Investigation of Ethnic Self-Labeling in the Latina Population: Implications for Counselors and Counselor Educators

Ethnic labeling is the act of identifying others or oneself in terms of race (Stubblefield, 1995). Labels influence how individuals understand themselves, how others understand them, and how groups and subgroups relate to one other. It has been asserted that "perhaps the most important symbolic expression [of solidarity] is the name employed for group identification" (Miller, 1976a, p. 3). The 2000 U.S. Census revealed a wide variation in racial self-identification for Latinos, with many individuals choosing a label other than Hispanic (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Thus, it appears that self-selected labels within this population hold meaning. These meanings vary widely and may be influenced by myriad factors. Past studies on labeling attempted to link label choice to various contextual or sociodemographic differences (e.g., Garcia, 1981; Hurtado & Gurin, 1987; Jones-Correa & Leal, 1996; Knight, Bernal, Cota, Garza, & Ocampo, 1993; Lampe, 1977; Miller, 1976b; Rodriguez & Gurin, 1990; Vaquera & Kao, 2006). However, the majority of these studies were conducted as long as 30 years ago; their scope and possibility of label choice and influence were limited to quantitative designs. The current investigation was undertaken to promote understanding of the experience of ethnic label selection for 10 Latinas of Mexican origin. The inquiry's focus was on common themes concerning the process of choosing and assigning meaning to ethnic labels. The qualitative format of this study allowed for a broad range of participant responses in an effort to ascertain a greater breadth of meanings and influences associated with ethnic label selection. Findings derived from the study were applied to counselors and counselor educators, to provide suggestions for culturally appropriate mental health services. * Latinos and Labeling Numbered at approximately 45.5 million, Latinos are the largest population of color in the United States. Approximately 64% of Latinos are of Mexican origin (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). Research has indicated varied label choices for this subgroup, including Mexican American, Mexican, and Chicano (Garcia, 1981, 1982; Hurtado, Gurin, & Peng, 1994; Knight et al., 1993; Lampe, 1977; Miller, 1976b). These studies have linked label choice to individuals' sociodemographic characteristics. What follows is an abbreviated presentation of findings specific to the Mexican-origin population. The majority of the earlier studies were quantitative in nature and provided several ethnic labels from which the study participants could choose. Sociodemographic traits of participants were then correlated with those labels. For example, the label Chicano was more often used by politically aware young male adults of lower socioeconomic status who were U.S. born (Garcia, 1981, 1982; Gutierrez & Hirsch, 1973; Hurtado & Aree, 1987; Hurtado & Gurin, 1987). Hurtado and Gurin found that Chicano was more frequently chosen by individuals supporting bilingualism, and one study posited that men with a higher level of education assumed the label Chicano (Garcia, 1981). The labels Mexican American and Other Spanish were found to be related to persons of upper incomes in one study. These labels were frequently chosen by individuals older than 30 years (Garcia, 1981), and Gutierrez and Hirsch (1973) found that those who self-defined as Mexican American were less sensitive to discrimination and less politically engaged than those using the label Chicano. The labels Mexican and Mexicano reflected generational status, being used primarily by first- and second-generation Mexicans (Garcia, 1981). Language use was also indicative of label selection. Individuals who supported the use of ancestral languages (e.g., Spanish) more often used racial labels, including Indian, Mestizo/Mestiz, and La Raza (Hurtado & Gurin, 1987). Another study found that those who retained the use of their ancestral language were more likely to choose ethnic labels reflecting their country of origin. …