No "how-to" manual exists on cultural competency. And, compared to other topics in nonprofit management, little exists on the skills and strategies needed to address racism and inequity. Building cultural competency is an ongoing journey that nonprofit leaders choose to take because they know the end result will be a more inclusive, connected, and effective organization. Patricia St. Onge and her contributing authors help readers grapple with the urgent issues that can transform capacity builders into change agents in the nonprofit sector.
Embracing Cultural Competency starts the dialogue on how organizations can start building capacity. Nonprofit capacity builders will
discover a framework to help discuss issues related to cultural competency
learn about methods, practices, and values that define cultural competency
understand the complexities within ethnic communities
gain insights into the nature of institutionalized racism
Through a range of methods-literature review, personal interviews, peer dialogue, insights of contributing authors-readers get a mosaic of perspectives that surround cultural competency. Plus, the book presents the insights of authors who represent five major ethnic communities in the United States: Asian/PacificIslander, American Indian, African American, Latino, and White.
About the Authors v
Acknowledgments xv
Foreword Tangie Newborn xxi
Preface Patricia St. Onge xxiii
Introduction: Conversation as a Tool for Transformation Patricia St. Onge 1
Why This Conversation is So Challenging 1
Use the Power of Language to Unleash Capacity 3
Clarify the Conversation with Definitions 5
What You Can Gain from This Book 8
Write Your Own Definition 8
The Process behind This Book 10
How This Book is Organized 11
About the Organizations Involved in This Book 11
Some Questions and Answers about Cultural Competency 12
Part 1 Practitioner Perspectives from Five Major Ethnic Communities 13
Chapter 1 My Journey Is a Slow, Steady Awakening Beth Applegate 17
Coming to Terms with "Double Consciousness" 18
Managing a Lingering Fear 19
White Privilege in the United States-A Historical Framework 22
Taking Responsibility for Privilege and Moving Beyond It 23
Think Beyond "Diversity" 24
Look for Signs of Critical Cultural Competency in Organizations 25
Translate Theory into Powerful Practices 26
Case Study: Three Dimensions of Critical Cultural Competency 26
Acknowledgments 30
Chapter 2 Each Generation is Different Vicki Asakura 31
Asian and Pacific Islanders in America: A Demographic Overview 33
The Historical Context-Waves of Immigration and Prejudice 34
Community-Based Organizations Emerged 36
Implications for Capacity Building 37
Ike's Principles 44
Chapter 3 Meaning Making Is the Challenge of Cultural Competency Monika K. Moss 45
My Personal Journey 45
The Impact of White Supremacy 47
The Continuing Legacy of Slavery 48
Learning from Clients 51
Beyond the "Right Way"-Making Meaning 53
Building Cultural Competency 53
Beyond Individual Relationships-The Systemic Level 54
Expanding the Vision 56
Chapter 4 I Can Hear the Heartbeat of the Drum under the Surface of the Words We Speak Patricia St. Onge 57
The Historical Landscape of Native America 58
More about the Historical Framework 60
My Process 62
Implications for Capacity Building 63
Why I Am Telling You about Giveaway 64
Chapter 5 Changing the Conditions that Made Me Feel Unwelcome Alfredo Vergara-Lobo 67
The Reality of Colorism, Racism, and Classism 69
Key Differences to Remember 70
Additional Factors in the Consulting Engagement 73
The Primacy of Process: Creating San Francisco's Youth Commission 77
Part 2 Key Aspects of Cultural Competency Patricia St. Onge 79
Chapter 6 Cultural Competency as Discovering Context 81
See Differences as Always Present 83
Discovering Differences 84
Locate Your Own Cultures 85
Understanding My Own Cultures 85
Develop Intimacy with the "Other" 86
See the Dominant Culture as One of Many 87
Discover the Influence of Geography 88
Look for Conflicting Cultural Norms 89
Look for Intersecting Identities 91
See Race as the Major Fault Line in the U.S. Context 92
Look for Historical Roots of Institutions 94
Chapter 7 Cultural Competency as a Community Process 97
Start with Nonharming 98
Look for Signs of a Sustainable Process 98
Base Cultural Competency on Intention and Values 99
Notice Who Is in the Room-and Who Is Not 100
Core Values for Capacity Building 100
Self-Assessment in Three Parts 101
See Everyone as a Learner 102
The Power of Sitting 103
Honor Transparency and Trust 103
Be Willing to Wear Many Hats 104
Paying Attention to Culture: In My Coaching Context 106
Name the Elephants in the Room 107
Create a Shared Vocabulary 108
Fully Engage People in Processes That Affect Them 109
Practice Authentic Collaboration 110
Consider Creating an Identity Match 111
Investing Time in Identity Matching: Three Lessons 113
See the Pitfalls of Being an "Insider" 114
Make a Long-Term Commitment to Build Relationships 115
Bring Capacity Building to Executive Transitions 117
Leave Knowledge on the Ground, Supporting Sustainability 118
Chapter 8 Cultural Competency as Changing Institutions 121
Wake Up to Privilege 122
The Privilege Continuum 124
Recognize and Extend Privilege 125
Understand the Types of Power 126
Challenge Conventional Beliefs about Power 128
Exercise Power Deliberately 128
Notice and Name the Various Forms of Oppression 130
Dealing with Power Differentials 130
Examine Systems and Structures 131
How Language Intersects with Power 131
Looking for Structural Racism 134
Match Individual Change with Institutional Change 135
Building Capacity for Advocacy: Eight Key Principles 136
Chapter 9 Continuing the Conversation about Cultural Competency 139
Keep Asking Questions 139
Review Some Answers 141
Speak Your Vision of Justice 142
Part 3 Resources 145
Resource A Key Terms for Cultural Competency Brigette Rouson 147
Capacity Building 147
Cultural Competency 147
Culture 150
Diversity 150
Inclusiveness 151
Internalized Oppression 151
Racial Equity 152
Structural Racism 152
White Privilege 153
Resource B Summary of Research Findings Brigette Rouson 155
How Does Cultural Competency Differ from Mainstream Practice, and Why Is It Important? 155
How Can Cultural Competency Be Applied in Practice? 157
What Are Long-Term Implications for the Capacity-Building Field? 160
Resource C Literature Review Brigette Rouson 161
Context for This Literature Review 161
Key Points 162
Effectiveness as a Matter of Cultural Competency 164
Community Building-Race, Cultural, History, and Power 166
Finding the Ways Forward 170
Cultural Grounding for Effective Nonprofit Support 172
Nonprofit Leadership and Diversity 173
Informing Practice, Making Change 177
Cultural Competency in Money Matters 178
Capacity-Building Strategies 182
Lessons from Other Arenas 184
Conclusion 186
Resource D Voices from the Field: Stories from Peer Dialogues Brigette Rouson 187
Matters of Time, Commitment, and Resources 187
Strategies for Matching Cultural Identity 188
Grounding the Capacity-Building Relationship 189
Honoring Culture, Transforming Dynamics 190
Place, Politics, and Past in Cultural Identity 191
Insider-Outsider Dynamics 193
Religion, Family, and Other Distinctions 195
Cultural Competency in Grantmaker Practice 196
Resource E Strategies for Dealing with Internalized Oppression and Structural Racism Patricia St. Onge Wilson Riles 199
Resource F Self-Assessment in Three Parts Patricia St. Onge 207
Resource G: Bibliography 211
Notes 223
Index 237
Overview
No "how-to" manual exists on cultural competency. And, compared to other topics in nonprofit management, little exists on the skills and strategies needed to address racism and inequity. Building cultural competency is an ongoing journey that nonprofit leaders choose to take because they know the end result will be a more inclusive, connected, and effective organization. Patricia St. Onge and her contributing authors help readers grapple with the urgent issues that can transform capacity builders into change ...