Mexican Cultural Beliefs

Mexican Culture and Beliefs According to Blais and Hayes (2016), culture is defined as “the learned, shared and transmitted values, beliefs, norms and lifeway practices of a particular group that guide thinking, decisions and actions in a patterned ways.” Healthcare professionals are exposed to many different cultures throughout their careers and need to understand their own cultural beliefs and biases to be able to relate to others. Nurses must be culturally competent and sensitive in order to provide effective care to patients and understand the how cultural practices and beliefs can influence or affect the patient’s health and illness. Living in Northeastern North Carolina, I have had the opportunity to care for patients of Mexican descent. In the past 20 years, North Carolina has seen an increase in the Mexican population due to migrant farm workers. The population continues to grow due to some of the migrant workers establishing residence here and eventually moving their families to the area, instead of moving from farm to farm. Due to the increased population and issues with access to healthcare, our local Federally Qualified Health Center has developed a migrant farm worker program. The program will allow a provider to visit the …show more content…
The male and the oldest hold the greatest power and demand respect of the others. The father is looked to be the protector and the provider for the family. Women are expected to be submissive and are devoted to the home, their husband and the children and often self-sacrificing y placing the needs of others above theirs. The family concept is very important in the Mexican culture and is usually multigenerational. Extended families usually live close together or under the same roof. Family values that are instilled in children include loyalty, respect, obedience and conformity to family rules. (Hancock