Introduction
The first participant is the school counselor: an American woman with at least an undergraduate degree and undetermined ethnicity (not Hispanic). The other figure is Elena, 13, from an immigrant family with many siblings, perhaps a first-generation student. Her family lives in California: Mexican father and American mother. Their education is undefined, and they belong to the blue-collar class.
Case Circumstances
Professional Involvement Reasons
The counselor believed Elena was selling marijuana on school premises. Her decision was made in the context of Elena’s prior combativeness, disruptive pranks, disregarding schoolwork, and teachers’ words. However, Elena was not witnessed – she was referred for alleged peddling. Perhaps, the stereotype of Mexican drug-dealing furthered the suspicions. The counselor crossed the line by presenting alleged accusations as factual.
360-Degree View
Whether Elena sold drugs is unknown; maybe it was due to the financial strain. She has four siblings fed by working-class parents in an expensive town. According to the counselor, the parents were avoidant; additionally, they brought their brother-in-law (BIL). They may have been fearing immigration status implications or genuinely could not make the appointment. Lastly, Hispanic culture may understand ‘close family’ differently, prioritizing the godfather.
Circumstances Impacting the Case
Environmental and Social
The school’s mixed ethnic environment and blue-collar neighborhood may predispose forming ethnicity-specific groups and lack of funding. That may explain why Elena antagonized ‘outsides’ – she did not have a support network except friends and family. Her parents may have shared the sentiment, feeling cornered and having nobody to help. The discrimination that the counselor has shown did not help the case.
Familial
As second-oldest, Elena may be partially responsible for childcare at home and overwhelmed by it, thus being unable to keep up with the assignments. Teachers pressuring her to excel without listening to her reasons exacerbated the issue. Elena’s parents likely work long hours to feed a large family, which may explain them not attending in the daytime.
Legal Implications
Elena and her parents may face legal repercussions since she is a minor. According to Article 5 of the North Carolina Controlled Substances Act § 90-95(a)(1)(2022), it is forbidden to sell marijuana in Charlotte; so, if Elena had, the family might have been punished as Class I felons. However, the counselor has no actual evidence regarding Elena’s fault.
Local Resources Availability
The Martinez family’s first local organization could be Catholic Social Services or Diocese of Charlotte (DOC). This organization has a separate Hispanic ministry and provides various support, including counseling and transition out of poverty (Resources, n.d.). It may be a good option for the family as they navigate how to respond to the accusations.
Another powerful ally would be the Latin American Coalition (LAC) from SHARE Charlotte. It is a Hispanic rights NGO that provides direct legal assistance and crisis support (Latin American Coalition, n.d.). This resource may be helpful if the Martinez family has to deal with any legal repercussions of the situation.
Assistance Plan
It is first recommended that the Martinez family finds a reliable intermediary to communicate with regarding their reservations and concerns to make the communication process as smooth as possible. To specifically address the aspect of Hispanic culture, I would connect them with representatives from LAC and DOC. Moreover, I would suggest bringing the selected legal representative to any subsequent interviews to control the conversation.
Then, I would investigate the school counselor’s reasoning to justify her interview. Specifically, I would ask her to address the thought process whereby she arrived from “allegedly” to “certainly” in calling Elena’s parents. The pros of this plan are clarity and openness; the cons are antagonizing the counselor and stressing the family further. This decision may also result in a school-wide investigation.
Helpful Skills
In this case, I would first be able to use my critical thinking to evaluate the gathered evidence. The present allegations are based on pre-existent bias, personal experience, and word of mouth, which is insufficient. I would also use my empathy and cultural competence skills to connect with the Martinez family and thoroughly understand their perspective to create a feasible defense tactic.
References
Article 5: North Carolina Controlled Substances Act, § 90-95(a)(1) (2022). Web.
Latin American Coalition. (n.d.). SHARE Charlotte. Web.
Resources. (n.d.). Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte. Web.