Stereotypes about Chicanas and Chicanos: Implications for counseling

A review of the literature on stereotypes about Chicanas/os reveals that pe ople of Mexican descent are perceived predominantly in derogatory terms, wi th the few positive terms primarily related to the centrality of the family for this ethnic community. This review also indicates that Chicanas/os the mselves often endorse these stereotypes. However the extant literature has not examined the counseling process in relation to consensual, social stere otypes of this ethnic group. This article serves to bridge that gap in the literature. Counselors are strongly encouraged to be cognizant of how stere otypes may affect Chicanas/os, especially in areas related to identity, ris ky behavior, stereotype threat. education. gender roles. and stigmatization . Counselors are encouraged to increase racial awareness as part of the men tal health development of their Chicana/o clients. Counselors are particula rly challenged to examine how their own conscious and unconscious stereotyp es may affect the counselor-client relationship. Future research directions are also discussed.