Transcript chapter 1 the multicultural journey to cultural competence

CHAPTER 19
COUNSELING ARAB
AMERICANS
Statistics on Arab Americans
 Arabs generally come from the Middle East and North
Africa.
 The primary language is Arabic.
 Discrimination and hatred has been directed toward Arab
Americans since the 9/11 attacks.
 There are over 3,500,000 Arab Americans living in the
United States.
 They are heterogeneous with respect to race, religion, and
politics.
 Over half are from Lebanon, 14% from Syria, 11% from
Egypt, 9% from Palestine, 4% from Jordan, and 2% from
Iraq.
Statistics on Arab Americans
 The first wave of immigration happened from 1875
to World War II (mostly Christian), and the second
wave happened after World War II to escape the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
 In contrast to the rest of the U.S. population, Arab
Americans are more likely to be married, have
generally higher incomes, and speak English well.
Stereotypes, Racism, and Prejudice
 Arabs and Arab Americans have been stereotyped
in movies as sheiks, barbarians, or terrorists.
 Islam has also been portrayed as a violent religion.
 Also, many believed that it was okay to question
and inspect people with Middle Eastern accents or
features.
Religious and Cultural
Background
 Muslims or the followers of Islam believe in one
God and individual accountability for their actions.
 Quran is equivalent to the Bible in Christianity.
 Within Islam, there are two major groups Sunni and
Shiite
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The Sunni group is largest group, accounting for about
90% of Muslims worldwide.
The remaining 10% are Shiites.
Family Structure and Values
 While values and families vary widely, there are
some commonalities.
 Families tend to be group-oriented, interdependent ,
and patriarchical.
 Women are responsible for rearing the children and
for homemaking.
 Hospitality is considered very important.
 Opposite-sex discussions with those outside the
family may be problematic.
Acculturation Conflicts
 Many have assimilated—especially the first wave
of immigrants.
 The second wave has tended to maintain their
traditional identity.
 Some wear traditional clothing (e.g., hijab or head
scarf).
 Also, some are bicultural and integrate both
identities.
Implications for Clinical Practice
 Identify your attitudes about Arab Americans and
Muslims.
 Inquire about the importance of religion in their
lives.
 Determine the structure of the family through
questions and observation. With traditional
families, try addressing the husband or male first.
Traditional families may appear to be enmeshed.
Implications for Clinical Practice
 Be careful of self-disclosures that may be
interpreted as a weakness. This will reduce the
therapists’ status among some Arab Americans.
Positive self-disclosures are fine.
 In traditionally oriented Arab American families,
there may be reluctance to share family issues or to
express negative feelings with a therapist.
 Be open to exploring spiritual beliefs and the use of
prayer or fasting to reduce distress.