Hispanic Americans and Alcohol: An in Depth Investigation of Trends, Attitudes, and Cultural Issues Affecting Treatment Opportunities and Prevention
Loading...
Authors
Navarro, Rachel
Issue Date
2000
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The subject to be discussed in the following pages is a matter of great concern and
importance in American society today. As America becomes more and more of a melting
pot, salad bowl, or whatever the classification is nowadays, it is imperative that American
society be sensitive to the cultural needs and concerns of its people. The Hispanic/
Latino community is the fastest growing minority group in the United States and is
expected to surpass that of African Americans.
So how did I go about choosing this topic? Being half Hispanic myself, I have
always been interested in the culture, language, and people. I know that many Hispanics
struggle for some stability and representation in the United States, but have problems
with the language, finding jobs, receiving medical care, etc. It disturbs me to know that
there are certain populations not getting enough attention or treatment. I can remember
spending many holidays in the back room of my grandparents' home with my brother
watching television while the rest of the family was in another room consuming large
amounts of alcohol. This was not a site that my parents wanted to expose my brother nor
I to. Even though the alcohol abuse ended with my father, the damage had already been
done. My father had already experienced the affects and strains alcohol abuse puts on the
family. He has seen the violence, the rage, and the problems that come with alcoholism.
And even though my father rarely consumes alcohol, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and
cousins that have issues with alcohol trickle down to affect my family; my father, my
mother, my brother, and myself. My father was able to break the cycle of alcoholism, but
not every Hispanic family can do that. This is a deadly cycle that needs to be addressed
by society and the medical community.
It is extremely hard to change the cultural ideals of a people, but many Hispanics
suffer from health-related problems such as alcohol-induced diabetes or cirrhosis of the
liver. Toward the end of her life, my grandmother was required to have dialysis every
single day because she had done so much damage to her kidneys that they could no
longer function properly. Unfortunately, many low-income Hispanics do not have the
funds to afford health insurance and die for lack of treatment. In order for society to help
solve this issue effectively, cultural ideals, language barriers and traditions need to be
addressed.
Description
ii, 33 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo, Mich. : Kalamazoo College.
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.