ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the concept of optimal human functioning among people of color and suggesting implications for the field of applied psychology. Several major assumptions will guide our journey. First, optimal human functioning among people of color may differ from the culture-bound goals of happiness, hope, subjective well-being, and self-determination posited by White EuroAmerican theorists and researchers. Second, definitions of optimal human functioning cannot be separated from the cultural context in which they arise. Third, optimal human functioning must consider a systemic perspective, in addition to focusing on the individual or self. Fourth, for people of color, overcoming adversity can provide valuable clues to optimal human functioning. Last, counseling psychology, in its study of human development, normal functioning, the positive qualities of the human condition, and multiculturalism is uniquely positioned to play a leadership role within the larger field of applied psychology by helping to integrate cultural diversity into psychological theory, research, and practice.
