...the flaws in the healthcare system. Fadiman in her book humanizes the experiences of a Hmong refugee family, the Lees, and their interactions with the health care system in Merced, California. The book mainly focuses on the health care of Lia Lee, one of the youngest daughters. She is diagnosed with epilepsy, nonetheless, that diagnoses went against her family’s cultural beliefs. In her culture, they believed her illness was the result of her sister’s Yer actions, where she had slammed a door and the noise was what caused Lia’s soul to flee. According to Fadiman, “They [family] recognize the resulting symptoms as qaug dad peg, which means, “the spirit catches you and you fall down.” (20), therefore, for them it was a spiritual matter. Nevertheless, as a way to seek treatment, the family took Lia to Merced Community...
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...book As painful and tragic as the story of Lia is, this is a beautiful illustration of how culture can clash with American medicine. In the beginning, the reader can see, relate, and even side with the doctors at MCMC. You feel the Lee family is being ignorant and even selfish because they seem to be more interested in doing things their way instead of saving Lia’s life above all. However, later in the book the author is able to present the Lee’s point of view. How they and the Hmong community interpret certain things and the impact that their beliefs have on treating illnesses. Each side with the best of intentions in mind for Lia. Unfortunately, the cultural differences between the Lee’s and the doctors’ were stronger than those well intentions. 2. Identify and discuss three major themes evident in the book 2.1-The importance of cultural understanding and tolerance The most important and obvious theme of this story is the importance of understanding and accepting that there are many different cultures out there. Equally important is learning what these differences are so that both cultures can work together towards one common goal in a respectful manner. In Lia’s case the many misunderstandings due to religious differences and language barrier led to the Lee’s noncompliance of Lia’s medications. At the same time , the doctors’ unwillingness to even consider the Hmong’s beliefs or incorporate any of it in Lia’s treatment and care, also contributed to Lia’s...
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...Hmong Culture vs Western Medicine: A Social Constructionist Analysis Throughout Lia Lee’s medical journey, both her doctors and her family struggled to understand one another’s behavior resulting in misunderstandings, alienation, and distrust between the two parties. The social constructionist perspective and related theories on human behavior, such as symbolic interactionism, can be used to analyze the complicated and confusing relationship between the Lee family and the Merced County Medical Center doctors. The social constructionist perspective, as defined in the book Human Behavior and the Social Environment, states that “people construct meaning, sense of self, and a social world through their interactions with each other,” Hustchison, 2019, p 52....
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...to the Hmon customs, where Foua would have squatted on the dirty floor and pulled the baby out by herself, while trying not to touch the floor and not waking her other kids, until the new-born starts to cry. Another difference is that the Hmong bury the baby’s placenta and the Americans incinerate it. After birth a soul calling ceremony officially in order to confirm the quality of Lia’s name and pleasing the soul to reside in Lia’s body to protect her from illness and evil spirits. 2. Over many centuries the Hmong fought against a number of different peoples who claimed sovereignty over their lands; they were also forced to emigrate from China. How do you think these up-heavals have affected their culture? What role has history played in the formation of Hmong culture? The Hmong have had a marathon series of bloody fights, since the time they were living in the river plains of north-central China. As they did not accept any persecution or pressure of other governments to adapt they grew stronger with each time anybody tried to defeat...
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...expected to Americanize. Earlier Immigration policy required immigrant’s cultures and customs to melt away, but after the 1940’s immigrant’s considered white, such as the Irish and Italian, were accepted to have the hyphen of Irish-American or Italian-American. Their ethnicities and cultures were accepted but other immigrant groups that weren’t considered white enough such as the Chinese and Mexicans were considered too different and too strange so their customs weren’t accepted. When these large numbers of Hmong arrived to the U.S. they were also not considered white, so their cultures and traditions weren’t accepted and because of this made it...
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...for The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down “Fadiman describes with extraordinary skill the colliding worlds of Western medicine and Hmong culture.” —The New Yorker “This fine book recounts a poignant tragedy…It has no heroes or villains, but it has an abundance of innocent suffering, and it most certainly does have a moral…[A] sad, excellent book.” —Melvin Konner, The New York Times Book Review “An intriguing, spirit-lifting, extraordinary exploration of two cultures in uneasy coexistence…A wonderful aspect of Fadiman’s book is her even-handed, detailed presentation of these disparate cultures and divergent views—not with cool, dispassionate fairness but rather with a warm, involved interest that sees and embraces both sides of each issue…Superb, informal cultural anthropology—eye-opening, readable, utterly engaging.” —Carole Horn, The Washington Post Book World “This is a book that should be deeply disturbing to anyone who has given so much as a moment’s thought to the state of American medicine. But it is much more…People are presented as [Fadiman] saw them, in their humility and their frailty—and their nobility.” —Sherwin B. Nuland, The New Republic 3/462 “Anne Fadiman’s phenomenal first book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, brings to life the enduring power of parental love in an impoverished refugee family struggling to protect their seriously ill infant daughter and ancient spiritual traditions from the tyranny of welfare bureaucrats and intolerant...
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