RUNNING HEAD: CULTURAL IMMERSION PROJECT 1

Cultural Immersion Project

Dolores J. Thackrah

Wilmington University
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The population I chose for this cultural immersion project is the Asian Indian

population. I chose this population because there are a large number represented at the

Psychotherapeutic Meditation Center (PMC), which is where I am completing my

internship. I have not directly worked with any of these clients and therefore, have not

had very much experience with them as people or with their culture.

According to the United Census Bureau, there were over 3 million reported, Asian

Indians in the United States as of 2010 (census.gov, 2010). I would imagine that number

will increase significantly, after the next census in 2020 just based on the fact that I have

personally witnessed so many from this culture since starting to work in Wilmington.

Also, the fact that there are so many restaurants; it seems more than ever, in addition to,

the number of new Asian Indian grocery stores going up. If the numbers do not increase

significantly in the USA during the next census, than maybe they will for the northeast

USA.

Asian Indians are reportedly the most socio-economically successful ethnic group

in the USA. (Wikipedia.org, 2017) As I expected from the figures of the 2010, United

States census, Asian Indians are now making up over 3.9 million of the USA population

(Wikipedia.org, 2017). Also, as I suggested, this map shows that there is indeed a larger

population of Asian Indians in the northeast area of the USA than in any other. This, in

part is probably due to the immigration patterns and direct flights, offered to and from the

USA, at the JFK airport in New York City (Wikipedia.org, 2017).

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The map above represents the census in 2010; it does not reflect the growth since

the 2010, census.

In addition to reportedly being the most socio economically successful ethnic

group in the USA; a study from the Pew Research Center in 2012, showed more than 80

percent of Indians were holding college or advanced degrees, which is the highest of all

ethnicities in the US. (Wikipedia.org, 2017) The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan

American fact finder and recorder, which is based in Washington, D.C. Pew Research,

provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping

the United States. (pewresearch.org, 2017)

INDIRECT IMMERSION FILM

I watched a documentary on Ancient India and its culture on YouTube. One of the

first things I learned was that the Ancient Indians were the inventors of the sun dial; the
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sun dial then went on to be used in numerous countries and to this day and count for the

time of an eclipse or equinox within a second (YouTube, 2016). Another fascinating part

of the Ancient Indian culture is the use of Sanskrit and how it affected the counting

measures, used all over the world. Sanskrit took the ancient way of word numbers and

changed them in to digits, 9 digits to be exact: 0-9. These digits changed the way we

counted and are still used today (YouTube, 2016).

The documentary also indicated that the Ancient Indians were legendary in metal

working and that is recorded in some of the oldest records in the world (YouTube, 2016).

Another fascinating thing about India is their history with cotton and the fact that they

are, poised to become the leading provider in the world. In just one factory, they are

spinning nearly ten million yards in a single day, due to the advanced technology.

(YouTube, 2016)

Lastly, in the documentary they talk about the market for herbal medicines and

spices, in general that create huge revenue for India. The video does state that it is

difficult to track just how much is being sent out of India but they report that it is a billion

dollar industry, inside of India (YouTube, 2017). I did not find this to be too surprising

because I, myself, am a huge fan of Indian spices and herbs.

DIRECT IMMERSION CULTURAL EVENT

For my direct immersion; I chose to go to a local Indian grocery store that was

also having an outdoor festival on that day. I have driven past, Parivar Super Market,

many times on my way home and have always been so curios what it would be like to go

in there. I think I was always a little intimidated because I didnt want to look dumb and

not know anything about what I was purchasing or even looking for. When I noticed that
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the store was having the festival, I decided to just drop in. The first thing that I noticed

was the warm environment. As I walked up to the festival, everyone seemed friendly and

seemed to be having a nice time. I also, immediately, noticed that this event was attended

by large family units. It seemed that in most groups there, there were children, young

adults, middle aged adults and elders and it seemed that they were all attending together,

as a family.

I certainly stood out at the festival since I did not even notice one other Caucasian

there. There was music being played, food being served and vendor tables. This event

almost seemed like, what I am used to from Philadelphia, a block party. This block party

definitely seemed specific to the Indian people, maybe they didnt even advertise it to

anyone else. So, I walked around, unbothered, bought something to snack on and decided

to finally go in to the store. When I walked in, I was warmly greeted by an older man,

with just a hello and I started to walk around.

Just as I thought before going to the store, I was very overwhelmed. There were

so many things I had never seen before or even heard of. There were some familiar spices

and that was about it. I decided to go to the man who greeted me and ask him if they had

any Vindaloo sauce (my favorite Indian sauce). The man immediately took me to an aisle

of sauces and pointed out a Vindaloo. The man then proceeded to recommend some of

the other sauces, with great enthusiasm, seeming like I may enjoy those too. I wound up

buying four sauces and feeling very happy when I left. I felt very welcome and

appreciated by the man at the store. Overall, my experience at the festival and in the store

was a very positive one and I will go back again.

ASSESSING THE FIELD WORK AGENCY

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COMMUNITY

The agency that I am doing my internship at is Psychotherapeutic Meditation

Center (PMC). The address for my agency is, 2644 Capitol Trail #190, Newark, DE

19711. The community surrounding my agency is very commercial. It is pretty much a

highway of stores and businesses. In the shopping center where my office is, is a pub, an

Indian restaurant, a construction office and an IHOP. It is a diverse and maybe even little

bizarre of a collection of businesses.

Right before you get to the shopping center where my agency is, there is a

YMCA. The YMCA is the only social service, type, place I have ever noticed, anywhere

close to my agency. The highway that my agency is on is very busy and common and

because of that, there are a few busses that a person could take to get to any of these

destinations. A person could also UBER, quite easily, from many parts of the area to any

of these businesses, including my agency, which makes it very accessible.

Each time I go to my agency, I notice a number of Asian Indian people around the

restaurant and this is about 2pm, which makes me think they work around this particular

shopping center, or close. I notice because I love Indian cuisine and I keep thinking to

myself, Man that place must be good, since so many of their own culture eat there! and

that I need to try it.

ACCESS

This population that I speak of arrives at my agency in cars and on busses, mostly

cars. What I have noticed is that a couple people may arrive together, at once and just

each waits their turn for their sessions. This lets me know that there are a lot of word of

mouth referrals in the agency, which, I think is an awesome thing. The agency itself runs
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right off of Delaware Rt 2 and the 2 bus runs all the way down, from Elsmere to Newark.

There are other busses that also go down, Rt 2 but that may turn off before my agency,

like the 33 and 34, which would have the clients walk about a block or two, depending

where they are coming from.

RECEPTIVITY

The office that my agency is in is very warm and by that I mean, the colors on the

wall are soft, there is some beautiful floral art as well, as some Eastern art. My CEO is

himself, Asian Indian and it is represented tastefully in the office. There are a few

Buddha sculptures, some mantra type sayings displayed and sometimes some soft, nature

sounds as opposed to music. I believe the population that I am speaking of, would be very

comfortable the setting of my agency. Also, people are greeted very warmly when they

walk in to the office, regardless of their reason for being there. Then only thing negative I

can say about the agency office is that it is always freezing and I do believe this would

make some people uncomfortable.

ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF TRAINING

The agency that I work in is small and the only people of Asian Indian descent

that I have noticed working at PMC, are the CEO and both pf his parents. The other staff

that I have seen has been Caucasian, Puerto Rican and African American, diverse for

sure, which I think is also a great thing. Again though, the agency is very small so it is

hard to say why one of the, maybe, ten other employees arent Asian Indian themselves

other than; they may just not be as into this kind of practice, for employment.

FUNDING
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PMC is a private practice and therefore the funding is coming from insurance or

private pay by the people that are seen. PMC works with all major insurance companies,

including the state funded Medicaid and Medicare. PMC is very culturally diverse due to

the services offered, which are all covered by insurance if any of them are. For instance,

the use of mantra meditation, if you are seen by Dr Karnik, is billed and payed for the

same way as if you are being seen by our African American, LCSW, Ms. Winfield, who

doesnt practice mantra meditation at the end of her sessions. This allows the clients to

choose which services they receive and also allows PMC to bill the same for them, so

they are all available to the clients.

STAFF SENSITIVITY

At PMC, I have noticed that all of the staff is sensitive, aware, non-judgmental

and respectful of all that enter the agency. Due to the fact that the agency is small; I

believe Dr. Karnik has gone out of his way to choose the perfect mix of people to

represent his image of PMC. Everyone that works at PMC is kind, open, warm,

intelligent and respectful. I believe that anyone who would walk through the door at PMC

for the first time would be made to feel very comfortable, by the staff.

AGENCY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

EFFORT

PMC is a relatively new practice; however, I do know that Dr Karnik and the

office manager are working on surveys now to be given out to clients after their first

session, to gauge the services they have received. On the survey, things like we talk about

in this paper are included, such as: environment, timeliness, respect and overall quality of

the services they received and what they would improve, if needed. I believe that Dr
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Karnik put a lot of effort in the staff members he has hired to make PMC a well-rounded

agency that can be suitable for people from any culture, not just Asian Indian and thats

why the staff is so diverse, I believe. PMC comes across as a very inclusive place to be;

excluding no one.

QUALITY

The qualities of the services offered at PMC definitely do not reflect the biases of

the dominant society; PMC is very inclusive and respectful in the way it presents itself

and the services they offer. There are services appropriate for all, including Asian

Indians, as well, Caucasians, Hispanics and African Americans, who may not be

interested in mantra mediation and even children who it may not even be appropriate for.

EFFECTIVENESS

I believe that the quality and the effectiveness go hand in hand when talking about

PMC and the services they offer. I do not think there are any unmet needs for appropriate

services, at least, at this time.

EFFICIENCY

PMC, at least for now, really only focuses on the counseling needs of the clients it

serves. It would be a very good idea to include resources in the community, in the future

but right now, PMC focuses on mental health well-being, is the sense of counseling. Dr

Karnik has spoken about getting a staff psychiatrist but that hasnt happened yet.

NASW STANDARD FOR CULTURAL COMPETENCE

The two standards that I would point out that ring strong and true at PMC are:

Standard 1, Ethics and Values, which states that social workers shall function in

accordance with the values, ethics, and standards of the NASW (2008) Code of Ethics.
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(NASW, 2008) Cultural competence requires self-awareness, cultural humility, and the

commitment to understanding and embracing culture as central to effective practice.

(NASW, 2008) Also, Standard 7, Diverse Workforce, which states that social workers

shall support and advocate for recruitment, admissions and hiring, and retention efforts in

social work programs and organizations to ensure diversity within the profession.

(NASW, 2008)

As an agency, PMC takes the code of ethics very strongly and specifically cultural

humility and the commitment to understanding and embracing culture. Often times, you

will see the different counselors trade stories and ask each other for advice on how to

handle difficult or unknown situations, based on their being a cultural difference. PMC

has also, as I have mentioned before, made a point to make the workforce very diverse,

so there is something for everyone when they come in seeking that therapeutic rapport

and alliance. The same is said for the programs and services offered; the only thing I

think that could make PMC stronger, is if they did offer psychiatric care to those that are

interested.

As for my personal commitment to cultural competency, I like to think that I am

very opened minded, always want to learn more about every kind of person. I am not

judgmental and I do not feel superior to anyone. These traits of mine as well as the

training that I seek, anytime it is available, makes me feel very culturally competent.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed this assignment. I learned a lot about Asian Indians and their

culture. I feel more confident in my abilities to now immerse myself in any culture in
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order to learn more about them and I admire PMC for the job that they do, to make their

practice so inclusive, diverse and warm.

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References

Ancient India and Its Culture. (2016). Youtube. Found at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KHXrXJG6jw

Indian Americans. (2017). Wikipedia. Found at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Americans

National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Standards and Indicators for Cultural

Competence in Social Work. Found at:

https://www.socialworkers.org/practice/standards/NASWCulturalStandards.pdf

Pew Research. (2017). Found at: pewresearch.org

United States Census Bureau. (2010). Found at:

https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=

CF.