Congratulations to Oswaldo, who successfully defended his dissertation last week! The dissertation was a mixed methods exploration of the role that religiosity plays in the Immigrant Health Paradox. Oswaldo found intriguing support for its role in lower rates of substance use disorders among first generation immigrants. Oswaldo put together an excellent performance which left the committee and readers alike impressed. We are all looking forward to the publications that will emerge from this very interesting work!
Congratulations to Monica, who successfully matched at the Boston VA! The Boston VA is considered one of the top internship sites in the country for the delivery of health care to veteran populations. Monica will begin her internship in the fall.
Counseling Today published an article this week on the changing demographics in the U.S. public school population. In particular, estimates suggest that the magic 50% mark will be reached this year, with White students making up less than 50% of the public school population for the first time in the history of the U.S. The article focuses primarily on the preparedness of the school counseling work force to work with the changing populations, rightly highlighting the importance of cultural competence in counseling.
However, the article does not address an important point that is closely connected to these changing demographics. In particular, the racial/ethnic distribution of this population is evenly spread out across the schools. Increased segregation resulting from systemic and societal factors is leading to large demographic differences across public school districts. Given the consistent association between SES and race/ethnicity, the unfortunate reality is that the largest adaptations will be required of the school systems that have the least resources with which to work. Thus, the challenge facing our society is to not be satisfied with the status quo. We need to take head on the increasing racial/ethnic segregation that continue to perpetuate the existing inequities that we see today.