Hispanic counselors' race and accent and Euro Americans' universal-diverse orientation: A study of initial perceptions

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.