This year for Women’s History Month, we are highlighting different women each week who, although you may have not heard of previously, have contributed greatly to society.
The final woman to be highlighted this month is Martha Bernal, the first Latina to receive a PhD in psychology in the US.
Bernal grew up in El Paso, Texas and was raised by Mexican immigrants. Her successes in school started at a young age.
Her father did not initially support her educational aspirations. According to the obituary published in the American Psychologist, “He believed that women were to be married and a college education for a woman was a waste.” When he noticed her persistence and the support of her mother and sister, he eventually supported her through college and graduate school.
In Martha’s childhood, she experienced discrimination against Mexican Americans. In the American Psychologist obituary, “Spanish was not permitted in school, and both the community and the school were ethically segregated.”
In 1962, she earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Indiana University, Bloomington. At the University, she encountered many accounts of racism and sexism. According to author Linda Woolf, “At Indiana University, female students were not invited to participate with their professors on research projects. The ones that participated were mainly white students.” She almost dropped out of the program but succeeded with the help of peers and faculty.
After graduating with her PhD, Dr. Bernal narrowed her focus of psychology to two areas: learning theory and multicultural studies.
In the 1970s, she dedicated herself to the goal of ensuring students of color would have the opportunity to receive graduate training. She applied much of her research to increase the status of ethnic minority recruitment, retention, and training. According to Society for the Psychology of Women, “Her social action research focused attention on the dearth of ethnic minority psychologists and to recommend steps for addressing that problem.”
She continued to implement strategies to increase the presence of ethnic minority students. She received numerous National Research Awards from NIHM (National Institute of Mental Health) and other foundations.
At Arizona State University, Martha and a colleague worked to develop methodology for measuring ethnic identity and how it correlates in Mexican American children. Her work has been widely published and has had a significant impact within the field.
Bernal also was involved in creating the Board of Ethnic Minority Affairs (BEMA), where she would serve on the Education and Training Committee. This helped form the National Latino/a Psychological Association.
She was active in committees like the APA’s Commission on Ethnic Minority, Recruitment, Retention and Training (CEMRRAT) and the Committee of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Affairs.
Her numerous awards and life achievements provided guidance and inspiration to a wide range of psychologists of color, both men and women. Her commitment to advancing scholars of color, had a special impact on Latina women and other women of color.
In 2001, Martha died of cancer at age 70. To honor her contributions, a scholarship fund has been set up at Arizona State University.
Sources:
Dr. Martha Bernal: The First Latina with a PhD in Psychology – Salud America (salud-america.org)