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7. Minority Families: Wave of the Future
- Gallaudet University Press
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Chapter 1 Letter to Parents, Survey Questionnaire, and Interview Guides With Kimberley Scott-Olson And, uh, my biggest concern was if he wanted to be president, I wanted him to be able to. Simply because I wanted him to have the same opportunities as my hearing children. (Survey 202) The results of Census 2000 confirm the increasing diversity in the U.S. population (U.S.Census Bureau,2001).Although respondents were for the first time given the opportunity to identify themselves in more than one racial category, 98% of all of the respondents chose only one category.The largest group reportedWhite only (75%);the Black- or African Americanonly population represented 12% of the total. Asian was the third mostreported race (4%), and less than 1% reported American Indian or Alaska Native. Hispanics, who could put themselves in any racial category in the census, represented about 13% of the population. Forty-eight percent of those who identified themselves as Hispanic also identified as White only, while about 42% chose“some other race.”The Hispanic population is projected to triple, from 31.4 million in 1999 to 98.2 million in 2050, making that the nation’s largest minority group.The African American population is expected to rise by 70% during this same 50-year period. The significance of these demographic shifts is underscored by the knowledge that ethnic and racial minorities are overrepresented in the deaf and hard of hearing communities compared to the general population (Gallaudet Research Institute, 2001). The Annual Survey of Deaf Children andYouth for 1999—2000 reveals that approximately 45% of deaf children are from an ethnic/racial minority group.The largest proportion is Hispanic (21%), followed by Black/African American (16%). Asian Pacific deaf children make up 4% of the population, and less than 1% are 115 Chapter 7 Minority Families: Wave of the Future Native American.White only, not Hispanic, constitute 55% of deaf children and youth. This chapter explores the concerns and issues of minority families with deaf and hard of hearing children. Research that addresses this particular perspective is limited (Christensen, 2000; Mertens, 1998).The diversity in the current U.S. population, the census population projections, as well as the overrepresentation of minority groups in the deaf and hard of hearing population, increase the importance of examining views of parents with deaf and hard of hearing children from these groups. Characteristics of Minority Families In the NPP survey, 33% of the respondents were minority parents.This percentage was somewhat less than the 42% of minority families who responded to the Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth that the Gallaudet Research Institute conducted at about the same time as the NPP survey in 1997 (Holden-Pitt & Diaz, 1998). Twenty-one parents provided the qualitative data for this chapter.We interviewed 11 by telephone and 1 mother/father pair in person. Eight participated in one of the focus groups. We conducted the telephone interviews with 4 parents of African American children and 7 parents of mixed-race children. (“Mixed race” refers to children whose parents checked more than one race on the survey,e.g.,Black andWhite,orWhite and Hispanic.) Of the 17 parents in the focus groups, 8 were minorities: 2 Asian,2 Hispanic,and 4 African American.One of the parents was hard of hearing; all of the others had normal hearing. Of the 20 children represented, 16 were boys and 4 were girls. Six parents described their children as hard of hearing, while 14 described their children as deaf. The following characteristics could be determined only for the 11 families who participated in both the national survey and the telephone interviews . Four reported that the diagnosis of their child’s hearing loss was delayed,and 1 reported the presence of a behavior problem;2 children had cochlear implants,8 had one or more siblings,and 5 had a disability as well as a hearing loss. 116 Chapter 7 Several parents described their children as having a hearing loss and many good qualities such as being smart, determined, funny, able to draw very well,skilled in sports,good in math,and sensitive to the needs of others . Some parents balanced their positive descriptions with other personality characteristics that are also typical of young children, such as being stubborn.Three descriptions follow: He’s hearing impaired. It’s profound in his right ear and moderate to profound on his left. So he wears two hearing aids, and he does sign...