Maribel's Story: When Are You Going to Have Kids?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ethnicity is associated with nationality and country of origin. Examining ethnicity provides clues
about individuals’ values, beliefs, and behaviors and often yields more information than race,
particularly on intragroup differences. This is critical in working with clients of Asian or Latino
descent. In this story, Maribel, a Puerto Rican, describes growing up in a poor, Spanish-speaking
household; moving around the country; and feeling like a minority everywhere she went. She
talks about what she feels was her double life, her pride in her educational accomplishments,
and the price she paid for her acculturation and her gender role shifts. As you listen, notice how
she experienced the frequent moves of her family as she was growing up and how the exposure
to racism affected not only her blended identity but also her decision to become better
educated to increase her social status options. Also, notice the losses that came with her gains
and how she manages her American identity blended with her identity as a Puerto Rican.