Acculturation and Latina Women Ethnic Identity

RM 218

This presentation addresses the ethnic identity scenario in which some Latina women find themselves. Latinas brought up in a bicultural environment sometimes have a hard time determining which of the two they truly belong to. Acculturation is recognized to have an effect on the ethnic identity of Latina women that can extend well into adulthood (Martinez et al., 2012). Acculturation is a term used to explain the dynamic process that a person goes through when they encounter a different culture from their own and is sometimes viewed as a clash of cultural identities. However, a person could also successfully combine cultures and create a new multicultural identity (e.g. Organista, Marin, & Chun, 2010; Berry, 2003; Hamers & Blanc, 2000). The constant choices of conforming to the dominant culture versus retaining the traditional culture often become profound internal struggles.We will discuss the stigma attached to speaking Spanish or lack of language fluency when moving through the public and private self, the issues that arise when trying to claim an identity, and the consequences of Latina/Hispanic women’s’ mental health due to the conflicts that develop from ethnic identity ambiguity. Additionally, we will discuss the notion of imaginary internal borders that constrain women from empowerment (Anzaldua, 1987). The internal and external pressure to identify with either one or multiple ethnic identities simultaneously cultivates imaginary internal borders (Anzaldua, 1987). Therefore, we want to understand how internalized borders may affect Latina women’s lives.