Table of Contents

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