The cultural “machismo” stereotype is upheld in many Latino households, forming a stigma around therapy and seeking help, which is often associated with weakness. When this practice is passed from one generation to the next, it becomes a difficult cycle to break. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, annually, 33% of Latinos suffering from a mental illness seek treatment, compared to the U.S. average of 43%. Gaithri Fernando is a psychology professor at California State University, Los Angeles, who recognizes how difficult having these conversations can be. “I hear many parents say, ‘If only [my kids] knew what I went through,’ and they don’t want to disclose those personal stories because of the trauma and they don’t want to burden their children,” he said.
Tag: United States
Posted inIdentity
RAZA ON THE STREET: What Latinx likes to be called and why
For the Latinx community, there is a connection between ethnic identity and cultural identity, which varies for everyone, depending on family, socio economic status, environment and lots of other factors.
Posted inCulture
What Latinx likes to be called and why
For the Latinx community, there is a connection between ethnic identity and cultural identity, which varies for everyone, depending on family, socio economic status, environment and lots of other factors.