A Youth Leader's Guide to Building Cultural Competence 

certain neighborhoods are more subtle. They include a complex mix of economic issues, political 

decisions and individual acts that are hard to quantify and even harder to change.  

Racism harms everybody. The most obvious victims of racism are people of color, but those individuals 

who enforce their prejudices through power are also robbed of some of their humanity. The entire society 

suffers when people of color are systematically denied equal opportunities.  

Questions to consider about cultural groups: __________ 

What is the impact of racism on this group? In the past? Today?  

How are individuals affected by racist attitudes and practices? Communities? Are men and women 

affected differently? What is the impact on children and teenagers?  

How do the informal and formal leaders of this group talk about racism? Now? In the past?  

Poverty and Economic Concerns  

Poverty and economic concerns are tied to racism in this country. There is no use discussing racial issues 

without examining the impact of poverty on communities of color in the U.S.  

Often, race and socioeconomic class are confused. In particular, the assumption is frequently made that all 

poor people are African American or Latino/Latina or that all African Americans or Latinos/Latinas are 

poor. Of course, neither statement is true. Most poor people in the U.S. are white. And many African 

Americans and Latinos/Latinas are well educated, own their own homes, live in safe neighborhoods and 

have good jobs.  

It is true, however, that a disproportionate number of people of color live in poverty in the U.S. The 

percentage of African Americans, Latinos/Latinas and Native Americans who are poor is higher than the 

percentage of white people who are poor. 

The causes of poverty among people of color are complex. Social scientists, politicians, advocates and 

poor people offer different theories and explanations: the labor market's demand for higher skilled 

employees; loss of inner city and manufacturing jobs; inadequate public education; a variety of public 

policy decisions; discrimination; individual behavior and choices and others. While liberals and 

conservatives disagree about causes and solutions, no one argues that the effects of poverty on 

communities of color, particularly in urban areas and on Native American reservations, is devastating.  

There is poverty in all cultural groups and no one cultural group has only poor people in it. Therefore, 

questions about poverty and economic concerns should be focused on a specific community or group of 

individuals, not about an entire racial or ethnic group.  

Questions to consider about cultural groups: __________ 

Are most adults employed? In what kinds of jobs? Permanent or temporary? With benefits or 

without? What is the average salary? Are they self employed? Do both men and women work? 

Are they paid equally?  

What are the effects of unemployment and joblessness? What do unemployed adults do during the 

day? How hard is it for a teenager to get a job?  

What is the level of individual involvement in the underground economy of drugs, weapons, the 

sex industry (prostitution) and gambling? How is the community affected by these illegal 

industries?  

Are people on public assistance? How many? How many of today's recipients grew up in homes 

that also received public assistance? What is the impact of public assistance regulations on