The Challenge of a Positive Self‐Image in a Colonial Context: A Psychology of Liberation for the Puerto Rican Experience

Abstract

Community psychology and the psychology of liberation provide a framework to analyze colonization. Puerto Rico has always been a colony. This experience has direct negative effects on Puerto Ricans' national identities and their emotions. The purpose of this study was to explore emotions associated with Puerto Rican national identities in a sample of 35 high school students. While participating in 4 focus groups, the youths discussed negative and positive emotions associated to their national identities. The most frequent ones were shame and pride. They also identified situations which promoted negative and positive emotions. The role of a community psychology of liberation in understanding these phenomena as well as in embracing resistance to colonization is discussed.

International Community Psychology

“…12. The liberating and ethical character that the participatory condition and relatedness oriented CP may have (Quintal de Freitas, 2000;Montero, 2000aMontero, , 2003cVaras Díaz & Serrano-García, 2003). This aspect has been produced by most of the topics previously described, by the exchanges and influence maintained with liberation psychology, and by the development of what has been defined as the episteme of relatedness.…”

Percepciones y experiencias sobre los determinantes sociales de la salud en una muestra de profesionales y estudiantes de psicología y educación para la salud en Puerto Rico.

“…En el 1898, al finalizar la guerra Hispano Americana, la Isla pasó a ser un territorio no incorporado de los Estados Unidos como botín de guerra (Fernández, 1996). Esto significa que el gobierno norteamericano mantiene control de aspectos como la ciudadanía, el comercio, la migración, las patentes, las comunicaciones, el correo, la transportación, el servicio militar, relaciones internacionales, entre otros (Varas-Díaz & Serrano-García, 2003).…”

Empowerment psychotherapy with adolescent females of color

“…Empowering youth of color to comprehend social inequities and oppression provides awareness and a necessary framework for gaining skills for therapeutic change. Therapists can foster positive identity development and flexible coping not only on an individual level but in schools and other community contexts as well (Varas-Díaz & Serrano-García, 2003;Watts & Serrano-García, 2003;Watts, Williams, & Jagers, 2003).…”