Chapter 36: Multi-Cultural Career Development: Issues and Interventions

The United States is a rapidly changing society, but the theories behind career development have not been as quick to adapt to changing demographics. A report from the U.S. Census Bureau suggests that by the middle of the 21st Century, the United States will no longer be a predominately white society (U.S. Census Bureau, 2004). Instead, the United States will likely be a global society, in which half of all Americans will identify with one of four ethnic groups: Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Native Americans. This changing landscape of the collective American culture will pose significant challenges, most notably for counselors and others in the helping professions.