DALTON, Ga. — With Hispanics now the nation’s largest minority group, social workers are striving to understand the cultural mores and needs of the population.
Their task is made more difficult, though, by the scrutiny placed on Hispanics due to the debate over illegal immigration.
To help social workers, Dr. Maria Zuniga visited Dalton State College this week to share from her work regarding “cultural competence.”
During the two-day institute which ends today, social workers from the region are learning how to better serve Hispanic residents. Those residents have become a major part of the population of Dalton and Whitfield County, even representing a majority of students in the Dalton City Schools.
Dr. Zuniga said that the political climate in the United States has made some Hispanic immigrants, particularly those in the country without legal documentation, fearful of social workers.
“The fear the people who are not documented have is that their kids will be taken away,” she said.
The code of ethics for social workers requires that they help people in need regardless of legal status, Dr. Zuniga said. Social workers should stress to Hispanics that it is not the social worker’s job to collaborate with “la migra,” or immigration agents, Dr. Zuniga said.
Dalton business owner Francisco Palacios said he sees a need for social workers who are sensitive to Hispanic immigrants, who have as a looming fear the specter of immigration raids.
“They just feel threatened,” Mr. Palacios said.
He said he felt “proud” that Dalton State College is bringing “awareness to Anglo people.”
Dalton State has a “bilingual” social work program. Students must learn to speak Spanish and become familiar with both Hispanic and Appalachian culture, the cultures of the people they’ll most frequently work with in Northwest Georgia.
“Our particular emphasis ... is how culture relates to social work,” said David Boyle, dean of the Social Work School at Dalton State.
In addition to learning Spanish, social work students must live with a Hispanic family for 10 days as part of their program studies.
Social work scholar Freddie Avant said Dalton State’s program is unusual.
“There’s not many programs that exist in the nation that focus on specifically bilingual education,” said Dr. Avant, president of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors.
With the climate of resentment and fear surrounding immigration, a bilingual program could be considered controversial.
Dr. Zuniga congratulated Dr. Boyle — who founded the bilingual social work program here six years ago — “for his foresight and nerve.”
One person who does not applaud the social work program is anti-illegal immigration activist D.A. King. “It’s a clear example of Americans being required to assimilate to immigrants,” said Mr. King, a Cobb County, Ga., resident.
Social work student Delora Ray also believes immigrants should adapt to U.S. culture. But, she said, immigrants need social workers who can “get into their language, get into their culture, to help them adjust.”
