Nancy Martinez: A Case Study

The history of oppression toward minority population is reflected in the discrimination toward ethnically diverse populations in social serve agencies, Services have often been denied to individuals of ethnically diverse groups (Church, 2005). Nancy Martinez is a Hispanic female that is considered low income. She faces many obstacles in her life due to her race, gender, and income level. In the 19th century Hispanic individuals were legally discriminated against and excluded from receiving social services. In addition to the exclusion of rights they have been denied land along with being underpaid for their labor (Church, 2005). Research indicates that Hispanic individuals often focus on cultural attributes taken as common among subgroups, primary Mexican American, Puerto Rican, and Cubans. Nancy Martinez identified herself as a Mexican American (Castex, 1994). One great division in the Hispanic community is those whom are …show more content…
Latino families’ ability to be licensed foster kinship placements are complex and are limited by definition of kinship, immigration issues, and lack of language appropriate services. “Kinship” is defined as blood relation, marriage, or adoption. The barriers that stand in the way of kinship licensure keep the family from getting more money and less access to supportive services. In the case of Nancy Martinez’s children this was the case of her children’s placement. Children were placed with Paternal Aunt. Paternal aunt was ineligible for kinship licenses and therefore did not get full benefits (Ayon, 2012). Out- of- home placement for ethnically diverse children becomes problematic when the case manager does not have a clear understanding of the child’s cultural needs. When out-of-home placement is the only option available, the most appropriate placement should be with the child family member or someone from a similar cultural