Abstract
This study examined Euro American participants' initial perceptions
of male Hispanic counselors. Two hundred twelve college students
evaluated male Hispanic counselors whose race was White, Mestizo
(a mix of White European and Native American ancestry), or
Black and who spoke English with or without a Spanish accent. The
participants' perceptions were analyzed in the context of their scores
on universal-diverse orientation, a new theory and measure of
multicultural awareness
(
M. L. Miville et al., 1999
).
Results suggest that participants' perceptions of
the Hispanic counselors as attractive, expert, and
trustworthy, as well as their willingness to work with them in
long-term therapy, were affected by the counselors' race
and accent and by the participants' level of universal-diverse
orientation. These results are discussed in the context of relevant
literature, and recommendations for future research in this area are
provided.