SECTION I: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

The country of origin: Guatemala

Guatemala is bounded to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize and (along a short coastline) by the Gulf of Honduras, to the east by Honduras, to the southeast by El Salvador, and to the south by the Pacific Ocean. After gaining independence from Spain in the 1820s, Guatemala had a long history of government by authoritarian rule and military regimes until it came under democratic rule in 1985. Starting in 1954, Guatemala’s governments faced formidable guerrilla opposition that sparked civil war that lasted for 36 years until peace accords were signed in 1996. The struggles of Guatemala’s Indians during the war years were illuminated when Rigoberta Menchú, a Quiché Maya and an advocate for indigenous people throughout Latin America, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992. The population is divided into two main ethnic groups—Ladinos (mestizos) and Maya, who make up the vast majority of Indians in Guatemala and form several cultures. (https://www.britannica.com/place/Guatemala).

Guatemala is a developing country characterized by wide income disparities. Violent crime is a serious concern due to endemic poverty, an abundance of weapons, a legacy of societal violence, and weak law enforcement and judicial systems. Spanish is the official and most commonly spoken language (https://www.countryreports.org/country/Guatemala.htm).

The city of origin: Guatemala city

Guatemala City, Spanish Guatemala or in full Ciudad de Guatemala, capital of Guatemala, the largest city in Central America, and the political, social, cultural, and economic centre of Guatemala. Lying in a valley of the central highlands at an elevation of 4,897 feet (1,493 metres) above sea level, it has a temperate and invigorating mountain climate (https://www.britannica.com/place/Guatemala-City).

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Castillo family history and background

The Castillo family consists of three people; 45-year-old mother, Mya, 33-year-old deceased father, Carlos and 19-year-old Maynor. Maynor was born in Guatemala City, Gatemala. Maynor lived in Guatemala with his mother Mya and father Carlos (deceased) until he was seven years old. Maynor is the only child of Maya and Carlos. Although Maynor was an only child growing up, he and his parents were very close to their extended family and spent a lot of time with them during his early childhood in Guatemala.

In Guatemala, his mother ran a small coffee stall and his father was a prominent prosecutor known for helping to convict members of a Mexican cartel. Because of his parent’s income and stature in the community, Maynor enjoyed an upper middle-class lifestyle during his early years. He went to one of the best private schools and even at a young age, he was a star student who excelled in math and science. Five days after Maynor’s seventh birthday, his father helped to convict a key member of the Sinaloa cartel. Two days later his father was shot and killed while pulling out of his office parking lot. As he was dying in his car, Carlos managed to make one last phone call to his wife Maya letting her know he had been shot, instructing her to take Maynor and leave immediately. This was the last time Maya heard her husband’s voice and the last morning she and Maynor saw him. Fearing for her and Maynor’s safety, Maya immediately grabbed the two backpacks she kept packed in the event she ever needed to flee to save her family’s life.

Due to the immediate need to flee, there was never a funeral for Carlos as Maya quickly drove to the nearest train station to implement the plan she and Carlos discussed several times but prayed they would never have to utilize. The plan was to make it to U.S., surrender to customs and border protection, apply for asylum, and stay with a family member in Alabama while they waited for their asylum case to be processed. Although Maynor and his mother Maya experienced a great deal of trauma during their journey to the U.S. (his mom was raped, they were robbed, and they both experienced food insecurity during the journey), three months after they abruptly left their home in Guatemala City, they arrived in the U.S.A. His mother Maya initially applied for asylum under the affirmative process when she surrendered to US Customs and Borders protection upon entering the USA.

A few months later she learned her application was denied because she was unable to provide documentation to support her claim (fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence).

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Castillo family current situation

Maynor is now 18 years old and a freshman in college majoring in biomedical engineering. He is able to remain in the USA and attend school because of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA has allowed him to obtain a work permit, social security number, and other benefits associated with his DACA status. Maynor received a scholarship from a local non-profit that provides funding for DACA youth to attend college since they are not eligible for federal financial aid. Although Maynor has always excelled in math and science, the transition to college has been difficult for him because unlike his peers, Maynor has to work a part time job to help out at home and to pay school expenses not covered by the scholarship. He has been late to class a few times because the public bus he uses to commute to school has been late. Many of his high school friends who are US citizens were able to go out of state for college and live on campus. Maynor is having to build a new social network now that he is in college and feels it has been challenging because he lives off campus and must work when he is not in class.

Maynor would like to participate in a study abroad program this summer but he does not see a way to pay for the trip and pay for his DACA renewal application. Because of his transition to college and the ongoing uncertainty about DACA, Maynor has been feeling anxious about all of the college requirements, readings, and the amount of homework. And, Maynor is depressed because he wants to accompany his friends on the study abroad trip but may not be able to go because of the extra layer of bureaucracy because of his DACA status. A friend suggested Maynor seek support through the student counseling center on campus to help manage his mental health and to see if the counseling center might be able to assist with some of his other concerns, like his depression.

Maynor scheduled an appointment with the student counseling clinic which required him to take an unpaid day off of work to attend the therapy session.

You are the social worker at the student counseling center assigned to Maynor.

Maynor´s DACA situation

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was initially established in 2012 by President Barack Obama in an effort to address the needs of young undocumented immigrants who arrived to the country as minors (Crouse, 2017). DACA provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization, and has led to an increase in employment opportunities and participation in higher education among many beneficiaries (Crouse, 2017). The implementation of the DACA program, allowed many undocumented young adults to fulfill their dreams of attending college, work legally, pay taxes, provide for their families, and find ways to contribute to the country they call home without fear of deportation (Citrin, Martin, & Houshyar, 2019). Maynor’s DACA renewal is due soon and Maynor is struggling with his ability to pay for the renewal.

Maynor also desires to study abroad and being unable to afford the expense is causing him major distress. According to the law, DACA students may apply for advance parole to seek permission to travel abroad temporarily and apply for admission to the U.S. upon their return. Individuals with pending adjustment of status applications who have also applied for advance parole, can also travel abroad while their application is pending. Maynor will need advocacy to renew his DACA status and apply for advance parole to travel abroad temporarily and apply for admission to the U.S. upon his return.

The social worker at the counseling center, although not familiar with DACA, will try to provide assistance to Maynor in order to participate in a once in a lifetime experience, like study abroad. The social worker is committed to working in collaboration with the college’s legal services program.

Social work duties

This scenario involves a social worker at the student-counseling center at Maynor’s college. According to the National Association of Social Work (NASW), social workers employed with colleges and universities might do some of the following:

Assessing students' emotional and psychosocial issues, such as substance abuse, eating disorders, support systems and/or physical functioning.

Educating students about the wide range of issues they might be facing.

Identifying and referring students to community resources.

Participating in program planning.

The Council on Social Work Education 2022 Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), standard three charges social workers to engage in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in practice. This means they embrace the following ideals:

Social workers understand how racism and oppression shape human experiences and how these two constructs influence practice at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels and in policy and research.
Social workers understand the pervasive impact of White supremacy and privilege and use their knowledge, awareness, and skills to engage in anti-racist practice.
Social workers understand how diversity and intersectionality shape human experiences and identity development and affect equity and inclusion.
Social workers understand intersectionality means a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege and power.
Social workers understand the societal and historical roots of social and racial injustices and the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination.
Social workers understand cultural humility and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, racial, technological, and cultural exclusions, may create privilege and power resulting in systemic oppression (pp. 9-10).