Spanish AA a refuge for Hispanic alcoholics

A three-month jail sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol was the last straw for Jonathan.

“You feel bad being in (jail). I was afraid, scared, but I thought: ‘I have my wife, she loves me and I love her,’ (and) my problem is drinking,” said the 29-year-old Mexico native.

But the promise of change wasn’t enough to save his marriage of two years and his home, said Jonathan. He asked to be identified only by his first name, an AA tradition.

He joined the first Hispanic Alcoholic Anonymous group in Chattanooga three years ago and recently started a second group called Volviendo a Vivir, or Born Again.

Alcoholism affects all races, ages and sexes, and it’s important to offer AA members an atmosphere where they can speak comfortably and interact with their peers, local members and experts say.

“When Hispanics started moving (to Chattanooga), I saw the need for an AA group because any time you have a group of people, you are going to have alcoholism,” said George, a founder of the first Spanish-speaking group in Chattanooga, Sobriedad en Chattanooga. The group celebrated its fifth anniversary Feb. 14.

The character or content of an AA meeting is determined by who attends, said Dr. Nancy Smyth, dean and professor at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work.

“Meetings that are devoted to special groups of people — ethnic groups, groups of certain types of professionals, like doctors — make it much more likely that some of the unique needs of a group are addressed in the meeting,” she said.

“For members of ethnic groups, this can include cultural aspects that affect their drinking — celebrations, cultural norms, family structures, encounters with racism, language issues and religious aspects,” she said.

AMONG SPANISH SPEAKERS

Luis, 44, helped found Aprendiendo a Vivir, or Learning to Live, the first Spanish-speaking group in Dalton, Ga., 17 years ago. Now there are about six Spanish groups in the Dalton-Chattanooga area and close to 30 in Georgia, he said.

Certain factors particular to immigrants can contribute to the disease, he said.

“Among other things is loneliness, leaving your family behind, having more freedom,” he said. “Many years ago, you would hardly see entire families migrating, it was more common to see single men,” he said.

Hispanic culture is another contributing factor, he said.

“When I first joined the group (in Mexico), I realized that part of our family tradition is to celebrate everything with alcohol,” he said. “It was hard for me to accept that.”

Jonathan, who said he began drinking as a teenager, said not having his parents with him in the United States and feeling he could live his life as he pleased contributed to his alcoholism.

Many immigrants who turn to alcohol can’t handle the stress of being in a different place, said America Gruner, founder of the Coalition of Latino Leaders in Dalton.

“I’ve also noticed that there aren’t many recreational activities, so a lot of times they find drinking as the only way to socialize,” she said.

Part of why AA works, Dr. Smyth said, “is that it offers people a sober support network outside of meetings to replace the social network you need to give up.”

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