LILIAN FLORES Ph.D., LSLS Cert AVT ® INVESTING IN FAMILY SUPPORT CONFERENCE Scottsdale, Arizona October , 2009 Crossing the Intercultural Bridge for Families: Experiences in working with Non-English Speaking Families

PRESENTATION 1.Background 2.Demographic Data 3.Estimates of Deaf Population in USA 4.Main Problems 5.Ideas for today and for the future

PRESENTATION 1.Background 2.Demographic Data 3.Estimates of Deaf Population in USA 4.Main Problems 5.Ideas for today and for the future

MEXICO AND USA NEIGHBORHOOD 1776: USA Independence 1819: Treat with Spain Louisiana Neighborhood with New Spain 1821: Mexico Independence Real start of neighborhood with Mexico 1847: New borders until now BACKGROUND

USA-NUEVA ESPAÑA-MEXICO BORDERS ( )

USA-MEXICO BORDER (1847until now)

DIFFERENCES USA / MEXICO -POLITICAL 2 vs 6 parties; electoral vs personal votes; different campaign finance - ECONOMIC Per capita annual income: 11,800 vs 48,000. Inflation: 0.1 vs 5.8% -SOCIO-CULTURAL Different story, culture, beliefs, expectations, codes of personal and social conduct -ETHNIC Whites, African, Asia, Latino and Hispanic, Native American... immigrants Mestizo, Nahua, Maya, Zapotecs, Mixtecs, Totonacs and 56 more groups -LINGUISTIC English..... Spanish....

HISPANIC EMIGRATION TO USA WHY DO THEY EMIGRATE? Dreadful economic situationSearch for better income Immigrants dont want to compete for jobs They get jobs unacceptable by the majority of workers Immigrants dont destabilize the economy > Productivity > Pay taxes

HISPANIC EMIGRATION TO USA HOW DO THEY ARRIVE? Payment of high chargesLosing of money Dealt of dangersDesert, lack of water, persecution, rape Leave habits, food, friends, family Changes, isolation, uproot Face up to unknown celebrations Thanksgiving... July 4th... Main Problem: LANGUAGETo understand, speak, read or write

PRESENTATION 1.Background 2.Demographic Data 3.Estimates of Deaf Population in USA 4.Main problems 5.Ideas for today and for the future

DEMOGRAPHIC DATA Population projections of USA Population (millions) SOURCE: 2008 US Census Bureau data California (2008): 36.8 Texas (2008): States: 1/5 TX + CA (2050): around 90 millions

U.S. POPULATION Share of total, by racial and ethnic groups (millions)

U.S. HISPANIC POPULATION: Source of Data and Year Hispanic Population (in millions) Percent Hispanic of the total population Census Projections SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 Decennial Censuses; Population Projections, July 1, 2010 to July 1, Internet Release Date: February 08, 2008

PERCENT HISPANIC OF THE TOTAL POPULATION ( ) SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 Decennial Censuses; Population Projections, July 1, 2010 to July 1, Internet Release Date: February 08, 2008 %

BIRTHS AND NATALITY IN U.S. Source: Census Bureau downloadable data files. Births: Preliminary Data for 2006 Census Bureau downloadable data filesBirths: Preliminary Data for 2006 National Vital Statistice Reports (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 56 (7): 6, 5, Dec. 2007, retrieved ttp:// Number of Births (2006): 4,265,555 2,309,833 (54.15%) non-Hispanic Whites 617,220 (14.47%) non-Hispanic Blacks 47,494 (1.11%) American Indians 239,829 (5.62%) Asians 1,039,051 (24.36%) Hispanics Birth rate: 14.2 per 1,000 population (2007) 11.6 for non-Hispanic Whites 14.8 for American Indians 16.5 for non-Hispanic Blacks and Asians 23.4 for Hispanics

BIRTHS AND NATALITY IN U.S. Sources: - Births: Final Data for Final Data for Pew Research Center: 2005: 296 million 2050: 438 million 82% of 142 million (117 million): due to immigrants and descendants 2005: 1/8 2050: 1/ Americans are immigrants

PROBLEMS LINKED WITH NEWBORNS Source: Green J, CNN, May 10, million babies die within 24 hours each year worldwide. USA has the 2nd worst newborn mortality rate in the developed world: Newborn mortality is 2.5 times higher in US than in Finland and Norway. 5 deaths / 1,000 live births in US, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia - Higher newborn death rates among US minorities and disadvantaged groups. i.e.: African-Americans : 9.3 deaths / 1,000 births -US: more neonatologists and NIC beds / person than Australia, Canada and UK - Hispanics will make up 29% of the U.S. population in 2050 (14% in 2005) - The non-Hispanic white population will increase more slowly than other racial and ethnic groups; whites will become a minority (47%) by 2050.

US CENSUS POPULATION PROJECTIONS ( ) Source: American FactFinder Help: Hispanic or Latino origin. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved American FactFinder Help: Hispanic or Latino origin % minority

PRESENTATION 1.Background 2.Demographic Data 3.Estimates of Deaf Population in USA 4.Main problems 5.Ideas for today and for the future

ESTIMATES OF DEAF POPULATION IN USA Source of Data and Year HISPANIC Deaf Population 2/1,000 (in thousands) TOTAL Deaf Population 2/1,000 (in thousands) Census ,200408, ,200456, ,800497, ,600565,000 Projections ,600616, ,400670, ,000726, ,400786, ,200841,000 SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 Decennial Censuses; Population Projections, July 1, 2010 to July 1, Internet Release Date: February 08, 2008

ESTIMATES OF HISPANIC DEAF POPULATION IN USA (Thousands) SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 Decennial Censuses; Population Projections, July 1, 2010 to July 1, Internet Release Date: February 08, ,400 in 50 yrs 109,600 in 40 yrs 1,520 / year 2,770 / year Increment: > 80% / year in the next 40 yrs

PRESENTATION 1.Background 2.Demographic Data 3.Estimates of Deaf Population in USA 4.Main Problems 5.Ideas for today and for the future

MAIN PROBLEMS PILOT SURVEY - Directed to Spanish-Speaking families with deaf children - 46 Families investigated - 7 Open-Answer questions - Comments - CA, TX, FL & NY

OUTCOMES 1.- Did you feel that your lack of command in English, turn on a very limited situation to face the deafness of your child?

OUTCOMES 2.- If you answered yes, please give us some examples of what you went through. ANSWER n% We were not able to understand what the audiologist and the rest of the professionals were explaining to us We couldnt make them specific questions, and to explain them exactly our fears, worries, and thoughts We had an interpreter that spoke a kind of funny Spanish We though that we were not going to be able to face that challenge

OUTCOMES 3.- Did you count with an interpreter when you received your childs diagnosis?

OUTCOMES 4.- Once you started your (re)habilitation program, did you received the adequate restraint, support, and orientation?

OUTCOMES 5.- If you counted with the interpreters services, did you feel comfortable with him / her?

OUTCOMES 6.- Would you like to receive the rehabilitation services in your mother language?

OUTCOMES 7.- If you answered yes, please tell us why. ANSWER n% They would like to understand precisely what is the professional doing, and speaking to the child They would like to make affordable two languages for their kid They would like to be able to express all their doubts, and feelings to the professional, and be sure he/she is going to understand them

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS COMMENTSn% They would like to be able to teach their child to listen, and speak in their mother language They would like to be able to use the hearts language12.1 They regret their difficulties to find information, books, and magazines in Spanish. This will help them to understand, to learn, and to get more knowledge about the big challenge of their kids deafness They would like to belong and participate actively in associations who cares about deafness and hard of hearing. Unfortunately, most of the information, web pages, flyers and magazines are in English The selection for their kids candidacy for the cochlear implant was much more difficult They were immediately sent to a TC rehabilitation program and no to AVT, because of their condition as Hispanics

PRESENTATION 1.Background 2.Demographic Data 3.Estimates of Deaf Population in USA 4.Main Problems 5.Ideas for today and for the future

IDEAS & IMMEDIATE PROPOSALS Have the willing to work with these families, a real team Understand and find your own differences Understand that to raise a deaf child is a challenge To raise a child outside their country, being alone, and not understanding the language...worst grief situation Understand GLOBALY how this situation affects the families In general, low income

IDEAS & IMMEDIATE PROPOSALS Work near, in a supportive and loving way to encourage them to talk to their children Handle some of the racial discrimination feelings Information and study about cultural traditions & values Help them to transfer language and speech perception tasks in their daily life, and in their life´s way

IDEAS & IMMEDIATE PROPOSALS Try to understand what they feel, and how they face deafness Involve, and engage all the the family´s members (videotape) Let them observe some sessions in English Train also professionals in Spanish (Spanish Rehab gropus) Put them in contac with other hispanic families Hear, and give them the time to explain you their feelings

PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE Encourage asociations to translate materials, books, magazines, WEB pages, AVT test, etc. ( ie. AG Bell) Include some specific subjects for the degree program curricula at the University Change the legislation to make them more available the health, and rehabilitation services Media campaigns to aware the society & politicians

PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE Encourage asociations to translate materials, books, magazines, WEB pages, etc. ( ie. AG Bell, Hands & Voices, etc) Courses to train good interpreters in this field Include some specific subjects for the degree program curricula at the University Change the legislation to make them more available the health, and rehabilitation services, also aloud some Spanish programs Make agreements with Latin American universities to promote interchanges of American and Hispanic students

Turn off the Spanish TV if you want to learn good English Sorry...BUT Univision ranks as the number one TV station in California...an in the US