Overcoming Cultural Barriers

By Joan Driessen



Howard County's reputation for strong schools, businesses and human services make it a magnet for people from many cultures. The foreign-born population in Howard County has grown steadily, from 6.1% in 1990 to an estimated 13.6% in 2005 based on U.S. Census estimates. The richness of this diversity challenges service providers to understand the cultures and needs of the foreign-born communities in the county.



Personal Successes

Sui Ngun Hei, a pre-med student at Howard Community College, arrived from Burma in 2005 as a 14-year-old with only a fifth-grade education. Since, she has become an articulate and motivated advocate and community liaison for the Burmese living in the southeast corner of Howard County.

Ngun Hei and the more than 400 Burmese refugees in the county have faced special challenges while trying to start a new life here that include learning English, navigating the school and health systems, and meeting their basic survival needs. She has been instrumental in helping the Burmese community during this transition, often serving as a translator and interpreter.

Irene Bademosi moved to the county from Nigeria in 1987 as a well-educated teacher and counselor. The death of her husband from cancer shortly after she arrived here led to her ultimately moving her two children to a homeless shelter, taking odd jobs, and re-educating herself so that she could resume her counseling profession in this country.

Her struggle to find her way in this country has made her a tenacious advocate both for other immigrants and for her students at Mt. Hebron High School, where she has been a guidance counselor for the past 12 years.

Ngun Hei and Bademosi exemplify the struggles of immigrants learning how to navigate in a new country and the success that is possible when they can. Providers benefit from hearing "from the horse's mouth" about the barriers, perceived or real, that their potential clients face and that keep them from using their services.



Building Capacity

Howard County's recently released "Building Capacity to Serve" report and personal stories revealed during a series of workshops (final session: Feb. 11) held by the Association for Community Services (ACS) offer individual insights into these challenges, particularly as they relate to the Korean, African-nation, Chinese and Spanish-speaking populations, and one of the area's newest immigrant groups: those from Burma.

The report, which reflects findings from focus groups held with immigrant groups, notes that the most important barriers these individuals faced every day included: difficulty navigating the system, language, immigration status and transportation. Understanding the cultural issues is a key part of helping immigrants overcome these barriers.

Staff members who understand that some cultures perceive asking questions or maintaining eye contact as disrespectful, or that others value spending the "time needed" over being "on time," are better able to reach and serve the foreign-born. Providing interpreters and translated materials and minimizing the use of jargon and slang that can be incomprehensible to those just learning the language are crucial to serving those with limited English.

For some of the Spanish speakers interviewed for the "Capacity" report, a lack of forms in Spanish and interpreters became a particularly acute problem. Korean speakers noted that web sites intended to be helpful were so badly translated that "it would be better if they didn't do any translation at all."

Challenges abound for the immigrant, and legal status is one of the greatest. At its most basic level, immigration status can affect a person's eligibility for services. Providers need to be aware that their clients often are uncomfortable asking for help, which can be a major barrier to getting the assistance those with or without legal status need.

Many have difficulty overcoming the stigma that can be associated with poverty, joblessness, and poor mental or physical health. Service providers may need to broaden their outreach efforts to address these needs in the foreign-born community.



Services Are There

There are many organizations effectively serving the foreign-born communities in our county, including Conexiones, FIRN, Howard County Public School System, the Asian American Health Care Center, the Korean Care Line, Pinnacle Career Resources, Howard County Library and the International Rescue Committee. These organizations are constantly working to modify their policies and practices to accommodate the values, beliefs and behaviors of those from other cultures and provide opportunities for them to learn more about how to navigate the culture here.

Yet, when those involved in focus groups were asked about what makes "quality service," their answers reflected more than just the presence of language-appropriate forms and trained staff, though it was very important that staff people speak their language, or at least understand their culture.

Respondents stated that "high quality services" means being treated well, that is, being treated as a person and "not as a statistic." Perhaps the most important element of successful interaction between providers and their clients is one that reflects a universal desire: respect.



Joan Driessen is education & training coordinator for the Association of Community Services. She can be reached at Joan.Driessen@acshoco.org.