Mexican American Folk Illnesses and Practices in the
Rio Grande Valley of Texas by
Israel Cuellar, Ph.D.
The practice
of folk medicine and treatment in the Americas has an extensive history
dating back to pre-Columbian times. The Aztecs and other indigenous Indian,
pre-Columbian cultures made extensive use of herbs and are reported to
have had herb gardens that rivaled the herb and medicinal gardens of ancient
China. Many of the healing and religious practices introduced by the Spaniards
in their conquest became intertwined with indigenous folk practices.
Among some
of the more popular or well known of the many Mexican American folk illnesses
reported in the literature are SUSTO (magical fright), MAL DE OJO (evil
eye), EMPACHO (intestinal malady), and MAL PUESTO (hex). Other culture-bound
illnesses or symptoms include ATAQUES DE NERVIOS (nervous attack), NERVIOS
(nervous breakdown), PENAS (shame, suffering), and DOLOR DE CEREBRO (occipital
headache with neck pain).
Cultural
healers are often the treatment of choice for many of the culture specific
illness and maladies reported above. Cultural healers in the Mexican American
community are numerous and include: CURANDEROS (folk healers), HIERBEROS
(root/herb doctors), SOBADORES (massage therapists), and ESPIRITISTAS
(Spiritualists)
It is important
to keep in mind that folk illnesses often constitute a syndrome, a particular
pattern of symptoms, with not all persons inflicted having the exact same
pattern/features or symptoms of the illness. Also, it is important to
keep in mind that culture-bound symptoms and illnesses are the result
of culturally patterned responses to unique cultural stressors. As such,
there is not a simple counterpart in official diagnostic classification
systems.
Among the
interventions frequently utilized include prayers, incantations, use of
incense, herb-teas, BARIDAS (sweeping the body using special aromatic
leaves and branches), use of various secretive remedies, burning of candles,
use of ointments, etc. in ritualistic fashion, so as to produce a magical
effect) . Each type of illness or ailment generally requires a specific
approach or treatment.
In Mexican
American traditional belief systems, supernatural forces exit such as
to as to produce either evil or good. The CURANDERO(A) uses the power
of God (good forces) to effect their cures. The traditional curandero
(a) acquires a "DON" (gift) for healing, generally early in life, and
generally through some vision or spiritual experience. Because the curandero(a)
obtained their gift to heal from God, the traditional curandero(a) does
not charge a direct fee for service. The person seeking treatment may
leave a donation upon leaving the curandero(a) if they wish. The BRUJO(A)
(witch) uses the power and belief in the devil (evil forces) to effect
their MAL PUESTOS (hexes). A Shaman, on the other hand, is reportedly
able to work with both evil and good powers as needed.
Charlatans,
persons claiming to possess knowledge or skill that they do not have,
exit in the world of Mexican American folk healers as well as other professions
and are to be avoided and distinguished from genuine healers. Asking for
a fee for service and particularly for the removal of a hex is a good
give away that the purported healer is a charlatan.
Although
the actual incidence or prevalence rates for many of the above mentioned
folk illnesses is not known. It is suspected that these practices have
a long standing history and are passed on from one generation to the next.
There is some evidence to suspect that Mexican Americans frequently utilize
both modern medicine and traditional healing practices in alleviating
many diseases or illnesses, including mental, emotional and psychological
disorders.
A survey
of 379 Mexican American students at the University
of Texas-Pan American (UT-PA) conducted in 1994 representing five
generations (generations 1-5) with approximately 75 students from each
generation group yielded the following prevalence in the sample:
| Folk
Practice |
Percent
Answering Affirmatively |
| It
is possible to hex someone. |
30% |
| I
have been hexed in the past. |
4.8% |
| I
believe I witchcraft. |
33% |
| I
have been treated for empacho. |
32% |
| I
have used a curandero in the past. |
32% |
| I
have seen a curandero on multiple occasions. |
15% |
| I
would take my child to a curandero. |
28% |
| I
have been treated for Susto. |
36% |
| I
have been treated for Mal de Ojo. |
45% |
References
- Cuellar,
I. & Roberts, R. E. (1994). Psychological disorders among Chicanos.
In Joe L. Martinez, Jr. and Richard H. Mendoza (Eds.), Chicano psychology,
pp 133-161. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, Inc.
- Rivera-Arzola,
M. & Ramos-Grenier, J. (1997). Anger, ataques de nervios, and la mujer
Puertorriqueña: Sociocultural considerations and treatment implications.
In Jorge G. Garcia and Maria Cecilia Zea (Eds.), Psychological interventions
and research with Latino populations, pp.125-141. Boston: Allyn and
Bacon.
- Cuellar,
I. (1994). Prevalence of folk practices in the Rio Grande Valley.
Unpublished manuscript. Department of psychology & Anthropology, University
of Texas - Pan American, Edinburg, Texas.
...BACK
|
