Problem/Need Statement The Need for Change With more than 50 million Hispanics in the country, a fact that

makes them the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States, one out of every seven people in the U.S. is Hispanic (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Leo F. Estrada, UCLA associate professor of urban planning, states that these figures and statistics confirm that it's going to be impossible to think about the future of the U.S. without thinking about Hispanics ("U.S. future "unthinkable", 2012). Estrada insists that this change in the U.S. cultural and economic map is very difficult to accept for the population of the country, in general. He says, "They are changes that have happened so rapidly that society has not adapted" (2012, para.12). As a result of rapid growth of the Hispanic population, our countrys government agencies, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, heath care providers, and corporations, have needed to quickly react to the changing world around them and learn to serve a new American demographic. The government is implementing new policies, schools are developing new programs, organizations are bridging new gaps, health care providers are addressing new needs, and corporations are expanding products and services. In doing so, they have found themselves challenged as they attempt to surmount the seemingly unbridgeable cultural and linguistic divides. Among the most directly affected is the workforce that has the initial point-of-contact with the growing Hispanic population, known here as front line personnel. Although the impact is widespread, those working in education, health care and government are faced daily with the realities of the effect of these demographic shifts. These individuals are on the front lines fighting to ensure that each student, patient or client is served equally, a daunting task when ill-prepared. Cultural and linguistic misunderstandings can have major implications. Not only is there risk of breaching civil rights and threat of non-compliance, but it is at the initial

point-of-contact that IDs are issued, benefits are distributed, special needs are evaluated, medicine is administered, and electricity and water are provided. This is a stage of the game that we cannot afford to neglect. The Implications of the Gap Imagine the implications of Hispanics across the U.S. being issued birth certificates, social security cards or drivers licenses with inconsistent and incorrect names on them because the front line personnel did not understand the Hispanic surname system. There was a court case in South Carolina that involved four children being put up for adoption. During the proceedings it was discovered that the birth certificates for each of the kids listed the mothers name differently. Furthermore, the siblings with the same parents were issued birth certificates and social security cards that listed last names as middle names, switched paternal and maternal last names, and worst-of-all, different last names for three of the four siblings. This is only one example of many instances in which government-issued identification is issued incorrectly. Think about the frustration of a teacher that does not know that a Mexican mothers lack of participation in her childs education is because in Mexico parent involvement in classroom matters is offensive to a teacher. A common complaint that non-Hispanic teachers have about the parent-teacher relationship with Hispanic parents is that they do not get involved. This lack of involvement is typically contributed to a language barrier. Although the language barrier does contribute to this reality, there is another variable. The cultural norm for parent-teacher relationship in most Spanish-speaking countries is completely opposite from the cultural norm in the U.S. and parents are often discouraged from being involved, as classroom matters are considered to be the teachers domain. This lack-of-understanding on both parts is impacting Hispanic children, parents and their teachers.

Consider the consequences of health care providers assuming they are getting accurate information regarding the health and symptoms of certain patients in order to diagnose and prescribe, when in reality direct questioning and lack of established trust typically render minimal response and the omission of critical information. The health of Hispanics in this country is of major concern to the health care system, public health activist, and disease prevention and control organizations. It is in the best interest of the country for the countrys largest ethnic minority to be healthy. Nevertheless, many health care providers feel that they are talking to a brick wall when they see Hispanic patients. In one case, a Honduran woman came to see a doctor because she had concerns about her health. The doctor followed the usual evaluation procedures, ran one test and determined that nothing was wrong. It was not until the interpreter intervened to explain the cultural norms about direct questioning and established trust to the provider that the provider regrouped and addressed the patient differently. In doing so, the patient revealed a long list of medical symptoms that led the provider to rush the patient to the hospital because she was in Thyroid storm. It is clear that a need exists for front line personnel in the fields of education, health care and government to be oriented with the fundamental cultural norms of the Hispanic population as the United States adapts to the changing cultural landscape. In addition to the implications of misunderstanding fundamental cultural norms of the largest ethnic minority of this country, it is also critical that front line personnel are aware of the diversity among Hispanics and the different levels of acculturation. In 2011, 63.8% of Hispanics were U.S.-born (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013) and those foreign-born Hispanics that make up the remaining 36.2% were born in many different countries. By not being educated regarding the diversity among Hispanics and the various possible levels of acculturation, front line personnel in education, health care and government run the risk of making unfortunate mistakes that will impact the effectiveness of fulfilling the mission of the institution for which they work. Imagine

the dismay of a U.S.-born Argentinian businessman who happens to be a donor for a particular institution when the front line personnel at that institution suggests that he must get in a different line if he doesnt have a drivers license and needs someone that speaks Mexican. Similarly, consider the confusion of an only Spanish-speaking Costa Rican immigrant mother when her childs incorrect surname is listed on the roster at school and the school insists that the childs correct surname is actually his/her middle name. These are experiences that are representative of the lived experiences of Hispanics across the nation. The fact is that the cultural and linguistic landscape of the Hispanic population is extremely diverse, which only adds to the front line personnels challenge to navigate these issues when ill-equipped. The need exists for front line personnel in education, health care and government to be oriented with the diversity among Hispanics in the U.S. and to familiarize themselves with the different levels of acculturation so that they can successfully serve their students, patients and clients and effectively carry out the mission of their organization. The Instructional Need On the heels of major demographic shifts in this country and in the wake of major Hispanic population growth, Americas front line personnel and the institutions for which they work have a pressing need to better understand the population they serve. Although many have taken the initiative to participate in diversity training or cultural competency training, these trainings offer little instruction specific to the Hispanic population. Of those who have taken the initiative to better understand the Hispanic population, the educational program in which they have participated is typically developed internally or by a local partner and is not accessible to others. Of the programs that are available to others, most of them are poorly delivered, do not contain current information, and are unappealing. Lastly, of the few companies that do offer accessible training about Hispanics, most of them are experts in trainings for Hispanics, and their training about Hispanics is their secondary product.

There is a need for an effective, attractive and accessible learning solution for the front line personnel of companies, agencies and institutions across America that addresses the lack of understanding of the growing Hispanic population and equips the front lines to effectively carry out the mission of their organization amidst a surging Hispanic population. I propose that U.S. Hispanics 101: Fundamentals for the Front Lines is the starting point for addressing this need and confronting these demands. Supporters for the Program I have engaged in a number of conversations over the past year with people who have supported my belief in the need for the program. In education, an 18-year veteran elementary teacher with her M.Ed. and National Teachers Certification strongly supports the program because she reports that her co-workers are lost and they are commonly making unfortunate mistakes that impact kids and their families. She also reports that although many believe that having an interpreter is the only necessary service, she recognizes that there are misunderstandings even when an interpreter is not necessary. Additionally, the Director of Student Activities and a seasoned high school English teacher believes that a need exists for the program because she has been called on many times as the Hispanic subject-matter-expert at her school, but in reality her only understanding of the Hispanic population is her minimal level of proficiency in Spanish. She believes that a program like this would debunk some of the common stereotypes and help teachers work towards good practices with their Hispanic students and parents. In health care, the Chairperson of the SC Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition and Director of the PhD in Nursing program at the University of South Carolina believes that this program is needed. The result for the 2012 Summit hosted by the Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition showed that providers across the state believe that cultural competency and familiarization with

Hispanic cultural norms would positively impact organizations and the community. Furthermore, she has seen first-hand the consequences of cultural barriers in health care as she has worked closely with the Hispanic community. In addition, the Executive Director of a community organization in Columbia, SC has stated that she is in support of this type of program. Her organization lists among their goals to facilitate understanding on the organizational level, but has expressed that they have so much work to do in the community that they are limited in what they can do for health care providers. She eagerly welcomes this type of program. In government, the Assistant General Counsel for a state-level public services agency has asked how he could get his hands on a training like that? He is concerned because he has been made aware of the mistakes that are taking place during legal proceedings and on legal paperwork, yet he does not have access to a solution. Furthermore, a 20-year veteran in child protective services has taken interest in the program because she recognizes how critical it is for case workers to have a general understanding of fundamental cultural norms when they are out in the field and approaching someones residence, working with someones child and/or guiding parents through a treatment plan. She says that this responsibility is often left to the interpreter, but that the interpreter is not familiar with the case and is not supposed to do the case workers job. Once again, it is my belief that U.S. Hispanics 101: Fundamentals for the Front Lines is widely needed and widely supported.

References

U.S. Census Bureau. (2012, August 06). Hispanic heritage month 2012. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/c b12-ff19.html U.S. Census Bureau. (2013, July 30). Hispanic heritage month 2013. Retrieved from
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb13 -ff19.html

U.S. future "unthinkable" without hispanic population. (2012, May 18). Fox News Latino, Retrieved from http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2012/05/18/us-futureunthinkable-without-hispanic-population/