A home in two worlds
Positive psychology sheds light on the success of multiculturalism
“Oh, you’re the other biracial person.”
Suddenly the 25-year-old graduate student had a classification.
Before she identified as Dr. Edwards and before she identified as an expert in multiculturalism and positive psychology, Lisa Edwards identified simply as “other.”
At least that’s the racial option she checked on census forms.
It wasn’t until a fellow student at the University of Kansas called her biracial, did she realize the word even existed.
“I’d never heard that term before,” Edwards said. “I always just called myself two things.”
The fellow student had approached her and, in talking, provided Edwards with a single word that summed up years of having to write “Colombian mother, white father.”
“I always felt l was a blend, but there were never words for it growing up.”
Today Dr. Lisa Edwards, associate professor in the College of Education, studies Latina/os and multiracial people. Her passion for understanding multiculturalism, coupled with positive psychology has led her to seek ways in which mental health practitioners can help multiracial individuals thrive.
“I’m interested in looking at strengths and the things that help individuals and communities experience well-being,” Edwards said.
Studying the characteristics and virtues that allow a person or community to prosper is the premise of positive psychology.
It is believed that by understanding the strengths of an individual or group, they can then be applied to those who might be struggling.
She recently worked as co-editor of Perspectives on the Intersection of Multiculturalism and Positive Psychology, a compilation of cutting-edge chapters on the intersection of positive psychology and diversity in the United States.
While positive psychology has been a subject of much interest, Edwards notes that the field lacks work that accounts for cultural differences.
Traits such as a sense of humor, gratitude, mindfulness and independence have been shown to have positive effects on physical and mental health. However, culturally these are not necessarily universal indicators of well being.
For example, in U.S. mainstream culture, independence from one’s parents after high school or college is valued as a sign of success. However, in a Latino culture it might be very appropriate to live with one’s family until marriage.
In this context, independence may not be an indicator of positive health, a factor that, when compared to mainstream culture, can give ethnic groups the appearance of being unsuccessful.
“It’s not bad and it doesn’t mean you’re not strong enough on your own,” Edwards said. “It’s a different way of thinking about your place in the world.”
Edwards’ work has shown that a strong sense of cultural identity is key for individual well-being. Gone are the days of people needing to “blend in.” Rather, Edwards believes it is better for a person to find a way to balance various cultures. Changes in society have allowed for this transition.
“The big thing in multicultural psychology now is that you have the ability to be bicultural.”
Gone are the days of people needing to “blend in.”
The 2000 U.S. census was the first time an individual could identify as more than one race. Until then people had to choose a single ethnic identity, or mark “other.”
Growing up, Edwards felt the pressure of having to identify with a single race, despite a biracial background.
“If I was ever to call myself just white, I’d be negating my entire family in Colombia. If was to call myself Colombian, I’d be negating my father.”
However, the ability to mark multiple races did not answer the question of where a person identifies as seen in the 2010 census. More than 18 million Latinos marked “other.”
Trouble arises because Latinos may not feel a connection to the four racial categories — White; Black; American Indian and Alaska Native; and Asian and Pacific Islander. Identifying as a Hispanic or non-Hispanic is a different box because, as the census website explains, the system “treats race and ethnicity as separate and independent categories.”
Identifying as “White” would run counter to many Latino backgrounds, leaving large groups of people to identify as “other.” While the debate continues about whether to include Hispanic as a race, Edwards recognizes the importance of knowing one’s culture and background.
When working with individuals struggling to build a cultural identity, Edwards tends to focus on a person’s strengths. Edwards’ advice is to gather information, talk to family members and process thoughts and feelings to discover ultimately how a person sees themself in a cultural context.
“It’s about helping them find where they want to identify and normalizing that experience and the struggles that may come with it because society is not always accepting”
A component of that is being a part of culturally diverse enclaves, something Milwaukee offers with its variance of cultures and people — from fifth-generation families to recent immigrants.
Opportunities to be a part of cultural traditions and having places to connect offer a variety of resources people can tap into if they are struggling to find their cultural identity.
Edwards stated that the resources Milwaukee offers are invaluable. If a person has a strong sense of culture it creates a diverse and open-minded community.
“It benefits Milwaukee, it benefits my research, but more than anything, I think it benefits the people,” Edwards said.
She noted that Marquette, along with Milwaukee, have played a large role in continuing her work.
“There’s nothing better than being at an institution that believes it’s important to study community engagement and diversity.”
However, studying racial minorities can be ill performed, which only furthers the gap in understanding across cultures. Edwards mentioned that this has been seen in studies that inevitably compare cultures.
Often such comparisons come with a judgment of right or wrong, when in fact — as noted prior — cultures may approach situations differently. Comparisons of cultures can lead to generalizations, misunderstandings and the idea that one culture can fix another.
The benefits of a positive psychology approach, like the ones Edwards takes, are that the group’s strengths are highlighted and research is done to ascertain what makes that specific group successful, not more or less successful than another group.
To do such research, Edwards employs qualitative and quantitative strategies in a “mixed methods” approach. Speaking one-on-one and in small groups with adults or youth allows Edwards to build rapport and see how individuals speak about their cultures.
Edwards will apply the same research style in a new field of work, studying perinatal mental health of Latina women. She noted that the well-being of a child is affected by the parents’ mental health during pregnancy and postpartum.
Dynamics such as relationship with the partner and stress levels can have long-term effects on the baby’s health, as well as the mother and father’s.
She is currently gathering information now — writing articles on past research and getting to know the topic. Soon she will talk to Latino mothers, along with health care providers to identify needs in the community.
“There is a great need to better understand how to support mental health during the prenatal period, as it’s been shown to influence many outcomes for mothers, their partners and babies.”
Research and reporting by Wyatt Massey, a junior studying writing-intensive English and advertising. Connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.
