The Hmong people prefer shamans over doctors. So one hospital decided to provide both.
When your culture doesn't believe in medicine, how can a hospital bridge that gap and provide health care when you really need it?
That was the Hmong community's dilemma when they resettled in Merced, California. Originally from the rural mountains of southeast Asia, the Hmong mainly worked as farmers before getting caught in the crossfire of the Vietnam War. With the death toll rising, the Hmong were forced to flee to countries such as Thailand, France, and the United States.
All images via Dignity Health.
When it comes to treating illnesses, the Hmong believe in the healing power of shamans — not doctors — to ward off bad spirits, which they consider to be the true source of sickness. Hmong shamans are mediators between the physical and spiritual world and are known to sacrifice animals and go into trances to retrieve wayward spirits and heal their patients.
This method, however, isn't recognized by western culture. So when many Hmong first moved to the U.S., they were understandably overwhelmed by the advancements in modern medicine that some of them were seeing for the first time. Because of that, they would avoid the hospital and only go for treatment when their condition was absolutely critical.
Mercy Medical Center decided to bridge this cultural gap and take a different approach to make their new patients comfortable. Watch how it all unfolded right here:
When cultures blend, wires can get crossed. So when Western medicine practices were getting lost in translation with Hmong traditions, this hospital was there to help.
Posted by Upworthy on Friday, February 10, 2017
There was a huge culture shock on both sides when Hmong community members first made their way to Merced.
Hospital procedures can be a scary thing, but just imagine how scary they can be if they're all new to you. The Hmong weren't aware of the science of the human body and how the body functions. Their language also doesn't directly translate many medical terms, so they often didn't understand what doctors were telling them.
Mercy Medical Center also initially wasn't aware of the practices of the Hmong shamans. For example, they didn't know that shamans tie a string around the wrist of the patient to keep bad spirits away, and, not knowing its meaning, some hospital staff would cut it off.
But as time went by, both sides came to understand that each had the patient's interest in mind, and everyone wanted to find a way to make sure that patients were getting the best treatment possible. The answer? Make shamans part of the hospital culture.
"We wanted to bring the shaman into the hospital because we understand that healing is looking at the person as a whole," says Janice Wilkerson, mission integration director at Mercy Medical Center. "It’s body, mind, and spirit."
Hmong shamans and doctors now work hand in hand to heal their patients.
The shamans are taught how a hospital functions, and in turn, the shamans expose the doctors more about their culture. "To learn more about the traditional belief, the spiritual healer, to listen to them, to see how they do it, how do they help the patient," adds Palee Moua, director of S.E.A. engagement.
Shamans are now able to go through a series of classes that help seamlessly integrate them into the hospital culture. In addition, the hospital allows nine different ceremonies that shamans are able to perform for their patients. Most of these ceremonies involve soft chanting where, according to the shamans, they are able to strengthen the patient's body or, in certain cases, retrieve their soul.
"The doctors respect me as much as a doctor," says Xia Vang, a Hmong shaman who works at Mercy Medical Center.
Other hospitals around the U.S. are following suit and embracing the cultural practices of their immigrant communities.
A 2007 survey conducted by The Joint Commission shows how hospitals around the U.S. are embracing these cultural changes and listening more to the needs of their patients. The survey not only identified the challenges that arise, but also pointed out concrete ways to address them — whether it's fixing the language barrier or employing a more diverse staff. Because of advancements like this, the relationship between health care provider and patient can only get stronger.
That's why we're seeing health care developments such as the Good Samaritan Hospital putting Korean seaweed soup on their maternity ward menu and birthing doulas being provided for Somali women in cities like Minneapolis.
When hospitals, like Mercy Medical Center, provide treatment and respect their patients' cultures, they're able to improve their quality of life in a much more impactful way.
It can be a challenging hurdle to overcome for sure, but when we open our minds and hearts to the differences that other cultures bring, amazing things can happen.
"Whatever issues we have, we should be open and go learn with our western counterparts," adds Xia Vang. "We should not stay at home, or else we won’t see the larger path ahead of us."
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."