Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION 1

Rosalyn Scotland
Cultural Immersion and Agency Assessment Reort
!ilmington Uni"ersity
CULTURAL IMMERSION #
History
$istory sho%s the &irst Asians %ho settled' settled in Me(ico) Louisiana %as the lace in
the United States Asians called home around 1*+,) A larger-scale Asian immigrant oulation
arri"ed in the US in 1./.) According to Asian Nation 0#,1/1' most o& these early Chinese
%or2ers %ere &rom the 3uangdong 0also called Canton1 ro"ince in China) $o%e"er' there %ere
also ush &actors that dro"e many to %ant to lea"e China) The most imortant &actor %as
economic hardshi due to the gro%ing 4ritish dominance o"er China' a&ter 4ritain de&eated
China in the Oium !ar o& 1.56-1./#)
The Asian oulation &ound %or2 in the mines o& Cali&ornian' sugar cane &ields in
$a%aii' &armers' laundry %or2ers' gardener' railroad %or2ers and other ser"ice industry
ositions) Li2e A&rican Americans' Asians su&&ered riots' lynchings and murders) In 1..# the
Chinese E(clusion Act 7arred "irtually all immigration &rom China and re"ented all Chinese
currently in the United Stated &rom 7ecoming citi8ens) Chinese children 7orn in the U)S %ere
also 7and &rom 7eing citi8ens)
As stated in Asian Nation 0#,1/1' 7ecause they %ere &or7idden &rom o%ning land'
intermarrying %ith !hites' o%ning homes' %or2ing in many occuations' getting an education'
and li"ing in certain arts o& the city or entire cities' the Chinese 7asically had no other choice
7ut to retreat into their o%n isolated communities as a matter o& sur"i"al) These &irst Chinato%ns
at least allo%ed them to ma2e a li"ing among themsel"es) This is %here the stereotyical image
o& Chinese restaurants and laundry shos' 9aanese gardeners and roduce stands' and :orean
grocery stores 7egan)
$istory %orld states' there %ere more than * million Asian Americans in the United
States in 166,) This reresented a shar increase &rom the .61',,, %ho %ere accounted &or in
CULTURAL IMMERSION 5
16;,) The statistics u7lished 7y the 4ureau o& the Census &or 16., ga"e a total o& 5'*#;'//,
Asians' including <aci&ic islanders' %hich reresented 1); ercent o& the oulation) The gro%th
o& the Asian oulation in the United States %as 7ooming)
Immersion Experiences
The Asian Americans by Rodney P. Carlisle, publication: Facts on File, Inc., March 200
Asian immigrants are a di"erse grou that includes :oreans' 9aanese' =ietnamese'
Chinese' >iliinos' and others' has re"ented any single' uni&ied Asian identity &rom dominating
the Asian-American community) Indeed' this characteristic has ser"ed to encourage a
multicultural ersecti"e %ithin the community and strengthened each ethnic grou?s reliance on
the &amily unit as a means o& de&ining cultural identity Carlisle' R) 0#,111)
The &ocus is on the social history' customs' and traditions o& immigrants across American
history) The 7oo2 e(amines this seci&ic ethnic grou and resents a remar2a7le array o&
"alua7le in&ormation' co"ering e"erything &rom &ood' dress' entertainment' %or2' education'
oular astimes' olitical acti"ity' and contri7utions and con&licts in American society) !hile
in&ormati"e an engaging' the 7oo2 descri7es %hat mem7ers &ound %hen they &irst arri"ed in the
United States u to their current status in American society)
Contemporary le!acy o" early Asian Immi!rants to the Americas "rom #00$s to the %00$s, by
&oni 'in!, Center "or (ducational Telecommunications, %%)
The &ocus o& this &ilm %as to sho% ho% similar e(loring the centuries-old relationshis
7et%een East and !est' @ing ma2es 7old connections 7et%een the arallel e(eriences o&
"arious grous o& Asian Americans' and also 7et%een the e(eriences o& Chinese and Indian
indentured %or2ers and those o& A&rican sla"es) 4eginning in the 1;,,As the Chinese entered
Me(ico to the attac2 on <earl $ar7or and 9aanese American Boining the US Army' this &ilm
oens your heart and mind to the cultural similarities among ethnic grous)
CULTURAL IMMERSION /
Direct Immersion Experience
On august 6' #,1/' I attended the Asian American A%areness >esti"al located in
Chinato%n) This %as a time to cele7rate Asian American li"ing and %or2ing in the city) I
o7ser"ed eole shiing' tal2ing to "endors' greeting lo"ed ones and arta2ing o& the local
cuisine) Oddly enough' I ha"e a hard time trying ne% &oods' to see a coo2ed animal hanging in a
store %indo%' turned my stomach) Although the cultural o& this grou' it is not one I %ish to see
daily)
One thing I &ound interesting %ere the s%eets &rom a small &amily o%ned 7a2ery) The
7uns and astries &rom a local 7a2ery %ere not as s%eet as I e(ected them to 7e) Unli2e my
CtraditionalA 7a2ery %here the cuca2es and 7uns are hea"enly' I 7elie"e it is a taste that %ould
gro% on me) I did encounter their homemade dinner rolls and might I add they are hea"enly)
Those rolls %ere so&t' 7uttery and tasty) All things 7eing eDual' I %ill 7e 7ac2 to get dinner rolls
&rom Ne% $ong Eong 4a2ery)
Personal Interview
The inter"ie% too2 lace on Monday' August ,/' #,1/ at a local co&&ee sho) Mary is her
name and at the age o& t%enty-si( she is the mother o& one and married) I as2ed her ho% did she
&eel sending time as a teenager li"ing in a grou home and no% ha"ing a &amily o& her o%n'
%hat %ill she do di&&erently)
Mary told me that the e(erience %as di&&erent' 7ecause children in her ethnic grou are
raised 7y their arents and grandarents to conduct themsel"es in the traditions o& the Asian
cultural) She contri7utes going u in the inner city' hanging %ith the %rong grou and 7eing
diso7edient' lead her do%n the ath to lacement) This %as a learning e(erience &or Mary' one
she %ill ne"er &orget) At the time she considered hersel& the minority) She states F&or the most
CULTURAL IMMERSION +
art I stayed out o& trou7le' did my school %or2 and &ollo%ed the rules o& the houseG) She admits
that she did not li2e 7eing in lacement' 7ut today understands %hat e"ents lead to that outcome
and that she has learned a great deal)
No%' t%enty-si( %ith a &amily o& her o%n Mary is stri"ing to teach her daughter &amily
"alues and traditions) She 2no%s these core traits ha"e made her the %oman she is today) She
says she made &riends and understands the cultural di&&erences o& her eers and %ants to sho%
her daughter that no matter %hat the ersons ethnic 7ac2ground' they are eole Bust li2e she is
and to em7race the di&&erences)
Summary and Synthesis
!hat I ha"e ta2en &rom this roBect' Asian Americans ha"e struggled in the Americas Bust
li2e A&rican Americans) >rom the 7eginning %hen these t%o ethnic and culturally di"erse grous
entered the U)S) ro7lems arose) 4oth grous &ought &or eDuality' &reedom and Bustice) Neither
grou could o%n land and %or2 7ac2 7rea2ing Bo7s &or little ay) Oddly enough' 7oth grous
%or2ed the railroad system and treated un&airly)
Asian and A&rican Americans &ound they need to searate themsel"es and 7and together
i& they %anted to sur"i"e and ro"ide &or their &amilies) Today ethnic and racial di"ide a side'
these t%o grous ha"e more in common than %hat can 7e seen on the sur&ace)
Assessing the Field Work Agency
The &ield agency is El%yn' Inc) a grou home &or girls) The grou homes location is 11.
N) Chester A"enue' 3lenolden' <A) This location consists o& three grou homes &or girls) Each
home houses . to 1, young %omen) The location osed challenges and ad"antages) MaBor
challenges &or the location o& these homes are situated in a residential community) El%yn met
much rotest &rom the neigh7ors) Middle class %hite Americana had reser"ations a7out a di"erse
CULTURAL IMMERSION ;
yet stereotyed F7ad girlsG image mo"ing into their neigh7orhood) FTheseG 7ad 2ids %ould 7ring
drama and turmoil to this seemingly Duiet area)
There are many resources in the area) !ithin a t%o mile radius or less is the local middle
and high schools) The local suermar2et is <athmar2 and !almart are con"eniently located in
the same shoing center) The local HMCA and hosital are a ten minute dri"e &rom the homes)
One maBor lus &or the sta&& and residents the local &ire house is across the street) Tra"eling %est
&rom the homes is the local mall and other eateries that the girls lo"e) <u7lic transortation is
located right in &ront o& the house) The girls are a7le to %al2 to the Rite Aid' nail salon and
Chinese ta2e-out)
(Area Map)

CULTURAL IMMERSION *
(Visusal Map of the group homes)
CULTURAL IMMERSION .
(us !oute ""#)
Receptivity
!al2ing through the doors o& this &acility' I %ould say it is "ery in"iting and homey) The
&urniture is consistent %ith &urnishings &ound in a home) The tele"isions are not loc2ed do%n
and the 2itchen %elcoming stoc2ed %ith &ood and all the essentials needed to reare meals) The
o&&ice allo%s the sta&& to er&orm daily &unctions and the residentAs room to conduct ri"ate
meetings) <amhlets are a"aila7le to residents and "isitors)
Administration and Staf Training
The agency reDuires all sta&& to articiate in &ormal training) Training on di"ersity is held
yearly and must 7e attended) The trainings on di"ersity are gi"en 7y the organi8ations human
CULTURAL IMMERSION 6
resources deartment and outside agencies) El%yn has a di"erse oulation o& residents %hich
dri"es some o& the training to &ocus on culture' age and racial di"ides) The sta&& are also trained
to understand the seci&ics o& each oulation and the di&&erences 7et%een residents and sta&&)
<ro&essional sta&& has 7een hire 7ut limited in their roles' ho%e"er line sta&& are hired in
a7undance)
Fnding
>unding &or this rogram is seci&ic to the rogram) The grou home &or girls is searate
&rom the mental health side o& the agency) Sta&& salaries' resident e(enses and &acility e(enses
are allocated through this resource) Sta&& are ro"ided &unding to suort the residents such as:
educational outings' suort tris to &amily' other outings that suort the %ell-7eing o& the
indi"iduals)
Staf Sensitivity
!or2ing %ith the sta&& &or this agency' %hat has 7een identi&ied is ho% the sta&& treat the
young %omen li2e their o%n) The residential ad"isors understand that disciline' structure and
suort is needed) They &ace resistance &rom the residents 7ut they also hear the ositi"e
areciation &rom the girls) !or2ing %ith a di"erse oulation' the emloyees are sensiti"e to
their needs and go"ern themsel"es accordingly) All the clients are addressed 7y the name they
&eel most com&orta7le and sta&& are 2eenly a%are o& the 7oundaries)
Agency !rograms and Services
Efort
The e&&ort %as considered in the 7eginning) None o& the indi"iduals sit on any
committees that &ormulate decisions concerning their %el&are) The organi8ation and 7oard
mem7ers ma2e rulings that ha"e a ro&ound e&&ect on the residentAs %ay o& li"ing) !ithin the
CULTURAL IMMERSION 1,
homes' emloyees meet %ith the young %omen to discuss culturally sensiti"e ser"ices that meet
the needs o& a articular ethnic grou and teach others)
"ality
Students are encouraged during %raaround sessions to assess the ser"ices that are
ro"ided) Each lady has the a7ility to sea2 &reely' oenly and honestly) Sta&& ta2es notes' meet
%ith managers and discuss %hat i& any changes can 7e made to meet the needs o& the clients)
Culture is ta2en into account' 7ut e"ery ser"ice o&&ered is 7ro2en do%n to meet each cultural
concern) $o%e"er' i& a cultural need is identi&ied' the agency does %hat it can %ithin reason to
demand) Cultural di&&erences are ta2en into account %hen a ne% mem7er enters) Sta&& access i&
the indi"idual is the minority or %ill they 7e in %ith the maBority) @uring the initial assessment
ideas are discussed to ensure the ne% client &eels at home)
Efectiveness
A&ter re"ie%ing the area' the residents 7eing ser"ed do not re&lect the catchment area) The
clients are the minority in this catchment area and they are %ell a%are o& %hat they can and
cannot do) @uring a discussion %ith a &e% o& the girls' they 7elie"e the ser"ices ro"ided to them
are 7etter then %hat they ha"e recei"ed in their re"ious li"ing situations) !hen as2ed i& they &elt
there %ere some unmet needs and the resonse %as a resounding noI Most o& the indi"iduals
7elie"e all o& their 7asic needs are 7eing met and that is %hat they &eel is imortant)
E#ciency
El%yn %or2s %ith other agencies to suort the clients they ser"e) Suort ser"ices &rom
the local HMCA %hich allo%s out residents to use the &acility at and a&&orda7le rate) The
residents are a7le to %or2 %ithin the community and no ro"isions ha"e 7een made %ith local
CULTURAL IMMERSION 11
comanies) This is a teaching tool and it gi"es a sense o& accomlishment %hen a Bo7 has 7een
o7tained)
El%yn %or2s %ith the @eartment o& $ealth and $uman Ser"ices 0@$S1) Each client is
assigned a @$S %or2er %ho o"ersees and %or2s on the clients 7ehal&) The @eartment o& $ealth
and $uman Ser"ices %or2s %ith El%yn %hen the ha"e a client that needs lacement and they
meet the reDuirements set 7y the rogram) I& there is a"aila7ility' the otential resident and their
@$S %or2er tours the &acility and lacement 7egins)
$ASW Standards %or &ltral &ompetence
*tandard+s,: Statement #* - $uman ser"ice ro&essionals see2 aroriate consultation
and suer"ision to assist in decision-ma2ing %hen there are legal' ethical or other dilemmas)
Statement #6 J $uman ser"ice ro&essional romote cooeration among related discilines 0e)g)'
sychology' counseling' social %or2' nursing' &amily and consumer sciences' medicine
education1 to &oster ro&essional gro%th and interests %ithin the "arious &ields)
A!ency: El%yn 7elie"es a team must %or2 together to &oster the 7est li"ing en"ironment
&or the oulation 7eing ser"iced) Any issues in"ol"ing la% en&orcement calls must 7e made to
the immediate suer"isor' house manager and rogram manager) @ocumentation must 7e entered
denoting the change o& e"ents) Ethical and other dilemmas must 7e reorted to uer
management and the legal deartment) This ensures the agency adheres to local' state and
go"erning 7odies that all olicies and rocedures are 7eing &ollo%ed)
<ro"iding e(cellent ser"ice to the resident is most imortant to the agency) Each
indi"idual has a core team o& reresentati"es to assist %ith goals and meeting the needs o& the
client) Team meetings consist o& the discilines esta7lished in Statement #6 and the indi"idual)
El%yn encourages articiation 7y all arties and documents a7sences)
CULTURAL IMMERSION 1#
Pro!ram and *er-ices: Training and discussion grous are held to ro"ide the consumers
access concerning legal matters' ro7lems %ith la% en&orcement and ethical decisions) The
rogram o&&ers ser"ices to legal counseling' other outside agencies &or suort %ith ethical
dilemmas and connection %ith their @$S %or2er to ascertain other sources o& in&ormation)
The residents are ro"ided ser"ice 7y indi"iduals %ith in these grous 0e)g)' sychology'
counseling' social %or2' nursing' &amily and consumer sciences' medicine education1 to romote
healthy li"ing) Challenges ha"e engul&ed these young %omen and ser"ices are in lace to hel
7ring a7out a ositi"e result)
<ersonal Cultural Cometencies: It has al%ays 7een my e(erience to do %hat is in the
7est interest o& the client %hile maintaining 7oundaries and ethical standards) <romoting team
meetings and goal setting sessions' is a riority %hen the mental and hysical health o& a young
erson is at sta2e) Ensuring team mem7ers are onsite and ro"ide accurate in&ormation is
imortant) !hen legal or ethical issues arise' it is my resonsi7ility to &ollo% the rocess through
until the end) It is my Bo7 to sho% this young erson they are not aloneI
In conclusion' no matter %hat the age' cultural' ethnical' educational or mental
7ac2ground' as a human ser"ices ro&essional my resonsi7ility is to the client' resident and
consumer) Uholding the la%s' rules' regulations' olicies and rocedures are a gi"en' 7ut
&inding the 7est resources to romote change and gro%th is "itally imortant to the success in
adulthood)
CULTURAL IMMERSION 15
!eferences
.ecomin! American: The Chinese (/perience) @ir) Loni @ing) 4ill Moyers' 166.
Carlisle' R) <) 0#,111) The Asian Americans) Ne% Hor2' NH: >acts on >ile)
Le' C)N) #,1/) KThe >irst Asian AmericansK Asian-Nation: The Landscae o& Asian America)
htt:LL%%%)asian-nation)orgL&irst)shtml 0August 1,' #,1/1)
htt:LLhistory-%orld)orgLasianMamericans)htm Retrie"ed August .' #,1/