Cultural Competency - Multicultural Health Generalizations: Mexican/Mexican American
Mexican-Americans and Folk Beliefs: Part 1
- Several Mexican-American folk beliefs are culturally associated with an imbalance between nature and the supernatural.
- It is believed that exposure of a pregnant woman to an eclipse can cause her infant to have a cleft lip or palate.
- This belief originated with the Aztecs, who thought an eclipse occurred because a bite had been taken out of the moon. Hence, if a pregnant woman viewed the eclipse, her infant would have a bite taken out of its mouth.
- As a treatment, an obsidian knife was placed on the Aztec woman's abdomen before going out at night to protect her.
- This belief remains intact among many Mexican-Americans even after hundreds of years. The only difference of today's practice is that a metal key or safety pin is used for protection.
Source: Kurzon, Vanessa R. (2000). Mexican American Culture and Antepartum Management. Graduate Research On Line Journals, volume 2, number 1, January / February 2000
http://www.graduateresearch.com/kurzon.htm
Mexican-Americans and Folk Beliefs: Part 2
Mexican-American folk beliefs include:
- "Mal de ojo" (evil eye): an illness usually affecting children, caused by excessive admiration or covetous looks by others without touching the child.
- "Caida de mollera" (fallen fontanelle): believed to be caused by handling an infant improperly, such as bouncing roughly, dropping, or removing from the breast or bottle abruptly.
- "Antojos" (cravings): the belief that an infant may have characteristics of an object that the mother craves during pregnancy if the craving is not satisfied (e.g., the infant may have strawberry spots if the mother craves but does not eat strawberries).
- "Cuarentena" (40 days): the period following birth during which certain dietary and activity restrictions are observed to allow the mother time to recover from pregnancy, to bond with the newborn, and to prevent certain illnesses from occurring later in life.
Source: Kurzon, Vanessa R. (2000). Mexican American Culture and Antepartum Management. Graduate Research On Line Journals, volume 2, number 1, January / February 2000
http://www.graduateresearch.com/kurzon.htm
La cuarentena and Mexicans/Mexican-Americans
- La cuarentena is the 40-day postpartum period during which the mother is to rest and adjust to having a new infant.
- During this recuperation period, the mother is discouraged from getting out of bed for the first few hours after birth, unless she needs to use the bathroom. She is also discouraged from taking showers for several days.
- La cuarentena is also a time of special bonding between the mother and her newborn. Breastfeeding is one way of developing this bond.
- Although breastfeeding is more common among new Mexican immigrants, it is becoming increasingly popular among Mexicans/Mexican-Americans who have lived in the United States for an extended period of time.
- To provide for this mother-newborn bonding time, family members usually take care of household chores.
Sources: De Paula, T., Lagañá, K., & González-Ramírez, L. (1996). Mexican Americans. Culture and nursing care: A pocket guide. San Francisco: University of California.
Kemp, C. (2002). Hispanic health beliefs and practices: Mexican and Mexican-Americans (clinical notes). Hispanic Health. (Online).
http://www3.baylor.edu/~Charles_Kemp/hispanic_health.htm (2002, May 6).
Maternal and reproductive health beliefs. (2002). (Online). American Public Health Association.
http://www.apha.org/ppp/red/larisk.htm (2002, Feb. 13).
Mexican-American Death Rituals
Mexican-Americans' death rituals are primarily an adaptation of their religion practiced, most commonly Catholicism. Mexican-Americans may often have a calm acceptance of illness or dying and view death as a natural part of life (Heusinkveld, 1993, as cited in Purnell, L. D., & Paulanka, B. J. 1998). Family members may arrive in large numbers at the hospital or home in times of illness or an approaching death. When a person dies, relatives and friends may gather for a velorio (a festive watch over the body of the deceased person before burial). Many Mexican-Americans bury the body within 24 hours, which is required by law in Mexico. More traditional Mexican-Americans may continue their native practice of erecting altars in their homes to honor deceased relatives on the anniversary of their deaths. The dead are [especially] honored [every November 2nd], with candles, decorations, and by bringing the deceased's favorite meal to a picnic at the grave site [where family members may spend the night praying and singing] (Heusinkveld, 1993, as cited in Purnell, L. D., & Paulanka, B. J. 1998). This celebration is known as el Día de los Muertos (the day of the dead).
Source: Purnell, L. D., & Paulanka, B. J. (1998). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach. Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company.
