The goal of the project is to understand the alternative health knowledge of the Mexican Americans that live in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The area that the people live in is one of the most economically deprived areas in the United States and as a result there is the high incidence of certain illnesses like diabetes type II. In past studies dealing with the alternative health issues of Mexican Americans the focus has been on the knowledge of the health expert or curandero. This study will focus on the understanding of the people and not the expert. The standard anthropological methodological technique of participant observation will be used in data collection. The principal investigator will visit the numerous herb shops and catalog all the different materials used in treating illness, from herbs to talismans. It is important to have a complete understanding of all the remedies available to the people. A questionnaire will be developed, based upon the collected data, to determine the extent of use such items in the daily lives of the people in the treatment of illness. This study will have far reaching implications concerning the use of alternative health remedies in place of modern biomedical therapies. Also, Mexican Americans have to deal with non-organic Illnesses such as susto, a culture bound syndrome found among Hispanic people. The biomedical establishment is not able to deal effectively with illnesses that have a cultural origin. Based on current statistics Hispanics are poised to become the largest minority in the country. Mexican Americans comprise the largest of all the Hispanic groups. As the Mexican American population increases in the United States and their distribution outside the Southwest grows, their health issues will become more important for all health care specialists.
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