NLPA member Dr. Cristalis Capielo Rosario recently gave testimony to the United Nations about the mental health impacts of colonization in Puerto Rico. Dr. Capielo Rosario’s argument for the psychological ramifications of Puerto Rican colonization included discussion of internalized narratives, perceived inferiority, and threats of depression and anxiety.

Dr. Capielo Rosario’s research indicated that self-determination could change the mental health aspect for Puerto Ricans by empowering the community and improving the population’s overall self-esteem. “I recently conducted a study in which I asked participants to imagine what would happy if the association between the U.S. and Puerto Rico ceased. The primary response was chaos. ‘We won’t be able to survive.’ ‘We’re going to die of hunger,’” Dr. Capielo Rosario explained in an Arizona State University interview, “But when asked in that same study how they would describe themselves and other Puerto Ricans, they said ‘we’re hardworking, we’re creative and we have a lot of assets.’ But it does not translate into the idea of self-determination. That’s a psychological phenomenon. We certainly have the economic and social resources to make it happen.”

NLPA warmly congratulates Dr. Lillian Comas-Díaz on her recent APA Presidential Citation from Dr. Thema S. Bryant. The citation was awarded to Dr. Comas-Díaz on the basis of her contributions and dedication to the field of psychology and society-at-large. 

Dr. Comas-Díaz is a clinical psychologist in private practice, and a clinical professor at the George Washington University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences. The former director of the Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs of the American Psychological Association, she was a faculty member of the Yale University Department of Psychiatry, where she also directed its Hispanic Clinic. As a clinician-scholar-activist, Dr. Comas-Días has participated in fact-finding delegations investigating human right abuses in Chile, the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and South Africa. The author of over 170 professional publications, Dr. Comas-Días has written extensively on the interaction of culture, gender, race, ethnicity,  social class, and spirituality in mental health. Some of her books include: Liberation Psychology: Theory, Method, Practice and Social Justice (co-edited with Edil Torres Rivera), Multicultural Care: A Clinician’s Guide to Cultural Competence; Womanist and Mujerista Psychologies: Voices of Fire, Acts of Courage (co-edited with T. Bryant Davis); and, Latina Psychologists: Thriving in the Cultural Borderlands (co-edited with C. I. Vazquez).  Her recent co-edited book with Hector Adames and Nayeli Chavez-Dueñas on Decolonial Psychology will be published in late 2023.  Dr. Comas-Díaz is a recipient of the American Foundation Association /American Psychological Association Gold Medal Lifetime Award in the Practice of Psychology.

NLPA welcomes Dra. Julia Roncoroni as our inaugural Chief Diversity Officer. Dr. Roncoroni will lead NLPA’s efforts to ensure the organization remains responsive to the diversity of our Latine identities and experiences. 

We are pleased to congratulate NLPA President Dr. Manuel X. Zamarripa on his recent APA Presidential Citation from Dr. Thema Bryant. The citation was awarded to Dr. Zamarripa on the basis of his leadership in educating mental health professionals in Chicana psychology.

Dr. Zamarripa, whose presidential term runs 2023-2024, was cited as a noteworthy contributor to the field of psychology for his "scholarship on the integration of culture, spirituality, family, and identity into therapeutic practice" (2023). More details on this prestigious award can be found on the APA's recent article, "Manuel X. Zamarripa, PhD, awarded 2023 Presidential Citation." We also encourage you to learn more about NLPA's Leadership Council on our website. 

The National Latinx Psychological Association strongly opposes the recent United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the rights of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina to consider the race or ethnicity of student applicants as a factor in its admission decisions. We are disappointed the court did not consider the overwhelming scientific literature that indicates exposure to diversity can improve the wellbeing and educational outcomes for all students. As noted in the amicus briefs filed by the American Psychological Association, prevailing psychological science indicates that campus diversity helps all students, and in particular, students of color experience less prejudice and discrimination, which can negatively impact their educational trajectory. We are deeply concerned with the fact that this decision will possibly decrease diversity on college campuses. Coupled with recent state-level decisions in Texas and Florida to ban Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices, we are increasingly worried about the negative impacts such actions will have on students and faculty of color. While these decisions evoke the concepts of equality and fairness their language, we are concerned that impact of these decisions and the message they send may embolden those who do harbor racist and discriminatory dispositions. FBI hate crimes data for 2021 shows bias-motivated attacks rose to the highest level on record. These decisions will have the greatest impact on those who have the least resources and the most barriers to obtaining equitable high-quality higher education. NLPA is committed to diversity, collaborating with other organizations and groups and to be “in community” to provide support and help students and communities of color achieve equitable education.  For assistance or support, please contact [email protected].

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We are excited to announce that registration will be opening in approximately one week! Monitor your emails from NLPA and follow us on social media for conference updates, including registration launch announcements.

The 2022 NLPA Conference was a refreshing and productive time of networking, learning, and growing. Whether you were able to attend or had to skip this year, we invite you to review the moments captured by camera.

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The National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA) endorses the mission and overall efforts of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans (California Task Force).

The California Task Force was commissioned by the California legislature to examine the negative impact of slavery and discrimination on African Americans and society, and to provide recommendations for wrongdoing and injuries caused by the state. California Task Force published their interim report (https://oag.ca.gov/ab3121/reports) on June 1, 2022.

We are thrilled to report a successful year of growth at the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA). We invite you to review the following 2022 Annual Report to learn more.