Book review of Melvin Delgado. Social Work with Latinos: A Cultural Assets Paradigm. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. $35.00 hardcover

Robles, Barbara J.

English

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The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 35 Issue 2 June Article 16 2008 Review of Social Work with Latinos: A Cultural Assets Paradigm. Melvin Delgado. Reviewed by Barbara J. Robles. Barbara J. Robles Arizona State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw  Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Robles, Barbara J. (2008) "Review of Social Work with Latinos: A Cultural Assets Paradigm. Melvin Delgado. Reviewed by Barbara J. Robles.," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 35 : Iss. 2 , Article 16. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol35/iss2/16 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Social Work at ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact maira.bundza@wmich.edu. 166 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfarerole of public employment in economic development; third,the consolidation of federalism and finally the problem of porkbarrel politics. These chapters make for interesting readingand the author presents a fair and thoughtful analysis of thedifferent points of view that continue to be expressed aroundthese issues today. Leighninger's overall assessment of theimpact of the New Deal is largely positive and he concludesthat its various programs effectively addressed the most press-ing challenges of the Depression era. They also made a signifi-cant contribution to the country's economic and social well-being and left a legacy which demonstrates how the resourcesof government can be used to promote the public good. Thebook makes a major contribution to current debates about therole of the state in social investment and deserves to be widelyread. Hopefully, it will also rekindle interest in the New Deal'sforgotten legacy.James MidgleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyMelvin Delgado. Social Work with Latinos: A Cultural AssetsParadigm. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. $35.00hardcover.Professor Delgado has provided an essential scholarlyachievement that will continue to provide direction and guid-ance to scholars, advocates, practitioners and policy makersengaged in serving and understanding the Latino communi-ty in the United States. The book is a timely and thoughtfulvolume that provides a different assessment and a calmingvoice to an increasingly heated and difficult national debate onimmigration reform. Given the particular focus of the debateon the rapidly growing and visible Latino population in theU.S., our media has created a singular perspective on immi-gration that is almost overwhelmingly seen as a Latino issue.Thus, Delgado contributes not only to understanding socialpolicy and social work practice with Latinos but to under-standing family cultural assets and community formation andBook Reviewspractices during a time when family well-being and commu-nity-friendly government policies are being eroded.Social Work with Latinos: A Cultural Assets Paradigm is oneof those rare multi-discipline books that is both path-break-ing and inter- and intra-disciplinary in two major formats:theory and practice. For those working in social sciences suchas sociology, psychology, political science, welfare and povertypolicy and professional health and public policy, this is a newparadigm and theoretical shift in how the Latino community isinvestigated and takes us to task with pre-suppositions abouta multi-dimensional community under an umbrella label ofLatino or Hispanic. The book reminds us that within the Latinocommunity a variety of cultural assets and practices are ondisplay for the discerning scholar who recognizes culturalvariety and nuance. For those scholars intent on lumping theentire Latino community into one voice, the book serves as areminder that history and immigrant experiences are mark-edly different resulting in different family and communitypractices. For those in the field of social work, the book hasan intra-disciplinary message: theory and practice need to berecast in direct practice areas such as, health and case manage-ment as well as in the 'macro' practice community-administra-tive-policy field.Each chapter provides a context for this innovative ap-proach to research and practice with Latino communities inthe United States. Chapter One introduces the audience tothe goals of the subject, who are Latinos in the United States,what is culture and defines the concept of 'cultural assets' asthe foundational anchor for the book. Perhaps one of the mostcompelling issues addressed throughout the book is the decon-struction of the belief that marginalized and left-behind com-munities are void of strengths and assets. Delgado reminds usthat all communities contribute to the general welfare of thecountry and seeks to map these under-researched and over-looked factors in Latino communities.Chapter Two presents a current snapshot of the demo-graphic and socio-economic trends present in the Latino com-munity in the United States. The most illuminating portion ofthis chapter is the recognition that Latinos in the United Statesremain in contact with extended family abroad over time and168 Journal of Sociology & Social Welfareform part of a 'giving' community that has not been recognizedby academic researchers. The remittance phenomena (sendingdollars to family members abroad out of wages earned in theUnited States) are a form of 'patient capital' investments andoperate as a safety net for extended families residing in thecountry of origin. This form of connection between communi-ties reminds us that in a global marketplace and in the twenty-first century, distance does not pose the barrier to maintenanceof family cohesion and communication that it once did. Thisparticular portrait of Latino families is essential for socialworkers, academic researchers and policymakers to grasp pre-cisely because it debunks many media images and stereotypesperpetuated by television and print reporters.Chapter Three offers an overview of pressing health con-cerns among the Latino population in the United States. Thehealth community has suspected (especially among scholarsof color who have raised this issue before) that racism andoppression which are encountered daily create and manifestsymptoms that lead to health and mental health concerns.Delgado addresses this, along with other major health issuesthat appear to remain persistent among the Latino population:cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, obesity, asthma, cardiovascu-lar disease, hepatitis and tuberculosis (the usual suspects inchronic illnesses), as well as substance abuse. What is not ad-dressed in this chapter but appears indirectly in Chapter Sixis the belief in and use of alternative healing practices. Beliefin and use of alternative healing practices are neither surpris-ing nor unexpected in isolated and underserved communities.Often, healing practices and mental health remedies are tied tocultural folk healing (curanderismo, Santeria and spiritualismo).Chapters Four and Five are central to the provision ofsocial services, working with Latino families and communi-ties and serve as an important guide for scholars and research-ers unfamiliar with Latino families and communities. TheLatino (or Hispanic) population in the United States has oftenbeen categorized, labeled and defined in a static, unchangingmanner. Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 provide evidence and in-struction on how to work with 'culturally dynamic' commu-nities where acculturation and navigating mainstream institu-tions are not a linear, one-stop process. Researchers intent onBook Reviews 169understanding communities with large immigrant populationshave continued to employ outmoded and outdated assimila-tion and acculturation models and their corresponding indica-tors that simply do not reflect the lived reality of communitiesin the 21st century. Delgado reminds us of the dynamism of theadaptation and adoption process and gives us a firmer under-standing of working with Latino communities in Chapter 8as he focuses on field work experiences, applications and ap-proaches. Ultimately, what Delgado has shared with us in hisbook is the 'new prototype' of what meaningful research onunder-served and under-researched Latino communities inthe United States can be and I, for one, am grateful.Barbara J. RoblesArizona State University

Review of \u3cem\u3eSocial Work with Latinos: A Cultural Assets Paradigm.\u3c/em\u3e Melvin Delgado. Reviewed by Barbara J. Robles.

https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3343&amp;context=jssw

Review of \u3cem\u3eSocial Work with Latinos: A Cultural Assets Paradigm.\u3c/em\u3e Melvin Delgado. Reviewed by Barbara J. Robles.

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