The Latino Patient – Cultural Values

Cultural Values of Latinos

Acculturation increases as individuals remain in a country for a longer period of time and as the generations proceed. The initial immigrants that come to a country will retain many of their core values and traditions from their home country but their children and the children of their children will become more and more representative of the mainstream society. For Latinos in the United States, there are a few basic values that seem to be retained regardless of the amount of time spent in the country or the generation level. While the culture in the United States tends to be very individualistic, the Latino culture is group- and family-oriented. American culture is often focused on personal achievement; Latinos strive for harmonious relationships and cooperation. In the US, respect is often awarded to those who have achieved success, but for Latinos, respect is given due to age, gender, or hierarchy.

In addition to these three values that are constant across generation and acculturation levels, there are several other general values shared by all in the Latino culture that do vary slightly as individuals acclimate to the mainstream culture.

The values listed below are the most relevant to a clinical encounter in a health care setting.

Collectivism

Latinos tend to enjoy spending time with others as opposed to being alone for personal satisfaction and self-assurance. Workplace or social relationships strengthen all and give the individuals a sense of belonging. Situations are viewed from the perspective of the group instead of that of the individual.

Familism

Latinos highly value family relationships and often maintain close relationships with family members, close and distant alike. Due to the fact that many Latinos consider the family to be “sacred,” many health issues can be addressed most effectively by including some or all family members.

I have witnessed this with my host family. We spend time very regularly with various family members, including the brother of my host mom and her father. Much of the distant family, including various distant cousins, aunts, and uncles, has also come to visit on multiple occasions.

Personalismo

Personalismo refers to the ability to relate to other human beings on a personal level, without regard to the social level or economic class.

My host mom is a prime example of this. My host family is well-off compared to much of the population in Peru but when visitors come to our home, she treats everyone the same, always offering food, tea, or anything else we may have to offer. We have had visitors from the “campos” (fields or country, generally people of a lower economic standing) come to our home, and they are always treated with respect and courtesy.

Respect & Power Distance

People in positions of power deserve respect and obedience. In a health care setting, a doctor is rightfully perceived as being more knowledgeable about health and disease than the patient and thus is respected and obeyed. Additionally, respect and admiration are awarded due to valued qualities a person may possess, such as honesty, integrity, and courage.

Simpatía

The ability to develop a harmonious relationship that expresses a warm and caring attitude is known as simpatía. It is important for a health care provider who is working with Latinos to have a “people-oriented” disposition.

Time Orientation

Managing time appropriately is not of high priority for Latinos. In most Latin America countries, the pace of life is a little slower and more relaxed, with less bureaucratic health care systems. Consequently, when Latinos immigrate to a country like the United States, they may often arrive late for appointments, not out of respect for the doctors, but rather because their culture never taught them to value timeliness.

I have fully experienced the lack of concern for time and timeliness during my time here. On more than one occasion I have had to wait at least 30 minutes for a friend to show up to hang out or have coffee. Coming from a culture where time management is crucial, I absolutely hate to be late and hate to have others waiting on me. It is different to experience an entire culture that doesn’t care so much about being on time or not.