Psychology

Age and generational influences 25 years old, generation Y (Also known as MTV  Millenials)
Developmental disabilities No disabilities
Disabilities acquired later in life No disabilities
Religion and spiritual orientation Roman Catholic
Ethnic and racial identity Latino (Considered White in my country, Venezuela)
Socioeconomic status Upper-high during childhood in VenezuelaUpper-middle in USA
Sexual orientation Heterosexual monogamous
Indigenous heritage No indigenous heritage
National origin Grandparents
Dads side immigrants to Venezuela (Originally from Spain)
Moms side originally from Venezuela 2nd generation (Mothers great grandparents were European Italian, Spanish, and French)
My parents both born and raised in Venezuela (Venezuelan)
Me born in Venezuela, spent most of my childhood and adolescence in Venezuela. Immigrated to America at the age of 16. Venezuelan Immigrant
Gender Female, woman

Think about your most important identity factor. What messages did you receive about that aspect of your identity during your childhoodadolescence What messages diddo you receive about that aspect of your identity as an adult

Childhoodadolescence
Family is the most important thing in the world.
I should strive to become successful
Always be honest, be good to people, do not do to others what you don t want them to do to you.
Do not lie, cheat, or steal.
I should enjoy my life, and everything that it brings.
Believe in God.

Adult
Be responsible with the ones you love, and respect those around you.
I should still enjoy my life, especially the small things.
Take care of your significant other, children, and friends.
Keep growing and growing professionally, and emotionally.

Considering the most salient identity factor for you, in what ways are you similar or different from other individuals with the same identity

Similar
My family values are the same as those with my identity
I share similar career, love, and family goals with the people in my identity group.
Family is significant in my life
My political views are similar to those who share my identity.
I also have the same religious views as the other with my identity.
My goal is to have stability (emotional, economical, professional)
It is also indicative of people in my group to take care of their spouses. This is a trait I also possess.
Motherhood is important to me and others in my identity group.
I look to move forward, and progress in all aspects of my life.
I also have a good social life full of family, and social events.

Different

My relationship values are slightly different than people with the similar identity.
I think women are able to do anything while taking care of their household. Women should work if they want to, and can control the household. Unlike others, I believe a woman should receive help from her husband in the household.

My relationship is based more on trust, and I don t feel the need to control everything he does.
I don t believe a family should be defined are judged by their social status.
Money is important to me, but is not a major goal in my life.

Addressing Maria Martinez
Identity is one of the greatest mysteries in psychology. The complication of self is felt by so many, and truly undefined. The true experience of identity is complex and contextual American Psychological Association APA, 2002, p. 177). This was proven to be true with my interview of my neighbor, Maria Martinez. The experience was fascinating. The analysis of the interview clearly demonstrated many levels of depth within this individual, and her individual identity. According to the Random House Dictionary, identity is the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions (Random House Dictionary, 2010). Miss Martinez was particularly fascinating because she is the center of attention in the apartment building where she lives. Maria Martinez can be described as a beautiful Latina who seems to attract attention and radiates beauty wherever she goes. Its easy to see that Miss Martinez is both admired and envied because of looks, and as Ive recently found out, her personality. I have always found her interesting as a heterosexual woman and by her beauty (including her inner beauty), and certainly understand why men are so attracted to her. Our interview helped me realize that her looks were not the only attractive features of Maria, and even greater interest lies in her as a beautiful person. For me, this woman truly represents many different things all in one.

The ADDRESSING Format
Using the ADDRESSING format was critical in my analysis of Maria and her view of the world.  The ADDRESSING format helped by showing all the aspects that form a complex individual. It also solidified the old clich that every individual is complex and unique. However, it was amazing to see how this format could clarify one of the hardest things to understand in modern psychology. Maria Martinez had many layers, and they were discovered, dissected and understood by using the Hays ADDRESSING format.  Recognizing the complexity of cultural influences is more difficult than either ignoring these influences or simplifying them into a singular dimension (APA, 2002, p. 284).

Maria Martinezs Background and Cultural Group
Maria Martinez was born in 1984. At the age of 25 she belongs to generation Y, which is also known as the Millennials and the MTV generation (Howe  Strauss, 2000, p.23).  Maria was not born with any disabilities and she has not developed or acquired any disabilities during her lifetime. She was born in Venezuela and stayed there with her parents until the age of sixteen. She came to America at the beginning point of her identity, and had to envision herself in a different way when coming into the new culture. According to Goodenow and Espin (1993), the adolescent period is a successful resolve of identity formation that will result in an identity that includes aspects of the self subjectively felt to be central and valued (p. 115).

Maria Martinezs Background and Cultural Group Continued
Miss Martinez shows a mix of strong Hispanic beliefs with obvious variations. She graduated with a Bachelors in Mass Communications, and is currently working at a television company. Miss Martinez is working hard to improve her career and create a stable future for herself and her family.  She has an American boyfriend, who works in the same field as she does. They want to get married, but they are waiting to become more financially stable. Marriage and parenthood often occur early in life and are seen as stabilizing influences (Sue  Sue, 2008, p. 378). This is the belief and the practice of most Venezuelans. To Maria marriage is an absolute goal, which shows the influence of the importance of marriage in her culture. At the same time, one can see that even though Maria is 25 years old, she is still working for a better economic situation to engage in marriage. For other Latinas, marriage has happened in an earlier age like Sue and Sue (2008) explained. Maria mentioned that most of her friends in Venezuela were already married and having kids she elaborated that she would like that married life, but she was still accomplishing other important goals in her life, goals she wanted to have out of the way first.

Religious Beliefs
Miss Martinez was born and raised Catholic, and her extended family is considered to be Roman Catholic. She practices her faith in her daily life. Maria goes to mass every Sunday and celebrates Catholic holidays such as Easter, Advent, Pentecost, and Christmas. She believes in the Virgin Mary, saints, angels, and Jesus. Praying is also a practice she engages in on a daily basis, and Maria believes that God is a major part of her life and everyone elses life. Doing good deeds is also a part of her Catholic faith, and Maria believes in helping others, and thanking God for everything good she has in her life. There is strong belief in the importance of prayer and religious views that include (1) sacrifice in this world in helpful to salvation, (2) being charitable to others is a virtue, and (3) you should endure wrongs done against you (Sue  Sue, 2008, p. 382). Maria shares all Catholic celebrations and her religious lifestyle with her family and friends. During her childhood and most of her adolescence in Venezuela, she attended various Catholic schools, so she was taught early on that religion is a large part of daily life. Catholic teachings understand morality and ethics to be divinely prescribed and rationally ordered in ways that enable the common good (Kryszak, 2002, p.155). Now that she lives in the United States, she still practices her religion devoutly, but it is not as present as it was in her childhood. Spiritual practice is important to Maria, and she considers it an essential part of her life. According to Maria, Gods hands are included in everything she pursues.

Ethnicity and National Origin
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, the capital city, Miss Martinez is seasoned in living the fast-paced life and enjoys life in the city. Maria has lived in America for many years, but she still identifies with the Latino ethnicity. Visibly she is a Hispanic woman, but it is almost impossible for Americans to begin to guess which ethnic background she comes from. Throughout Latin America, the immigration of European, African, and Asian populations has resulted in a wide range of physical characteristics (Sue  Sue, 2008, p. 376). These physical characteristics determine in which social group a person belongs. However, in her country she is considered White, which she explains that in Venezuela, socially, you are White (Light skin), Moreno (A little dark), Black (Dark skin), or Indian (Native). The description of the different Venezuelan races goes back to the times when Venezuela was a Spanish colony and many different European immigrants inhabited the land. However, these concepts are not accepted socially, even though many people still speak of these profile descriptions (Dineen, 2001).

Racial Identity
In Venezuela, having white skin is considered the best and most desired feature (Dineen, 2001).  Miss Martinez recognizes that in the United States she is considered a minority, and doesnt expect or even seem to want to be in the majority of another country. The United States is obviously full of Americans, not Venezuelans, and I respect and understand that (Maria Martinez, personal communication, April 20, 2010).  In the United States (US) Maria is considered Latina, and this fact does not affect her, for she wears this title proudly. An ethnic identity provides a sense of belonging and group membership (Sue  Sue, 2008, p. 383). Bernd Simon (2004) believed that membership in a minority group is a rare self-aspect, but membership into a majority is a frequent self-aspect. For Maria Martinez, she identifies with both the majority of the American culture and the minority of her Venezuelan culture in America. Living in the US since the age of sixteen has given her a strong understanding of American culture.

Racial Identity Continued
Acquiring American customs was easy for Maria, and now she celebrates all American holidays with her boyfriend. Although she enjoys living in America and lives the American life, she is vehement on staying true to her Venezuelan culture. Hispanics are currently the largest minority group in the United States. Hispanic Americans are a highly heterogeneous population with the large between-group and within-group differences. Some individuals are oriented toward their ethnic group, while others are quite acculturated to mainstream values (Sue  Sue, 2008, p. 376). In Marias case, she is a combination of both groups. She embraces her Latina identity and practices, but at the same time she loves American culture and participates with her boyfriend in the celebrations of the US.

Immigration to America
During her time in Venezuela Maria was a part of the upper social economical class. Upon moving to the United States her status changed to upper middle class. Her parents had to literally start again in their professional careers. Her father had an Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Boston University as he had studied in the US and got a degree, then moved back to Venezuela after graduation to start a family. He married his wife, and they had Maria and her younger brother. Marias father had the acquired career skills and the tools to start over in America, but started from zero after having a long career in his native country. Acquiring good jobs is vital for the economic success of immigrants (Bohon, 2005, p.34). Their careers and lifestyle changed drastically after moving to America. Although it doesnt seem like a big jump, going down a class can be very dramatic. Social events such as attending clubs, parties, going to nice restaurants, and having fantastic vacations were all taken away (Orces, 2009). So it may not seem major, but the Martinez family had to give up a lot of luxuries. Marias family worked hard to start a new life in the United States, and become financially stable after the big move.

Educational Background
Moving from one country to another can be a major shock to the system as culture and the value of money changes (2003 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, 2003). Marias family became established in their careers and made enough to send their daughter to college. She graduated with a Mass Communication degree and is working to follow in her parents footsteps. Maria wants to work hard and become a member of the upper middle class society like her parents. Hispanics are overrepresented among the poor, have high unemployment, and often live in substandard housing (Sue  Sue, 2008, p. 376). In Marias case, she does not share the economic reality of the majority of Hispanics. On the contrary she enjoys a stable economic situation and a professional career. Miss Martinez is still living with her parents however she explained it is part of her culture for in the Venezuelan culture young people live with their parents until they are married. Family tradition is an important aspect of life for Hispanic Americans (Sue  Sue, 2008, p. 377). For Maria living with her parents until marriage is normal aspect of Venezuelan life, and also a part of her religious and moral beliefs.

Sexuality and Marriage
Maria is heterosexual and in a monogamous relationship. She has an American boyfriend who believes in American courting practices. On the other hand she believes in marriage and not living together until you are married. Those with ethnically diverse networks have expanded opportunities to find a partner from a different ethnic or racial background (Clark-Ibanez  Felmlee, 2004, p.294). Her major goals in life entail a marriage, children, and a fulfilling career, which are goals for many people across all cultures. Maria knows she will have a major responsibility taking care of her kids and husband, but she will try to do both things (work and family) always giving priority to her family. Getting married in a church is also a part of her belief as a Catholic woman, and a belief many Catholics share (Korotayev, 2003). For her, Gods approval and blessing is important when marrying someone. Maria follows the religious guidelines of not living with a man until marriage, but she disagrees with staying a virgin until you are married.

Sexuality and Marriage Continued
The sexual behavior of young people has seen a dramatic change with a shift in sexuality and sexual attitude (Twenge, 2006). Maria Martinez is not immune to this shift, and shares the beliefs of many other Generation Y members. Maria believes that if you love the other individual there is nothing wrong with making love to them. She told me though, that when she had her first sexual experience it took a long time to get used to it psychologically and emotionally. Today, Maria has learned how to balance her religious life and her sexual life. On the other hand, Maria still deeply wishes that she could have waited until marriage. In practice and in reality waiting for sex after marriage did not work the way Maria wanted. She does believe in being faithful and committing to one man, even if its not in marriage. This belief is not practiced in her religion, but it is a common in todays Catholics and her Venezuelan culture (Weil, 1999).

Cultural Identity
Maria Martinez has no indigenous heritage. She is an immigrant, and left her country with her parents in search of a safer and freer life with her parents. According to her, Venezuela suffers from a corrupt government, insecurity and a high rate of homicides and robberies. Opportunities for young people are limited in terms of job outlook, growth, and financial independency. Maria loves her country deeply and she will always celebrates her culture, language, and customs, but she feels safety and freedom is important. America has provided the safety and freedom she desired, and the opportunity for Maria to become an independent individual, professionally and economically. She also explained that when she came to the United States, ten years ago, many people from her country migrated. Upon her arrival to the United States she met a lot of immigrants from her country and other Latin countries, such as Colombia, Ecuador, Cuba, Peru, and Argentina. All of the immigrants were looking for basic freedoms and rights.

Familial Background
This young woman came with fear and hope to the United States of America. Stress was prevalent in her family after coming to the United States. The stress was not present because of a legal issue, as they had the proper visas and documentations, but from their financial situation. The family spent thousands of dollars to immigrate and become legal citizens, and they were riddled with debt in the beginning. A lot of the familys stress was also caused by lawyers and government officials, who in managing their legalization were often negligent. For Maria Martinezs family, the process to become citizens of America took much longer than expected. Today, all those problems are gone, and the family is much happier and much more stable. They have recuperated monetarily, and of course are legal citizens of the United States.

Female Identity
Miss Martinez is a woman biologically and socially. She celebrates being a woman, and thinks women are strong creatures. Maria believes women have the ability to make the world greater and keep the earth turning. The status of her professional women in todays society has given Maria much pride and hope. She is excited to see all the opportunities women have and will have in the future. Her belief is that women can get married, have children, and have a great career.  However, family must be first in a womans life. Maria also believes that it is a womans job to maintain her household and family.

Beliefs in Comparison to Cultural Group Beliefs
According to Hays the Hispanic Latino group have many similar beliefs, which are very clear in Marias interview. Latinas come from diverse backgrounds and may or may not identify with any Latin American culture or political identity (Flemmer,  Huerta, 2001, p.272). She believes in the old theories of the light-skinned and dark-skinned people. Although she thinks its wrong, she cant help speaking those old words and even sometimes believing dark is less beautiful and desired than light. Maria also shares many of the same beliefs about marriage and sex as many other Hispanic groups. Sex before marriage is seen as an inevitability, but it is wrong.  In the Catholic religion it also seen as wrong to be unfaithful to your partner (Cahill, 2003).  Like her cultural group, she also has a strong sense of family. People in Marias group think that a young person must follow their parents footsteps and obey them accordingly. However, Maria and her familys independence is not the same as many other Hispanics.

Maria Martinezs Beliefs Compared to Others
Maria Martinezs interview definitely illustrates the complexity of identity. There are many factors that interfere in the determination of who she is. The concentric circles of the Tripartite Development of Personal Identity circle are reflected throughout the interview. At some points, All individuals are, in some respects, like no other individuals (Hays, 2008, p.30). At home she saw her parents stable, happy marriage, and she saw her mom working and taking care of herself, her children, and her husband. Maria also developed a strong outlook on education, as both of her parents graduated from college and worked hard to make a good financial environment for themselves. The Martinezs belief and practice of religion has given Maria a strong moral and ethical sense, while making her a kind considerate person. Her familys financial situation is desirable, but having a lot of money is not her main goal in life.

However, she believes money is a necessity and a definite plus in her life. In Generation Y it is common that people have no financial commitments, and 70 of a young persons income is spent arbitrarily, especially on food and entertainment (McCrindle, n.d., p.2). Going to clubs and parties is a part of Marias social life, but its not a part she saw in her family. Apparently, Maria never saw her parents intoxicated, and its led her to believe that you can have fun without getting drunk and losing control of yourself. Maria is a person whos very in control, and would never let alcohol or parties affect her negatively.

Maria Martinezs Beliefs Compared to Others Continued
Her strong familial background and grounded lifestyle has made Maria a responsible person. Responsibility is a big issue in her household, so being irresponsible is inadmissible for her. Honor is valued in her Venezuelan culture and household. The most honorable person is said to be the most responsible and dependable person (Benedict, 2005). Being a responsible person has become less common in todays society. So being responsible for herself and her actions makes Maria different from many common people. The way she practices her faith is different with Maria than in most people. She says many people she knows are Catholics, but they do not practice it. They just say they are Catholic, but they dont go to church or pray, God is part of my life every day (Maria Martinez, personal communication, April 20, 2010).   She goes to church on a weekly basis, prays, gives charitable donations, and even goes to confession to ask for forgiveness for anything she believes shes done wrong.

Beliefs in Comparison to Cultural Group Beliefs Continued
Marias outlook on love and marriage is also based on what she saw at home. She expects to have the same partner for the rest of her life. Maria also expects to be faithful to the person she marries, and have them be faithful to her. Miss Martinez explained that some of her friends lie to themselves about their partners fidelity, and this is something she could and would never do.  Infidelity is unacceptable in a relationship of any type for Maria Martinez. She also personally believes that a married couple should be close, but they should still be able to do the things that make them individuals. Individuality is important, and she believes that her partner has to be able to have his individuality. Having a separate individuality includes keeping his friends, and doing the leisure activities he enjoyed before they were married. Of course, this belief and practice is age-old, and like many others Maria does not believe in forcing her partner to be who she wants him to be. In the Venezuelan culture it is common that the man or the woman must lose themselves when entering a marriage (Chick, 1997), but this does not apply here. Miss Martinez is adamant in remaining an individual even when married. Marias American boyfriend also poses a problem to many in her culture, and even her parents. The people in her culture typically dont believe an individual should marry outside of their culture. This belief of marrying within ones culture is common in many Hispanic groups. However, Maria Martinez believes that love is love, and no one can or should tell another person who to pledge their love and life to. Crossing the borders of race, ethnicity, and culture carries social and psychological implications for couples, raising questions about group and family loyalties and partner and couple identities (Killian, 2001, p.41).

A Womans Role According to Maria Martinez
A womans role in a family is very serious to Maria Martinez. Her belief is that a woman should work if she desires to work. However, in her life family is number one, so if work interferes with family then you should not work. If you are able to go to work at least half time and be active and take care of your family and children the rest of the day you should do it (Maria Martinez, personal communication, April 20, 2010). Some of Maria friends revealed that they think a woman should stay at home all the time and they should not work. Her responses and attitudes showed that Maria and most of her friends while having similar backgrounds, being from the same country, same age, similar economic status, and families, had totally different experiences at home. Their different home lives made Maria and her friends think of marriage and a womans role in a different way.

Beliefs in Comparison to Cultural and Generational Group Beliefs
In Marias cultural and generational group many people have the same beliefs and goals including Maria herself. She agrees with the group that that you must believe in God, you must work hard to be a productive member of society and family is the center of your life. Family is the nucleus of the Hispanic life (McKay, 2010 p. 2). She believes in family, religion, conservative political views, motherhood, sensuality as public, and sexuality as private.  This is a shared view by Maria and her friends. However, through all those beliefs there is something inherently different in Maria. She is categorized in Latina ethnic group, but her individuality puts her in a whole different category, and separates her from many of her Latina sisters. Maria Martinez is seen as different from many people in her culture on the universal level. However, her interview shows that Maria, just like any other individual is looking for emotional, economical, and professional stability. She wants to feel like she is doing the right thing with her life and the lives of those she affects.  Maria has a bicultural orientation that combines her Venezuelan heritage with the American culture. A bicultural orientation allows individuals to maintain some components of the native culture and to incorporate some practices and beliefs of the host culture (Sue  Sue, 2008, p. 382).

Identity According to the Hays Document
Identity is a complex issue, as Hays explained with her ADDRESSING format, it is important to identify ones biases and background as well as our patients. The only way to understand an individual completely is to analyze them through different categories, not to include them in just one (Hays, 2009 p. 19). Hays showed that a persons identity is made up of different aspects and two people can come from the same place with similar backgrounds, but different life experiences can make them very different from each other. This happens in people all over the world, even in identical twins. The ADDRESSING acronym is a useful framework, which permeates every chapter of the book, calls attention to the multiple memberships and identities both therapists and their clients hold (Schwarzbaum, 2002 p. 1). The ADDRESSING format offers a way of doing a real assessment of a persons identity, and who they identify themselves to be. Nettle mentioned in his book that there is no discrete types of person (Nettle p. 40), and Maria Martinez certainly demonstrates this point.

Maria Martinezs Identity
The different aspects of age, developmental and acquired disabilities, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, indigenous heritage, national origin, and gender give a clearer view of the individual. (Felix-Ortiz, Myers,  Newcomb, 1994, p.110). One label or category is not enough for the full understanding of the individual, and Maria Martinez has clearly shown that fact.  Shes in the category with many other young Venezuelan Catholic women, but her life and beliefs are very different than many of those young women. The simple information and lack of insight when categorizing people can lead to error (Garcia, 2000). If one does not know Maria and her beliefs, then one might believe she is just like everyone else in her generational group or cultural group. Hays format helped offset this room for error, and gave light to individuals such as Maria, showing them for the people they truly are. The ADDRESSING framework is an excellent and welcomed addition to the field (Hays, 2009 p. 87).

Final View of Maria Martinez
Maria has shown me that people are different and alike in so many ways. Cultural diversity is less a problem than a challenge that offers the potential for personal growth, creativity, and deeper human connections (Hays, 2009 p. 66). In the past she represented the Latina next door, but now shes someone whos similar to me. She shares the same relationship problems and views as me. Identifying with people from different races and cultures is essential for a successful assessment of yourself and your environment. According to cultural competence models, psychotherapists must cultivate an awareness of their cultural identities and beliefs to better understand how their perspective impacts their perceptions of their patient (Dadlani  Scherer, 2009 p. 61). The information found in the ADDRESSING format can be useful in many areas, such as work, social life, and love life. This format can help towards the understanding of people and the understanding of peoples differences.

Final View of Maria Martinez Continued
Maria Martinez has shown in her interview and model that our perceptions are not enough in identifying a person. It is important to know all of the factors their background and beliefs before making a decision on whom they are. She had to adapt to a new culture in America, but she did not become a new person. Culture encompasses the ideas, concepts, and skills available to us as a society, so with this definition Marias identity would not be based on cultural surroundings (Nirmukta, 2010). Although some may think that culture played a huge role in what type of person she identifies herself to be today, it is feasible to see that its not the only thing to affect her view of identity. No matter where she is, and what culture she lives in, Maria Martinez will always be the person she is.