Development and Diabetes
Carolyn Smith-Morris, Ph.D., M.S., LPC
The Mexican Health Paradox
Carolyn Smith-Morris, Ph.D., M.S., LPC
Daisy Morales-Campos, M.S.
Matthew Turner, M.S.
This small-scale research project investigates the so-called Hispanic Health Paradox. Identified almost 20 years ago and debated at length in clinical and epidemiological literatures, the paradox suggests that Hispanic migrants to the U.S. have lower mortality rates than African or Caucasian Americans despite their higher risk for a variety of chronic conditions including diabetes and heart disease. Ethnographic techniques have been applied rarely – and then, only minimally – to these questions. This research investigates two, predominant hypotheses in the debate, the Salmon Effect and the Healthy Migrant Effect, among 30 first-generation Mexican migrants in Dallas. Our findings attest to the relevance of familismo and respeto as culturally distinctive and influential attributes that migrants carry with them in their travels. We discuss the implications of these characteristics for their future health.
Publications:
| Under Review | “Ethnography of the Mexican Health Paradox: Respeto and Familismo in Mexican Migrant Narratives. Submitted to Medical Anthropology Quarterly. |