Martha E. Bernal

Martha E. Bernal

Martha E. Bernal (April 13, 1931 – September 28, 2001) was an American clinical psychologist. She was the first Hispanic woman to earn a doctorate in psychology in the United States.

Bernal finished her studies at Indiana University Bloomington in 1962. Her work helped children who had trouble behaving well. She also supported people from different backgrounds, making sure everyone could get the help they needed. Her life and work continue to inspire many, especially young people who want to become psychologists or help others.

Childhood

Martha E. Bernal was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1931. Her parents came from Mexico, so she grew up learning about Mexican culture and what it means to be both Mexican and American. At first, her father did not want her to go to college because he thought women did not need to. But her older sister, Cristina, and her mother helped change his mind because Martha was very serious about learning.

Education

Martha Bernal began school in 1937 when students could not speak Spanish. She and her sisters were not encouraged to take advanced classes, which made her feel bad about her background and language.

In 1952, Bernal earned a bachelor's degree from Texas Western College, now the University of Texas at El Paso. She later got a Master of Arts from Syracuse University in 1955. At Indiana University, she faced unfair treatment because she was a woman. A teacher named Harry Yamaguchi encouraged her to keep going. With help from other teachers including Roland C. Davis, Arnold Binder, and Leon, she earned her doctorate in psychology in 1962. This was a big achievement, as very few Hispanic people earned doctorates at that time.

Work

After getting her doctoral degree from Indiana University Bloomington in 1962, Bernal looked for jobs as a teacher but could not find one. She then got a U.S. Public Health Service Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCLA and spent two years doing research. Later, she joined Arizona State University where she studied how Mexican American children develop their sense of identity.

During this time, Bernal wanted to help children with behavior problems. She focused on teaching parents new ways to respond to their children’s actions. She believed these behaviors were learned from their surroundings. Her work showed that behavioral support for children could be effective over time. She also created a tool called the Ethnic Identity Questionnaire to understand how Mexican American children develop their ethnic identity. From 1964 to 1971, she worked at UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute, and then continued her research at the University of Denver from 1971 to 1986. Her methods included giving parents lesson plans to help support their children’s behavior.

Legacy

Dr. Martha Bernal worked to make sure everyone could get help from psychologists, no matter their background. She pointed out that there were not enough classes or teachers who looked like the people they were helping. She said more teachers and students from different cultures were needed in psychology.

Dr. Bernal received many awards for her important work. She helped start groups to support people from different backgrounds in psychology. She also taught many students and helped them do well. Because of her, there are now scholarships to help minority students, especially women, pay for their education. On April 13, 2024, a Google Doodle celebrated her 93rd birthday.

Death

In her later years, Bernal faced health challenges and had to stop some of her work. She stayed involved in important projects helping people from different backgrounds until her passing. She lived to be 70 years old and passed away on September 28, 2001.