Ethnic Minorities

Abstract

This chapter presents historical issues from the perspectives of ten authors representing various ethnic orientations, with views on their thoughts and experiences in dealing with ethnic issues in the field of psychology. Some of the vignettes are very personal and some reflect on important turning points in the history of psychology relating to ethnic minority issues. Each of the brief essays tells an aspect of the story which should be remembered as the science and profession of psychology moves into the 21 st Century.

Impact of Racism on Ethnic Minority Mental Health

“…What question will most advance our field? Ethnic minority psychology is a field that is still relatively young (Jenkins et al, 2003), and it is difficult to select one question-or even a few questions-given the many unknowns and pressing needs. However, with the election of the first biracial African American candidate to the presidency of the United States, conversations about race and race relations have never been timelier.…”

Professional associations in clinical psychology.

“…ABPsi was founded in San Francisco in 1968 by a group of Black psychologists concerned about the problems facing Black psychologists and the larger Black community. They built the organization on the principle of self-determination, with the goals of addressing the needs of Black professionals and having an impact on the mental health of the national Black community through planning, training, advocacy, and programs (Jenkins et al, 2003). ABPsi publishes the Journal of Black Psychology and Psych Discourse, a newsletter.…”