Dual Heritage

 

*Please note, this article contains outdated vocabulary from old papers which may sound offensive.

 

Dual heritage means an upbringing in which one’s parents are of different ethnic or religious background. As early as 1928 a sociologist, Park, came up with the term “ the marginal man”, referring to a person of mixed race. According to his theory, the marginal man lives between two worlds but does not really belong to either of them. (in the USA context) This leads to isolation, alienation, feeling as an outsider, confusion and the self becomes divided. Park also noticed that the marginal man has a broader horizon. As I was reading chapter 3 from the book titled “ Black White or Mixed Race” by Tizard and Phonix I was surprised by the use of controversial phrases such as marginal man , half-caste and hybrid actually referring to human beings. I believe such terminology sounds discriminative and degrading too. 

The “marginal man” had to work through a lot of psychological maladjustment, feeling isolated and not belonging anywhere. As a coping mechanism he either assimilated into the white group by “passing as white” or into the black group of people. The latter meant dealing with any negative feelings towards them and also experiencing distrust and even hostility from members of the black community. This is a theory mainly based on observations. 

Later in the 1950s sociologists interviewed 2nd generation Jewish immigrants in the USA. They did not see their situation as conflicted, they did not feel marginalised. They had a positive dual orientation. In the 1960s due to the human rights movement and significant changes in the socio-political climate things started to improve but still a lot needs to be done.

“Othering” is a phenomenon, when some individuals or groups are defined and labelled as not fitting in within the norms of a social group. It influences how people perceive and treat those who are viewed as other. It also involves attributing negative characteristics to people or groups that differ from the perceived social norms.

Dual heritage can involve other aspects of cultural identity such as class, religion, language, sexuality, gender identity etc. The concept of intersectionality is worth noting, when working with clients, which means that a client’s identity is a complex matrix consisting of overlapping identities.   

Ethnic minority clients may experience difficulties in mental health provision if they wish to be matched with a counsellor from the same cultural background. Language can also be a barrier. The fear of being judged for being in therapy in certain communities, especially where collectivism is a value, can prevent clients from accessing mental health services. If this is not possible, intercultural therapy can still help.

Facilitating a non-judgemental safe place for the client where they can explore their identity issues is crucial. Getting into their frame of reference should be the aim, instead of assuming. How the client identifies can be different from apparent features. Identity confusion is more common with non-white ethnic minority clients.

In addition, ethnic minority clients including clients of mixed heritage suffer more from experiencing oppression and racism. Working interculturally can be a healing experience for them. By addressing the differences sensitively and acknowledging differences the counsellor can help to facilitate for clients to get over identity crisis and form a cultural/racial identity. By staying open, accepting, compassionate and curious the client will feel heard and seen.