Self-Care A-Z: Celebrating Hispanic-Latinx Heritage Month—Promoting Expansive Self-Care

by Laura Escobar-Ratliff, DSW, and Karina Barillas, M.Ed.

     Self-care is for rich white people. 

     How do you react to that statement? Did it resonate? Did it offend or make you uncomfortable? Critically consider your reaction and what’s behind that reaction. 

     How one defines self-care and envisions the actualization of self-care impacts one’s ability to authentically engage in it.  And, this process is impacted by our socio-political environment, heritage, and culture. 

Latinx Perspectives on Self-Care

     Recently, we discussed the challenges of self-care as Latinx women—particularly in leadership roles. Karina is Executive Director of  La Casita Center, a nonprofit whose mission is to “enhance the well-being of Louisville’s Latinx community through education, empowerment, advocacy, and wellness.” Laura has a long-standing connection with La Casita, including serving on the board.

     I (Karina) acknowledge that I, and other Latinx colleagues, struggle with the concept of self-care for ourselves and in our leadership roles, for example, sustaining the La Casita team. Although I recognize the importance of self-care, my struggles with it are a direct impact of the domestication and colonization of the Latinx community. To clarify: We’ve been taught that you have to produce and that your work is a reflection of your worth. In other words, to slow down and take care of oneself is lazy and devalues one’s self-worth; there’s too much work to be done! Many in the Latinx community immigrated to the United States fleeing countries overridden with political corruption, poverty, economic instability, and death. Working hard is a skill for advancement and survival. 

     As the daughter of Nicaraguan immigrants and the first in my family to be born in the United States, I (Laura) recall the nostalgia of the American Dream, and meta-messages of work hard, be productive, and demonstrate value. According to the Pew Research Center, belief in hard work is pervasive in the Latinx community, with 75% believing one can get ahead if they’re willing to work hard.

     Working hard, in and of itself, isn’t problematic, but doing so at the expense of oneself is. The idea of self-care seems antithetical to working hard, unless we engage an expansive framework. Our personal and professional journeys include developing this expansive paradigm in ways that honor our Latinx identity.

A Paradigm Shift to Expansive Self-Care

     Recognizing, embracing, and valuing self-care is a paradigm shift, even when we know the impact of vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout. So, how do we make this shift? We recognize the need for a shift while reclaiming the language and meaning. 

     Self-care must be viewed from an expansive lens, rather than an inclusive one. Definitions of self-care that are operationalized by focusing on luxury and leisure are not innately wrong, but they are applicable and meaningful for a select group of people. Self-care as complementary to communal care resonates with La Casita Center’s team.

An Organizational Case Example

     The team at La Casita Center includes people from the United States, Guatemala, Peru, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Panama. The life experiences of staff are as diverse as the countries and generations they represent. Rather than imposing a static definition of self-care with a pre-established framework, in my role, I (Karina) challenge myself and the team to operationalize self-care in ways that honor their individuality. For example, we focus on what we do communally and individually, while framing the why behind self-care in a manner that resonates with the team.

     Self-care is not selfish—it’s necessary for refueling so one can be self-full. Self-care is not a lazy privilege—it’s liberation from a cycle of domestication and abuse imposed on us for generations. Honoring this awareness, La Casita promotes self-care by gathering at least weekly for breakfast together, before jumping into the hectic day. The organizational structure focuses on being a circle of solidarity rather than hierarchical autocracy.

     Self-care is an ethical obligation for social workers and other helping professionals. And, it’s a basic human right. As such, it’s imperative that self-care not be limited to a mainstream privileged lens that only includes people in a predefined framework. Rather, we must intentionally promote and engage in expansive practices that inherently and wholly engage historically marginalized communities.

Laura Escobar-Ratliff, DSW, is Clinical Assistant Professor and DSW Program Director in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Escobar-Ratliff has more than 10 years of experience in social work education and more than two decades of direct care, clinical, and administrative experience.

Karina Barillas, M.Ed., is Founder and Executive Director of La Casita Center in Louisville, KY.