essay

'All the good and bad in this world': Women, traditional medicine, and Mexican American culture

twice a minority : mexican american women • St. Louis, Missouri • Published In 1980 • Pages: 127-148

By: Macklin, June.

Abstract

This article examines the relation between the role of women and traditional or folk medicine in Mexican American culture. Although several aspects of Mexican American folk medicine are discussed in this study, major emphasis in on the role of women as healers or CURANDERAS, and their relationship to the spiritist/spiritualist mediums. Macklin writes that 'as a healer, a woman epitomizes all of the good associated with femininity: she is knowledgeable, self-sacrificing, nurturant, caring, submissive yet protecting, loyal, chaste, and close to divine power; but the same arcane knowledge and ability to traffic with spirits suggest all that is dark, mysterious, and bad in the power of being a female' (p. 127). As an example of a particularly successful CURANDERA the author presents biographical data on Mrs. Lila G.-- how she became a healer, her relationship to the spirit world (especially the spirit of El Niño Fidencio, who was her primary spirit helper in curing), and general notes on her methods of curing.

HRAF PubDate

2002

Region

North America

Sub Region

Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures

Document Type

essay

Evaluation

Creator Type

Social Scientist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

John Beierle ; 2001

Field Date

no date

Coverage Date

not specified

Coverage Place

United States

Notes

June Macklin

Includes bibliographical references (p. 146-148)

LCCN

80011177

LCSH

Mexican Americans