Running head: Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

Student Group Research Paper
Group 3
Nate Vanderworker, Eli Kinsley, Brenda Malmquist, John Malone
Chemeketa Community College
HS213 Multicultural Practice

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

2
Abstract

Throughout history there have been many groups within our society that have been
marginalized, oppressed, and discriminated against. Three factors that have played into these
terrible acts of mistreatment are ethnicity, nationality, and race. This project will touch on just a
few of the issues facing people of different ethnicities, nationalities, and races.
Nate will be discussing the cultural cluster group of African Americans. African
Americans face many challenges today but this project will focus on the current epidemic of
mistreatment by law enforcement. There have been many instances throughout history of police
mistreatment towards African Americans but the recent wave of police brutality cannot be
ignored.
Eli will be delving into the population of Mexican immigrants. Current political and
societal issues have only begun to expose the hardships faced by this cultural cluster group. One
such recently exposed issue is that of Human Trafficking amongst Mexican immigrants.
Discussed in this project will not only be the effects of human trafficking on this population but
also the laws in place from both Mexico and The United States to combat this issue.
John Malone will be focusing on the Alaskan Native people and their issues with
substance abuse, well as a brief historical aspect of European influence on Native people. He will
also touch his personal experiences from his life while he lived in Ketchikan, Alaska. In closing,
John will explain how his research and experiences can be applied to future human service work.
Brenda will be discussing Native American woman and sexual assault. She will be
talking about how they are more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other group, the history
of why this has occurred, how it has impacted them and how they are coping.

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

True Crime: Being Black

Police misconduct is nothing new. Throughout history there have been many high-profile
incidents of police abusing power. One alarming trend that has been consistent of these incidents
is the mistreatment of minorities by police, specifically African Americans. Since the days of
slavery African Americans have had to endure extreme issues of abuse by those in higher power.
As a boy, I can remember the first time I became aware of such abuse. The year was 1991 and I
remember watching the news with my parents one March night and seeing a grainy video of
police viciously beating an unarmed man named Rodney King. I asked my mom why they were
doing that. Because he is black son, my mother answered. She went on to tell me how some
people thought it was ok to treat others differently because of their skin color. She then gave me
a quick synopsis of the civil rights movement and told me that we should always treat others how
we would want to be treated. That incident has stuck with me throughout my life and I have
always wondered why this unfair treatment exists.
As I mentioned, the Rodney King case was the first time I really saw a clear case
of police mistreatment. Unfortunately, it is not the only case I have heard of or come across.
Growing up as a person of Caucasian decent in a predominantly black neighborhood I have
witnessed firsthand the abuse of blacks by police. I can recall a time when two of my black
friends and I happened to be drinking beer behind a condemned factory. We were about fifteen
and had taken three cans of Budweiser out of my dads garage refrigerator to drink before going
to a party. We were just about finished when two flashlights shined our way from around the
corner. A booming voice yelled Stop right there! The three of us froze as two officers walked
our way. We were all a bit startled and scared so our words and explanations probably sounded
jumbled. The officers asked for identification and we all reached for our wallets which contained

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

either a school ID, or a learners permit. My friend Caesar had trouble pulling his out and was
promptly smacked upside his head. After looking over my school identification card one of the
officers told me I was free to go. I ran about a block away to wait for Caesar and Jamel. After
what seemed like forever I spotted my friends walking from around the old building. Jamel was
limping badly and Caesar was sobbing. I asked what had happened and they went on to explain
that the police officers were badgering them about having or selling drugs and one of the officers
had hit Jamel in the leg with a baton and punched Caesar in the stomach when a search turned up
nothing. At that time, I gave little thought as to why I was let go but as an adult I see it was
attributed to my White Privilege. Diller (2015,2011) defines white privilege as benefits that
are automatically accrued to European Americans just because of their skin color (p. 78). The
police let me go and accosted my friends because they were black and I was white.
As I got older these incidents of police mistreatment toward African Americans
began to bother me more. I do not know if it was the progression of social media or the fact that I
was just paying more attention to the current state of our society but it seems blacks have been
targeted by police at a higher than average rates. In my opinion current cases such as Terence
Crutcher, Philando Castile, and Alton Sterling could have been avoided. In 2015, police killed
1,134 African American men. Those 1,134 men made up fifteen percent of total police involved
deaths last year. African American males only make up roughly two percent of the total US
population so to me, that fifteen percent death statistic seems extremely disproportionate. These
numbers suggest the very real existence of Institutional Racism. As Diller (2015, 2011) explains
institutional racism is the manipulation of societal institutions to give preferences and
advantages to Whites and at the same time restrict the choices, rights, mobility, and access of

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

people of color (p. 66). This institutional racism is nothing new it has been a part of American
society since the days of slavery and there is no end in sight.
We know that this issue of mistreatment by police toward African Americans
exists, but why does it? As Carbado and Rock (2016) write there are seven variables that
converge to render African Americans vulnerable to repeated police interaction: (1) Proactive
policing (directs police to focus on high crime areas); (2) Mass criminalization (criminalizes
relatively non-serious activities;) (3) Racial segregation; (4) Racial stereotypes of African
Americans as criminally inclined; (5) Group vulnerability (increases the likelihood of police
targeting this population); (6) Revenue generation (encourages police to arrest members of
vulnerable groups as a mechanism to raise revenue for the city or department); (7) Fourth
Amendment doctrine (supposed to protect African Americans but instead promotes more
interaction with police) (p.1). Now I do not expect that every case of abuse by police can be
attributed to one of these seven factors but I do believe that by addressing these things first we
may stand a chance of changing these issues that continue to divide our society and oppress
African Americans.
I have learned quite a bit from the research I have conducted on the mistreatment
of African Americans by police. I have learned that this is a very real issue that plagues our
society just as much now as ever before. I plan to take what I have learned and use it to be more
empathetic to the plight of the young black male in America. The diversity of our society all but
guarantees that a portion of my client base will be African American, therefore knowledge of the
seven factors that attribute to police interaction will be helpful in better understanding the
thought process as well as the position my clients are in.

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

Mexican Immigrants and Human Trafficking

Every summer I go to work as wildland firefighter, every summer I work with same
ethnic group, Mexican immigrants. These men and women are some of the hardest working,
respectful, and family orientated people I have ever met. It was the embodiment of these values
that brought me closer and pushed me to want to find out more about them. I wanted to know
how they came to be here and what was the extent of their experiences. I had heard numerous
stories of coming across the border, but to me it was just a story. What I did not understand,
and could not understand, because I was born in America, was coming here was there only real
chance at something we all take for granted, hope. Hope that is centered around the fact they will
be able to work and provide for their families and have a sense of financial security. Whereas in
Mexico, that hope is diminished by the fact that as of 2015, 52.3% the countrys population lives
below poverty level, as compared to the United States, whos level was 15.1 % (Central
Intelligence Agency, 2016). It is no small surprise Mexican people see this country an
opportunity to make a better a life for themselves and their families.
Yet, to achieve that opportunity these people take a significant risk. That risk
being the journey itself to the United States. I cannot imagine the feeling of leaving your home
and family, or all that is familiar for a chance at coming to a country where you are not
guaranteed you will arrive. Although there are people who will try to make that guarantee.
Mexican immigrants refer to them as coyotes, but they are what we call human traffickers.
Garza (2011) states, Human trafficking is the exploitation of people primarily for labor or sex
using force, coercion or fraud. Human traffickers feed off the premise of opportunity and use it
to profit from the exploitation of the these people. This profit is made by fees that human
traffickers charge for the transportation of the immigrants. Oftentimes these fees will be

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

increased to the point that the immigrants will be forced to work off the fees through labor or
prostitution to pay off the debts to the traffickers (Garza, 2011, pp. 1-2). To gain one type of
freedom, the immigrants must give up another. Garza also notes that the immigrants may be
forced into signing labor contracts that require wage deductions for food and shelter (Garza,
2011, p. 2). Because of this, it then becomes modern day form of slavery or servitude for a
people only trying to escape economic hardship. When this occurs, it means crimes have been
committed.
In recognition of these crimes and because the happen in the United States and
Mexico, both countries have enacted legislation to combat these offenses. In the United States,
the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) was passed in 2000. The idea was to prosecute
traffickers and protect victims of severe trafficking (Garza, 2011). In 2007, Mexico passed a
similar law, the Law to Prevent and Punish Trafficking in Persons (Garza, 2011). In America, the
Justice Department has even created the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit (HTPU). This
division of the Criminal Section of the Justice Department works diligently to prosecute human
traffickers across the United States (The United States Justice Department, 2016).
Although, the men I work with as firefighters never stated this was not the case of their
experiences or that they were victims, they did express the journey was arduous. I can remember
as they would share those experiences, some of them would look away. It was as though they
were in a lapse of memory that was so intense, that by looking away it would hide their true
emotions. The curious part of me wanted to ask more questions, but the empathic side took hold
to remind to respect their experience. Although I was left with more thoughts to ponder, such as
how did their journey to America affect them psychologically? Did it potentially lead them to

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

cope maladaptively, such as with drugs or alcohol? What was the consequence to their families
and close relationships?
What also came to mind was the impact on their culture and cultural identity. Diller
(2015, 2011) points out, Acculturative stress is most pronounced during periods of transition,
especially during and after significant migrations (e.g., to the United States) and the exposure
and adjustment to a new culture (p. 203). So not only were the men I worked with possibly
dealing with potential psychological stress from the trek here, but also afterwards. One the most
common and challenging outcomes of acculturation is the cessation of traditional cultural and
family norms, especially when it comes to roles of gender within that culture (Dillar, 2015, 2011,
pp. 203-204). It is hard to imagine what that may be like, but it is important to have an awareness
that this may be an issue for a future client. But what it is important and as Diller (2015, 2011)
asserts, It is critical to be familiar with the norms of the group and subgroup of which the client
is the member (p. 204). Which I look at as my professional responsibility going into the human
services field. Therefore, I am curious to know about the experiences of my fellow immigrant
wildland firefighters. I see them not only as coworkers, comrades, and friends, but as people who
have experiences I can learn from. Experiences that I see will contribute to my education and
help me become a more effective counselor.
For every counselor, there is a level of obligation to be as educated as possible when it
comes to various cultures. As Diller (2011, 2011) reminds us, we must maintain Multicultural
ethical competence (p. 30). This means we as human service professionals have an ethical
responsibility to be as multiculturally educated as possible. As I shared my education came in
part from my wildland firefighter co-workers, men who mostly consisted of Mexican
immigrants. Their stories challenged me to research deeper, which led me to find a about federal

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

legislation from the United States and Mexico. I was also able to see the relation to
acculturation stress and how that was another impact on immigrants. Ultimately, I feel more
aware and educated. I see this as me upholding the ethical standards of my profession, as
outlined by author Diller. It is interesting because every summer up in those remote areas with
those men, doing a potentially life threatening job, they always seemed so laid back and ease.
They would also say, Take it easy, but usually in Spanish, and now I understand why. It was
because for them, getting to America was the hardest part and it was over. So, it was no small
surprise they would look at me and say, tranquilo Eli, which meant to relax or take it easy.
Alaskan Natives and Substance Abuse
The subject matter of this group of Native Americans fits into the cultural cluster of the
original inhabitants of the United States before and during the invasion of the white man with his
Eastern European background.
These conquerors were adventurers and voyagers who set about exploring the
New World to provide lands and their accompanying goods and peoples for the royals, kings
and queens back home. The Spanish conquistadores and the Portuguese were among these
adventurous souls who opened vast new worlds for their monarchs. Along with new countries to
explore they included the people to enslave and the mineral wealth of the countries they
conquered. Of course, gold and silver, along with slave labor to mine and move these riches
were welcomed.
The enslaved populations were among our Cultural Clusters which include
Natives from all cultures who were not capable of fighting off the invaders with their gunpowder
and muskets, vastly superior to slings, bows and arrows of natives.

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

10

We will look at the Native Americans who were decimated by illness such as the
common cold, and influenza which the Natives of America have not developed immunities to
and therefore are not resistant to.
Many of the substances such as Alcohol and Marijuana affected Natives in the same
ways. They have still not developed the resistances of the white man to alcohol and drugs. In
fact, in many of Alaskas remote area, bootleggers have become wealthy and popular as they ply
their wares by canoe and small motorboats.
The peer-reviewed journal used for my research was entitled Impact of adaptive
Functioning on Readmission to Alcohol Detoxification Among Alaska Native People. In this
article the authors state that 42% 0f the patients were re-admitted within one year of discharge.
This is an indicator that there is a problem somewhere in Alaskas rehabilitation methods or
system. It is quite probable that it is a series of misadventures or coincidences which result in
high re-admission rates. For example, the huge area covered by this state result in very low
coverage per resident and very few counselors to cover these areas. Some of the remote villages
are as much as 800 miles from roads, accessible only by airplane and snow machines. Long
travels are for the benefit of very few clients, as these more remote villages may have only a very
few families to provide services to. This is the wild country, where even the bootleggers would
have to deliver their wares by canoe and or dogsled. Make no mistake, the bootleggers make and
distribute whisky throughout even the wildest country. Hunting, fishing and drinking are some of
the ways of whiling away the long winter months for the native populations.
The Native Alaskans become addicted to alcohol and drugs just like the rest of the world.
Everywhere that the white man goes, he always seeks to make a profit by taking advantage of the

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

11

Natives vulnerabilities. The lack of experience is a common factor amongst Natives, whether in
the desert sands or the frozen tundra.
Detoxification represents the initial step in patient preparation for long- term treatment
or rehabilitation. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment defined detoxification as having
three objectives: evaluation, stabilization and advocating of patient entry into substance abuse
treatment (Bear et al, 2014, p. 168).
Also researched were my own roots, as I was born in Ketchikan Alaska, and we have
been taught many times in the past few years that one of the most important areas to learn about
in preparation for future service work is our own background and learnings about ourselves. The
knowledge about how we ourselves became who we are today is applicable whenever we attempt
to provide counseling or referrals to a client, a friend an advisor or virtually anyone in our circle
of friends and colleagues throughout our lives.
The applications of all the knowledge gained in this research are pretty much endless, and
varies only in the different circumstances our lives may take in our futures.
Different career paths, whether we marry and produce a family, every twist in the roads to
come will provide different ways to apply our knowledge. When I first started to research Native
American susceptibility to substance abuse, I thought I would find research indicating some
genetic basis or a weak gene which caused them to be more prone to become intoxicated more
easily and completely than people of other races. It is more likely that differences in
susceptibility between individuals within the different cultures of the world, besides the amount
of time the different cultures have had to develop immunities to alcohol, drugs, and young
cultures at different positions on the Susceptibility Curve of addiction than older societies.

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

12

Europeans drinking wine with meals started when much of the worlds water supply was tainted
and filled with disease, so it made drinking wine instead of water much more acceptable.
The Lakota Sioux, like many Native American groups, are beset by serious and
widespread social problems. Their rate of death by alcoholism is 7 times the national average and
2.5 times that of other Native American people. Suicide rates are 3.2 times that of Whites.
(Diller, 2015, p. 221).
The Lakota are not native to Alaska, but they are still Native American peoples and share
many of the same socioeconomic perils, as well as historic atrocities by the dominant European
culture.
A series of more recent experiences have only intensified the cumulative effect of the
more recent past. These include:

The experience of Indian boarding schools with their forced separations of

children from parents, physical and sexual abuses, and destruction of traditional

cultural knowledge.
Death by tuberculosis.
The introduction of widespread alcohol abuse.
Continued land loss, relocation, and government termination policies of Native
rights (Diller, 2015, p.223).
Native American Women and Sexual Assault

For my part of the research paper I will be writing about Native American women and
sexual assault. I have chosen to write about an article called Silent No More by Mary Annette
Pember. This subject really spoke to me because I know people in my family, as well as strangers
I have helped, who are survivors of sexual assault. I have seen how their experiences have left
them left them trembling like an injured and frightened bird and they have had to work hard to

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

13

overcome the fear, hurt, shame, and guilt they felt. This kind of experience has impacted every
aspect of their life from how they view themselves and the world. Some of them had even tried
to hurt themselves. Some of the victims knew the perpetrators, while for others, it was a stranger.
But one thing that I know for sure is, they did not deserve that to happen to them.
Several years ago, I worked for two years as a volunteer Sexual Assault Response
Team Member for non-profit agency in southern California. And although I have helped many
woman, I had never worked with Native American women. Therefore, I had no experience
helping them navigate thru the medical or legal process of having their story recorded and
ensuring they received a medical examination. I never knew why, but when I read the article
Silence No More, it helped me understand why I probably had not encountered any Native
American Women. It opened my eyes and helped me to understand this population more. This
was important to me, because for me to successfully understand and help them, I must have
cultural competence. In its broadest context, cultural competence is the ability to provide
effective services cross-culturally (Dillar, 2015, 2011, p. 17)
One of the things I must learn, are culture specific values and beliefs. This article
provided me with an insight on how some Native American women view sexual assault.
In this article, it talked about how Native American women are addressing the
abundance of sexual assault in their communities. It stated the Native Americans experience
higher rates of sexual assaults than any other ethnic or racial group in the United States and that
one in three Native American Women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. I felt these
numbers were high and it made me want to check how these numbers compared to other ethnic
or racial groups. I found out that one out of every six American women have been the victims of
an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime (SARSSM, 2016). These numbers showed me

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

14

how much more they were targeted than any other group. It was mind boggling to me to have
read these statistics. From Pembers (2010) article, I learned that Native American Women had
been targeted for over two hundred years, since the earliest days of colonialization, and that they
were often seen as conquests. This article also talked about how Native American women often
did not report these crimes because nothing was done historically. Pemper (2010) also asserted,
these women did not want to subject themselves to more trauma by not being believed or helped,
this injustice was then exacerbated because it had occurred on tribal land (Pember, 2010).
Living in California most of my life, I knew Native Americans were present, but
they were not a population of people I had any interactions with. When I moved to Yamhill
County, Oregon I started to hear more about tribal land because of the nearby reservation in
Grande Ronde. I had no idea it was consider sovereign land, which meant, in a sense, it is its
own country within the United States. They have different laws within their tribal lands. Because
of this, there may have been some laws that non-Native American people could get prosecuted
for. This meant that there were non-Native American men who took advantage of this loophole in
the laws and could literally rape Native American women and get away with it, if they did it on
tribal land. This thought disgusted me as it did not feel fair. I am grateful to have read that in
2009 the Obama Administration had increased funding for programs to help with tribal courts
and law enforcement to help Native American women, and that laws have changed to help
Native American women who are the victims of sexual assault. I realize for some of them the
help has come too late and they do not trust the system because it has failed them historically.
This mistrust has been passed from generation to generation. If it happened to me, I would feel
the same way too.

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

15

Ultimately, this article has opened my eyes to the history of Native American
women and all they have endured. I feel that the information I have learned will help me teach
them that is it okay to trust the system (if they are open to it) and show that it has changed.
Application
Now that we have researched these groups and expressed how these issues have related in
our own lives, the question becomes what do we do with this information? More importantly,
how can we apply this information to the human services field?
First and foremost, it comes down to awareness. Awareness that these races, ethnicities,
and nationalities have experienced significant events throughout their history that can potentially
manifest itself in the form of current maladaptive behavior. As we have discussed, for some
Native Americans, that behavior comes in the form of high rates of alcoholism and substance
use. For Native American women, we know there is a likelihood of unreported sexual assault
resulting in traumatic experiences. Experiences that are fortified by the belief that justice will not
be served and based on historical injustice. From our research, we know that African Americans
are experiencing these same injustices from police. They are targeted and know nothing will be
done based on the color of their skin. As for Mexican immigrants, their victimization comes in
the form of exploitation for labor purposes, all because they are in pursuit of the American
dream. A dream that for African and Native Americans has been nothing but a nightmare.
Which means for us, as human service workers, we must help them traverse those
nightmares. This means part of our obligation is to become informed and educated. Information
and education lead to cognizance, which opens dialogue and sets the stage for rapport building.
Once the initial rapport is there, we can build trust. From trust, comes openness to share, which

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

16

enhances the human service worker and client relationship. At this point, creativity and ideas are
generated to best serve the client. So, from the application of multi-cultural awareness and
education, we are now more suited to assist clients from various cultural backgrounds.

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

17

References
Carbado, D. W., Rock, P. (2016). What Exposes African Americans to Police Violence?.
Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review
http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy.chemeketa.edu:2048/hottopics/lnacademic/?
verb=sr&csi=143842&sr=AUTHOR(Carbado)
+AND+TITLE(What+exposes+African+Americans+to+police+violence%3F)
+AND+DATE+IS+2016
Central Intelligence Agency. (2016, November 16). Retrieved from www.cia.gov:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html
Dillar, J. (2015, 2011). Cultural Diversity: A Primer for the Human Services. Stramford, CT:
Cengage Learning.
Garza, R. (2011). Addresing Human Trafficking Along the United States-Mexico Border: The
Need for a Bilateral Partnership. Cadoza Journal of International and Comparative Law,
1-33. Retrieved from
http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy.chemeketa.edu:2048/hottopics/lnacademic/?
verb=sr&csi=166568&sr=TITLE(Addressing+human+trafficking+along+the+United+Sta
tes-Mexico+border+the+need+for+a+bilateral+partnership)%2BAND%2BDATE%2BIS
%2B2011
Pember, M. A. (2010, August 30). Silent No More. The Progessive. Retrieved from
http://www.progressive.org/news/2010/08/147687/silent-no-more

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

18

SARSSM. (2016, November 20). Retrieved from Sexual Assualt Response Services of Southern
Maine: http://www.sarsonline.org/resources-stats/reports-laws-statics
The United States Justice Department. (2016, November 16). Retrieved from www.justice.gov:
https://www.justice.gov/crt/human-trafficking-prosecution-unit-htpu

Ethnicity, Nationality and Race,

19