THE CENTER FOR CROSS-CULTURAL HEALTH
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
| Why should cultural competency matter to me? | |
| 1. | Our state's population is changing. |
| By the year 2040, people of European American ancestry will no longer be the majority group in the United States. Since the early 1970s, Minnesota has reflected the increasing cultural diversification of the U.S. population. The home of almost 50,000 American Indians, Minnesota is also now the home to the country's largest population of Hmong refugees from Laos, and has the largest community of Somali refugees in the U.S.. One in ten residents in Minneapolis/St. Paul is an African American (U.S. born), and there are over 100,000 Latino people now living in Minnesota. | |
| 2. | Health status varies by cultural group. |
| Minnesota has long been recognized as one of the healthiest states in the country - for European Americans. But, as in the rest of the nation, people in other cultural groups have much poorer health outcomes (Office of Minority Health, 1997). Many factors contribute to this stark disparity. Income, race, racism and other social and economic factors are inter-related and influence health in complex ways. Numerous studies on these factors point to some common conclusions. For example, income is a major determinant of health status. People with higher income generally have better health and longer lives than people with lower incomes. This is true for people of all ethnic backgrounds. However, people of color do not experience worse health simply because they are more likely to have a lower income. At every level of income, the health of people of color is consistently worse than that of their white peers. | |
| 3. | The benefits of cultural competency are many. |
| At a minimum, culturally responsive services lead to better relationships between a patient/client and a provider or a student and a teacher and so on. Patients, clients, students, employees all do better when their needs are understood, their beliefs respected, their wishes accommodates, and when they feel engaged. | |
| What is culture? | |
| Helman (1994), a
medical anthropologist, defines culture as: a set of guidelines, both
explicit and implicit, which individuals inherit as members of a
particular society, and which tells them how to view the world, how
to experience it emotionally, and how to behave in relation to other
people, to supernatural forces and gods, and to the natural
environment.
You can also think of culture as "our learned humanity". The Center for Cross-Cultural Health defines culture to include factors such as ethnic group, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, gender, socio-economic status, and age, among others. |
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| What do you mean by 'Health'? | |
| The Center for Cross-Cultural Health defines health very broadly, to include, environmental health (issues such as housing, employment, poverty) and spiritual health as well as physical health. All of these factors have a huge impact on an individual's or a group's health. | |
| Is the CCCH a direct service provider? | |
| No, CCCH does not provide direct services, but we do offer professional education and training, organizational assessments and consulting, and research and information to community agencies and organizations, policy makers, and the general public. | |
| Is the CCCH affiliated with any other organization? | |
| No, CCCH is an independent non-profit organization with 501 (C)(3). | |
| What is the mailing address for the Center for Cross-Culture? | |
| CCCH has recently re-located, and can be contacted via mail at 265 Oneida Street, St. Paul, MN 55102. | |