MEXICAN-AMERICAN,

HISPANIC AMERICAN,
AND PUERTO RICANAMERICAN CULTURE

MAP

Primary Languages
and
Communication
Spanish remains
the
primary
Styles:

language of the Mexicans,

Hispanics and Puerto Ricans.

Distinction:
Mexican people are soft spoken.
A raised voice is thought to
indicate anger; staying calm is a
respected virtue.
Mexican people may seem to
agree when they really do not;
nodding may mean nothing more
than respect for the athletic

 Personal distance is close (1.5 to 4

feet, or 0.5 to 1.2 meters).
Women may greet each other with a
kiss or cheek-to-cheek hug even if it
is their first meeting.
Maintaining eye contact is a sign of
respect in some cultures, Mexicans
may interpret it as a challenge or
intimidation.
Silence may indicate many things,
such as doubt, shyness, disapproval,

Dos and Donts (Attitudes):

Dont address a person by
his or her first name unless
you have received
permission to do so.
Do greet with Seor (male),
Seora (married female), or
Seorita (unmarried female).

 If you must wave, do so with the

palm down so as to not offend
the person.
Dont point at a person; doing so
is considered disrespectful.
Do shake hands, and always
start with the oldest person
first.

Religious Beliefs:
Christianity is the most common
religion. Most Mexicans, Hispanics and
Puerto Ricans identify themselves as
Catholic, while a smaller percentage
identify themselves as Protestant.
Faith and church are often central to
family and community life; this is
especially
apparent
in
the
understanding of illnesses and healing.

 Health is a gift from God and

should not be taken for granted.
The prevention of illness is an
accepted practice that is
accomplished with prayer, the
wearing of religious medals, or
amulets, and keeping relics in the
home.
Visiting shrines, offering medals
and candles, offering prayers and
the lighting of candles is a
frequently observed practice.

 Many homes have shrines with statues

and pictures of Saints. The candles
are lit here and prayers are recited.
El
Dia
de
las
Candelarias,or
"candlemas," is observed annually on
the evening of February 2; people build
a massive bonfire around which they
drink
and
dance.

Family cultures:
Familism,
the
prioritization
of
family considerations over individual
or community needs.
Machismo is a stereotype for Mexican
males, so keep an open mind not to
stereotype each person with this
attitude .
A large family is thought to be a sign
of machismo because the man of the
house has sexual prowess .

Food Practices:
Diet is rich in a variety of foods and dishes that
represent a blend of pre-Columbian,
indigenous Indian, Spanish, French, and more
recently, American culture.
Food is often spicy (there are ninety varieties
of chiles), but spicy sauces vary with the
region.
Because of extensive use of frying as a cooking
method, the diet is also high in fat.

 Prepackaged food is not viewed

favorably; tortillas, for example, are
not store bought but made from
scratch.
Puerto Rican customs revolve around
the ritual significance of food and
drink. It is considered an insult to
turn down a drink offered by a friend
or stranger.

Common Diseases:
Heart disease is theNo. 1killer for all
Americans and stroke is the fourth
leading cause of death. Mexicans,
Hispanics and Latinos, however, face
even higher risks ofcardiovascular
diseasesbecause
ofhigh
blood
pressure,obesity anddiabetes.
AIDS, alcohol and drug dependency,
and a lack of adequate health care
coverage are the biggest healthrelated concerns facing the Puerto

Health Beliefs:
In traditional Mexican culture, it is
believed that illness results from
three causes: sin, imbalance, and
witchcraft. To correct an imbalance,
people consume foods or herbs with
the opposite quality.
Touching a childs head is believed
to cause an illness calledcaida de la
mollera, which involvesdehydration
and vomiting and results in a fallen
fontanel.

 Empacho, an Illness can also

result from a dislocation of
different parts of the body.

Envidia, or envy, causes illness

and bad luck. A spiritual healer
(espiritualista) is used to resolve
these forms of witchcraft illness.

Susto, also known as fright

sickness, arises from a traumatic
or frightening experience and is

 Tuberculosis (TB) is sometimes

classified as susto. Treatments
for susto include herbal teas,
relaxation techniques, covering
the face with a cloth and
sprinkling holy water, spitting a
mouthful of water or alcohol into
the persons face unexpectedly,
or the use of a folk healer to coax
the soul back to the persons
body.
Mal de ojo (bad eye) is caused

 If the home remedy is ineffective, the

ill person may consult a yerbero
(herbalist),
a
sobador
(massage
therapist), or a partera (midwife). If a
person does not experience relief, he
or she may seek the services of a
curandero
(holistic
healer).
Curanderos, male or female, address
the social, physical, spiritual, and
psychological aspects of health.

Nursing Care:

Because family is very important to

Mexicans, it may be helpful to speak
with both the patient and family
members.
However,
to
protect
confidentiality,
seek
a
patients
permission first.

Do not assume that nonverbal cues,

such as nodding yes, mean that a

Because many medications,

including antibiotics, are obtained
easily in pharmacies in Mexico, it is
important to ask patients what
medicines or treatment they have
taken for their symptoms.

Take time to establish rapport.

Mexican patients may more likely
trust health care workers with whom
they have a personal relationship.

Many Mexican patients may not

Recognize that some Mexicans

may use folk remedies. As a
result, they may delay seeking
treatment while waiting to see
the effect of these remedies.

Seek a patients permission

before making physical contact
during an examination. Mexicans
may be uncomfortable being
touched by a health care provider.

END.