Building a Bicultural Bridge |
| |
Authors: | Elizabeth Rodriguez-Keyes Julie Piepenbring |
| |
Institution: | 1. Department of Social Work, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, USArodriguezke1@southernct.edu;3. Department of Social Work, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA |
| |
Abstract: | ABSTRACTThe balancing act of living between two cultures can have a significant impact on the development of adolescent Latinas living in the United States. Many adolescent Latinas, particularly second generation, live with two sets of cultural values that are often in conflict with one another. This case study illustrates the importance of understanding the impact of acculturation on the individual and the family. Issues of identity, biculturalism, and bilingualism—specifically the phenomenon of language switching—are dismantled in this case study to gain deeper insight into the unique experience that second-generation Latinas undergo when negotiating two cultural orientations. These findings are important to consider when working with the Latino population as they represent one of the largest immigrant groups and the most rapidly growing group in the United States. |
| |
Keywords: | adolescent biculturalism bilingual psychotherapy cultural identity language switching Latinas |
|
|