final research paper

Mexican-American Culture and Health 1

Mexican-American Culture and Health

Student’s Name

National University

COH 310 Culture and Health

September 2013

Mexican-American Culture and Health 2

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the characteristics of the Mexican-American

community and the factors that contribute to their health disparities, such as low wages and lack

of health insurance. In addition, I will also discuss the culture, values, health beliefs and common

health behaviors of this population. Finally, I will provide recommendations for how to promote

cultural sensitivity and improve communication with the Mexican-American community.

Mexican-American Culture and Health 3

Mexican-American Culture and Health

Mexican-Americans who live in the United States have a rich history of traditions,

including strong religious, family and community beliefs. They have endured several conflicts

over history as well as strife in their country of origin. Their resiliency and resourcefulness help

them maintain an attitude of looking to the future. Even today, they strive to maintain their

culture, strengthen their families and create a better future.

History, Geography and Characteristics

People of Hispanic ethnicity are generally thought of as speaking and/or understanding

the Spanish language. They come from a melting pot of backgrounds and countries such as Spain

(Spanish); Latin America (Latino); and Mexico (Mexican). People born in the United States

(U.S.) whose ancestors came from Mexico are called Chicano, and those who have assimilated in

American culture from Mexico are called Mexican-Americans (Jandt, 2010).

Mexico is approximately three times the size of Texas and is bordered by the U.S. states

of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The country’s geography is ideal for agriculture

and farming since there are abundant water sources with several mountain ranges where they

have adapted to living in the rugged terrain (Wiley et al., 2020).

Historically, since the 1500’s, Mexico was under Spain’s control. In 1823, this control

was overturned and a republic was formed. From 1846-1848, during the U.S.-Mexican War, land

north of the Rio Grande was lost by Mexico to the United States (Giger, 2008, pg. 240).

Government corruption has resulted in Mexico’s economy becoming vastly divided between the

wealthy and the poor, thereby increasing poverty, hardship and lack of security for its people.

Since the Mexican Revolution in 1910 to early 1920’s, migration to the United States increased

as families sought better opportunities. In 2000, it was estimated there were over 33 million

Mexican-Americans living in the U.S., primarily in California, Florida and Texas. This number

increased 58% between 1990 and 2000, making them the largest minority group in the United

States. It is estimated that by the year 2050 their numbers will grow to approximately 102.6

million (Kline & Huff, 2007, pg. 188).

Mexican-American Culture and Health 4

Health Disparities

According to Kline & Huff (2007), disparities in health include lack of health insurance

and not receiving preventive immunizations. Increased morbidity and mortality rates from

diabetes and lung disease have resulted from not having health insurance, making it more

difficult to receive consistent, timely medical care. They are also less likely to receive smoking/

alcohol/obesity/ nutrition counseling and twice as likely to have chronic type-two diabetes over

non-Latinos. The longer people assimilate into American way of life, the less healthy their eating

habits tend to be. Diet, activity, environmental factors and genetic predisposition are all

contributing factors of type-two diabetes (Kline & Huff, 2007, pg. 195). These same risk factors,

along with lack of physical exercise and hypertension, lead to increased risk for cardiovascular

disease and myocardial infarction among Mexican-American males (Kline & Huff, 2007, pg.

198).

Socio-economic, Language, Political, Religious and Other Factors

First generation Mexican-Americans attempt to keep their culture intact by speaking

Spanish as their primary language and English selectively and persistently. The many different

dialects make it difficult to effectively communicate. Many youth speak “Spanglish,” which is a

combination of English and Spanish words in the same sentence. This adds to the complexity of

learning Spanish, and affects how different age groups interact (Jandt, 2010, pg. 340). Many

Americans are ethnocentric and may not see the importance of trying to learn Spanish.

Additionally, only about 5% of U.S. physicians are of Latino origin, which leads to additional

disparities in health care (Giger, 2008, pg. 246).

Compared with other Latino groups (Puerto Ricans, Central Americans, Dominicans,

South Americans and Spaniards), the median age of Mexican-Americans is 27.2 years compared

to 36.2 years (Kline & Huff, 2007, pg. 188). They comprise 83% of the U.S. farm/agriculture

workers (Kline & Huff, 2007, pg. 189) and also work industrial jobs (Giger, 2008, pg. 241),

primarily in the border states of California and Texas (Kline & Huff, 2007, pg. 188). Often they

work long hours with low pay. As younger generations attend school and learn English,

approximately 60% receive a high school diploma with 12% receiving bachelor’s degrees (Kline

& Huff, 2007, pg. 189). Those who do not graduate from high school tend to be unemployed

Mexican-American Culture and Health 5

and, as they get older, have poorer health than those who graduate (Kline & Huff, 2007, pg.

189).

Mexican-Americans come to the U.S. both legally and illegally, even with the threat of

deportation. According to Giger (2008), about one-third of the approximate 7 million

undocumented workers in the U.S. come from Mexico. Issues faced by migrant workers are not

understood by those who haven’t had to live under conditions they face each day. These include

living at poverty levels of income, moving seasonally, separation from families. Health problems

from long, hard days of physical labor result in back pain and arthritis and illnesses that include

poor dental health and possibly malnourishment (Giger, 2008, pg. 266). Political efforts are

being made to reform immigration laws allowing more people to gain legal status and eventual

citizenship (Giger, 2008, pg. 241).

Common Health Behaviors

Mexican-Americans, similar to the Asian culture, believe in the theory of hot and cold

imbalances; that is to cure an illness, you apply the opposite principle. They also include prayer

and herbs in their healing practices. Illness is thought of as misfortune or bad luck, or a

punishment from God, or just an imbalance in the body rather than diet, environment and other

factors that Western medicine implies. They may believe that old age is the reason for the illness,

thus there is no reason for making changes because illness is inevitable (Giger, 2008, pg. 254).

Folk medicine using “healers” is primary in the culture, which includes the concept of

curanderismo, the belief that health is a matter of chance and controlled by forces in nature

(Giger, 2007, pg. 256). People called yerbero (those specializing in herbs and spices) and as well

as curandero and curanderas (folk healers) focus on the sins of the patient as being the reason for

illness. At a higher level of healers are witches who practice black, red and green magic. These

types of folk medicine attempts are generally made before Western medicine, especially by those

who have limited English language skills and are dissatisfied with medical practice (Giger, 2008,

pg. 257). Since Mexican-Americans believe they have their own folk medicine health options,

they may not choose to participate in Western health care unless a trusting relationship can be

formed by health care workers.

Mexican-Americans are often diagnosed with advanced stages of breast cancer due to

fewer cancer screenings; however, there has been increased awareness of mammograms in recent

Mexican-American Culture and Health 6

years. Age, income, education, health insurance coverage, language proficiency, physician

referrals and system barriers contribute to the lack of preventive health measures (Kline & Huff,

2007, pg. 209).

Attitudes, Beliefs and Values

Mexican-American culture is very family oriented, with many living in neighborhoods

where they keep their traditions and language intact. Familiaismo, or family/group values are

emphasized over individualism (Kline & Huff, 2007). Mexican-Americans tend to live in multi-

level families, depending on each other for economic and social support. The concept of

respecto, which is a strong sense of respect for elders or those in authority, is prominent. As

members leave family neighborhoods for more independence and assimilation into American

culture, they can experience increased stress and depression. Students who do not graduate from

high school also tend to exhibit signs of stress as they have a more difficult time getting

employment. Men tend to have a strong sense of machismo, which does not allow for someone

to identify with loss of self-esteem or authority, so they may not acknowledge mental health

issues or seek help from outside the family. Instead they attribute their problems to physical

symptoms (Kline & Huff, 2007). Women may suffer stress due to changing societal roles where

they may be expected to work outside the home while still maintaining household duties and

raising their children (Giger, 2008, pg. 249).

Recommendations

It is important to understand the overall belief systems of the culture. The medical team

should understand the concept of espiritu (which emphasizes the mind/body/spirit each working

together) when considering health and wellness. Understanding personalismo (developing

personal over impersonal - institutional physician/patient - relationships) as well as confianza (a

trust/confidence relationship developed over time) will go a long way to develop relationships

that encourage better health outcomes.

Cultural sensitivity and avoiding the practice of stereotyping is important. Recognizing

cultural differences of health values and ethnic practices, family life, diet, and the availability of

insurance as well as helping to navigate health care and education systems, and encouraging the

Mexican-American Culture and Health 7

entire family to participate in education programs will help us to effectively interact with others

outside our own culture (Giger, 2008, pg. 264).

The rich heritage and family values inherent in the Mexican-American culture is a

valuable asset to the preservation of the same values the Unites States was founded on. By

embracing this group and working toward a better understanding of both Mexican and American

cultures, we will be able to move toward a healthier population in the future of the United States.

Mexican-American Culture and Health 8

References

Giger, J. & Davidhizer, R. (2008). Transcultural nursing: Assessment and intervention (5th ed.). St.

Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. Retrieved from __________

Jandt, F. (2010). An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global community.

London: SAGE. Retrieved from __________________

Kline, M., & Huff, R. (2007). Health promotion in multicultural populations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks,

CA: Sage Publications. Retrieved from ________________

Russell, Y., Williams, M, Farr, P, Schwab, J. & Plattsmier, S. (1993). Patterns of contraceptive use and

pregnancy among young Hispanic women on the Texas-Mexico border. Journal of Adolescent

Health, 14(5), 373-9. Retrieved from _____________

Willey, G.R., Griffin, E.C., Meyer, M.C., Bernstein, M. D., Cline, H. F. & Palerm, A. (October 30,

2020). Mexico. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/place/Mexico