Immigration, Acculturation, And Health: The Mexican Diaspora (The New Americans: Recent Immigration and American Society)

The New Americans Recent Immigration and American Society

Edited by Steven J. Gold and Rubén G. Rumbaut

A Series from LFB Scholarly

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Immigration, Acculturation, and Health The Mexican Diaspora

Jill S. Reichman

LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC New York 2006

Copyright © 2006 by LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC All rights reserved. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Reichman, Jill S. Immigration, acculturation, and health : the Mexican diaspora / Jill S. Reichman. p. cm. -- (The new Americans: recent immigration and American society) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-59332-132-5 (alk. paper) 1. Mexican American women--Health and hygiene--New Mexico-Santa Fe County 2. Mexican Americans--Medical care--New Mexico-Santa Fe County. 3. Health attitudes. I. Title. II. Series. RA448.5.M4R45 2006 362.1089'6872078956--dc22 2006009807

ISBN 1-59332-132-5 Printed on acid-free 250-year-life paper. Manufactured in the United States of America.

Table of Contents

List of Tables .......................................................................................vii Acknowledgments ................................................................................ix Foreword...............................................................................................xi CHAPTER 1. Mexican Immigrants, Health Care, and Acculturation ...1 CHAPTER 2. Modeling and Measuring Acculturation .......................15 CHAPTER 3. Methodological Considerations, Data Collection, and Analysis.......................................................................................33 CHAPTER 4. Sociodemographic Profile.............................................51 CHAPTER 5. Models of Health, Models of Illness.............................63 CHAPTER 6. Change over Time in Health Prescriptions ...................77 CHAPTER 7. Cognitive Models of How People Should Behave When Sick ................................................................................. 103 CHAPTER 8. Therapeutic Options: Awareness and Usage of Complementary and Alternative Medicine................................ 115 CHAPTER 9. Crossing Boundaries: Geographical, Political, and Religious ................................................................................... 135 CHAPTER 10. Diagnosis And Treatment Efficacy........................... 161 CHAPTER 11. Antibiotic Usage And Rate of Acculturation ............ 187 CHAPTER 12. Nervios, Stress, Sadness, Depression: The Evolution of a Mind/Body Discourse ........................................................ 209 CHAPTER 13. Conclusion ................................................................ 229 Endnotes ............................................................................................ 247 APPENDIX A. List of Sending Communities ................................... 259 APPENDIX B. Survey Questions...................................................... 261 Bibliography ...................................................................................... 269 Index .................................................................................................. 289 v

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List of Tables

Table 1. Age by percentage of respondents Table 2. Years lived in the U.S. Table 3. Education levels in the