El principio

"It’s different for boys and girls. If you’re a boy and you have sex, your dad pats you on the back and says, 'Now you’re a man!' If you’re a girl and you have sex, your dad beats you up."
-8th grade boy

As a school social worker, I get to hear comments like that everyday-the stories and thoughts of children (very often not "children's stories"), told in their own words. The area in which I work is famous for having one of the highest rates of poverty in the US. From over 12 countries of origin, my student and parent population is 81% Hispanic, 13% Black, 3% Asian / Pacific Islander, and less than 2% White and American Indian (as defined by the US Census Bureau). In addition, 27% are English Language Learners . I am a Spanish Language Speaker and I am also white.

I realize that my status of being a non-person of color (a minority!) is not uncommon among public school staff in urban communities, and I have quite a few thoughts and questions about how class, race and culture shapes and affects my work—individual, family and group therapy—my understanding of the biases and assumptions I didn’t think I carried with me, and the outcomes for my clients. So I guess I would also like to write about issues of “cultural competence” on this site.

Mostly, I am starting this blog because I LOVE talking/thinking/writing about my kids and perhaps there are other folks who would care to read. I also would love to know about other people’s experiences in similar situations!