediate and extended family connections. Though it is not uncommon in Indian tradition to have grandparents or elders live within the home, this practice is not as standard in American society. For this reason, school counselors should consider who needs to be informed and included in decision-making processes with students. Moreover, Asian-Indian Americans are often categorized as hard-working individuals and stereotyped as being excellent candidates for “certain fields.” School counselors must be cautious and find balance between what the family wants, what the student wants, and how society’s expectations are influencing both.
Iyengar, K. M. & Smith, H.L. (2016). Asian Indian American children’s creative writing: an approach for cultural preservation. Educational Studies, 52(2), 95-118.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the benefits of using the Kahani project, an Indian-American version of the Writers’ Workshop, with Asian Indian American adolescents in order to help them come to terms with their dual identities, ground themselves in their cultural heritage, and feel more well-adjusted to their school environment. Sources cited within the literature indicate the importance of cultural engagement for populations other than Asian Indian American. However, this population is significantly growing and thriving in the United States. “Cultural groundedness” is crucial to academic and social success for students of different ethnic backgrounds. Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) is the framework leveraged in this study. CHAT is something that could be explored further in this immersion project. In addition, studies mentioned in the article indicated the importance of teachers including cultural diversity in their curriculum. This could also be further explored. The methodology of this study was based heavily on both authors own personal experiences of school and home existing as two separate entities in regard to identity and culture. Participants were recruited in the U.S. from families from three regions of India at various SES levels. They were ages 6 to 12 years old in a city in the Southwest. Participants were heavily involved in cultural activities outside of school with their communities. Over the summer, they met to write personal narratives with pre-set topics for 3 weeks. Student socialization was included in this process. Students indicated their feelings about their cultural identity being ignored or overlooked in the context of school while simultaneously dealing with micro aggressions. The authors used these findings to highlight the importance of an “academically rigorous and culturally efficacious” curriculum (p. 21). Findings from the study as well as other sources indicate that expressive techniques in regard to one’s culture assist in identity development, self-esteem, and achievement across the board. This literature is broad in its application in the sense that all school professionals could benefit from knowing this information and using it to make changes to curriculum or school culture. From the standpoint of a school counselor, it invites the idea of creative expression through journaling, art therapy or dance therapy. In addition, the importance of multicultural counseling is inferred. The article is broad in its conclusions, but lacks concrete ways to achieve a more culturally-sensitive and diverse curriculum. School personnel who read this literature may find themselves motivated to make a change, but unsure of next steps. In addition, the data is mainly qualitative summarizing the parts of the students’ writings that further supported the authors’ opinions. In repeating this study, broadening the participant base may help as well as comparing and contrasting to other ethnic groups’ experiences.
Braun, F. K., Fine, E. S., Greif, D. C., & Devenny, J. M. (2010, July). Guidelines for multicultural assessment: an Asian Indian American case study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 38, 130-141.
The authors of this position paper state that multicultural counseling involves taking a broader view of the client’s issue from a cultural perspective. This includes realizing that certain assessments and counseling techniques were not developed with diverse populations in mind and that the counselor should exercise caution. This literature specifically looks at some concepts to keep in mind when working with Asian Indian American clients. The fictional Asian Indian American created for this literature is based on a fictional character from a book titled Unaccustomed Earth (Lahiri, 2008). The authors adapted the character’s story as though she was engaging in counseling for the sake of the article. The article looks specifically at a single fictional case study and then delves into the steps associated with multicultural counseling. However, there is no research study performed for the sake of this literature. The point is to encourage the reader to leverage these broad guidelines when working with individuals from a similar background. The nine guidelines are applied to Ruma’s fictional case study as a way to demonstrate how beneficial and important multicultural counseling is for clients. The author concludes that the case study, though fabricated for the purpose of this article, is multi-faceted enough to provide a real-life example of multicultural counseling. The guidelines for counseling are kept broad in order to assist the practitioner in applying them to his or her client. Though the importance of considering these ahead of time with clients is highlighted, multicultural counseling is an ongoing process and should be continuously re-visited and utilized when working with clients. How would this have played out with a real client instead of a fictional one? Does using a fictional case study allow the authors to show the ideal multicultural counseling scenario? What about in true practice? This article does a nice job of outlining the basics for people who may be unaware of how their implicit biases and haste to use majority practices may ultimately be harmful to their clients.
Dupree, J. W., Bhakta, K.A., Patel, P. S., & Dupree, D. G. (2013). Developing culturally competent marriage and family therapists: guidelines for working with Asian Indian American couples. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 41, 311-329.
This is a position piece that takes into account various other bodies of research that discuss the most effective ways of working with Asian Indian American clients and families. In addition, the research that was gathered was then used as a way for those participating in the “study” to develop their own multicultural counseling skills with this population. A similar study that was done in 2001 in regard to working with Hispanic families was referenced as a starting point for this piece. Though the steps and guidelines themselves were not utilized, the conceptual framework of that body of work was employed as a framework. Many sources were cited when describing the history and current context of this population in the United States. The position the article takes is that understanding general patterns of a population can be incredibly beneficial to the effectiveness of counseling and building the client-counselor relationship. However, there is no one-size-fits all for multicultural counseling and each client or family is unique. This article explicitly defines patterns by the frequency that something was found to be true when analyzing the research studies out there. Patterns found were broken out into seven categories, with four categories indicating the highest frequency. These included: impact of intergenerational/extended family relationships on marriage, the impact of modernization and globalization on acculturation, the role of intimacy and conflict in marriage, and parental considerations with young children & adolescents. Clinicians should ask clients about gender roles, extended family, and marriage and how these factors are impacting the clients’ identities and lives. This literature gives ample historical context for clinicians who are working with Asian Indian American clients. The sources cited could also be beneficial for understanding the culture more thoroughly. In addition, it highlights several themes that arose across multiple bodies of work that could be worth asking clients about in order to understand how to best assist them. Though this was written five years ago, there is still valuable information to be found in this journal article. The historical context is relevant, the patterns amongst this group could shift slightly, but those that had the highest frequency of impact are likely consistent and could be used by school counselors and clinical counselors alike.
True, R. H., (2008). Feminist therapy for Asian American women? [Review of the book Feminist Reflections on Growth and Transformation: Asian American Women in Therapy, by D. M. Kawahara & O. M. Espin]. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32, 219-224.
This article is a position paper about the benefits and limitations of the book, Feminist Reflections on Growth and Transformation: Asian American Women in Therapy. This review summarizes key points of the book including the need to consider if feminist therapy and empowerment techniques are actually putting the client in harm’s way based on cultural expectations and traditions. A main theme of the book is that of identity development of the Asian American woman. In order to assist with this, the counselor can potentially begin to focus on matriarchal historical warriors and goddesses of the culture with clients. Help them to see the strong female presence that has been recognized for decades in their societies. Leveraging current day female role models may also be beneficial. The position the author takes is one of agreement with the authors, recognizing them for their work in an area that has been largely overlooked. In addition, the author acknowledges that the client comes first and that each situation is unique. Throughout the review, the author seems to weigh the need to keep the client safe in potentially oppressive environments while simultaneously realizing the need for feminist theory in these clients’ lives. She selects ways to potentially combat this that are realistic and help the client understand her power without putting her in harms way. Role models that are relevant to one’s culture could be beneficial at the school counseling level as well. This article provides a brief yet thorough synopsis and review of the larger book in a way that clinicians and school counselors can take and apply to their practices.
Portman, T. A. A. (2009). Faces of the future: school counselors as cultural mediators. Journal of Counseling & Development, 87, 21-27.
This body of work takes a position stance by examining other research to predict trends in school counseling over the next two decades, including a focus on the need for multicultural counseling and how it can be applied. This was based on previous research that had been done twenty years ago to determine current trends in the field. One main source that is referenced substantially throughout the paper talks about the anticipated population increases of minority groups and its implication on schools. The position the author takes is that the school counselor will become a “cultural mediator” in years to come, being one of the few people willing to take a holistic view of one’s identity to include culture and how that adds to the school culture and could provide systemic challenges for the individual. In regard to how a current school counselor can apply this, it is relevant to consider what steps must be taken by a “cultural mediator” to determine how to best help a student. The article states that the counselor can develop an awareness of cultural groups within the school and their history and norms. In addition, the counselor can begin to build stronger community ties and communicate with families to determine how to best serve their children. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, the counselor must work to develop a school culture that is welcoming and integrated.