The Impact of Racial Discrimination on Latino Women’s Mental Health
Diana Moscoso, M.A., LCMHCA, NCC
The Latino/a population encounters one of the most direct and cruel stereotypes in the United States. For Latinos in particular, it is very difficult to establish a credible reputation in American society despite all the efforts, the education, and the hard work put into these tasks. American-born individuals have the erroneous belief that Latinos, in particular, drain the country of its economic resources and do not contribute to a balanced economy. Some of them have even developed a racist ideology, prejudice, and nativist sentiments against this population.
These specific concepts affect how Latinos interact with their environment. The perceived racial discrimination obligates the members of this culture to protect themselves and their families by forming close societies founded on fear, resentment, and paranoia. These concepts are taught to younger generations impacting their mental health directly and hindering their ability to trust, feel safe, and interact comfortably with all types of individuals as members of other cultures do. Most members of the Latino culture are experiencing such psychological distress and they are rapidly developing anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation ("American Psychiatric Association", 2021).
Living in constant fear, not knowing where to go, not receiving the necessary help, and feeling unwanted weights particularly heavy on Latino women. As members of a patriarchal culture, the Latino families are inclined to be large, women tend to stay home with their families, put in hold their careers, and manage their family’s full time, leaving the male as a sole provider. Also, the Latino community is encompassed by a multi-family system that allows families to live with other close family members sometimes in the same neighborhood or dwelling.
This element of cohabitation is a positive trait in terms of support and assistance, but it represents a problem when the males and providers of the family are in constant threat of deportation or in fact, they were obligated to get separated from their families.
As previously mentioned, the worry of these constant threats falls directly on Latino women. As a minority population, major events, chronic strains, daily hassles, and the stress of constantly worrying for the safety and the balance of her family worsen her physical and mental health. In addition, she is subject to various ways of racial discrimination including name-calling, being treated in a different way, not able to advance in her career, frustration, hopelessness- helplessness, and constant paranoia exacerbates tension, which in return, is expressed in anger, disbelief, disappointment, resentment, and other detrimental psychological states.
Finally, without the adequate resources, Latino women are obligated to confide on one another and not seek professional help perpetuating a problem that has been present for many generations and continues to be ignored in an impartial and prejudiced society.
