Hmong American Concepts of Health

The purpose of this volume is to provide a comprehensive overview of the concepts of health, healing, and illness held by Hmong Americans, and to examine their experience with conventional medicine and medical services delivery systems as those systems exist in the West. The primary motive for conducting the research which comprises a substantial portion of the book was to analyze the extent to which Hmong American's experiences, as they attempt to seek healthcare for their families in the United States, are conditioned by enormous cultural clashes. By and large, the Hmong do not understand the complexity of the American health care system, while at the same time, mainstream healthcare providers know very little about the Hmong and their cultural background. This book will not only brigde that gap, but it will also provide some insight into the complexity of Hmong concepts of health healing, and illness and the Hmong experience with conventional medicine.