guatemalan maya ilse wallace

Guatemalan Maya Lake Worth, Florida

Introduction

The Guatemalan-Maya Center

Founded in 1992, as a non-profit agency

By Reverent Frank O'Loughlin

Serves 18,000 persons yearly

North F Street, Lake Worth, FL

21 staff members

Funded by the Children Service's Council, The Literacy Coalition, and Family Central of Palm Beach County

(Fooksman, n.d.; Guatemalan-Mayan Center, n.d.)

Introduction

The Guatemalan-Maya Center

Family and baby outreach program

Parent and child home program

Escuelita afterschool program

VPK summer program

Translation services

Legal help

ACCESS FLORIDA services

(The Guatemalan-Mayan Center, n.d.).

Field Interview

(The Guatemalan-Mayan Center, n.d.).

Field Interview

M. Martinez arrived in Florida during early 1980s escaping violence brought upon by the Civil War

The interview took a form of story telling

M. Martinez told a story with each issue, problem, or concern that she discussed

The major problems and challenges of the Guatemalan Maya people in Lake Worth are: lack of language, working too many hours, lack of legal documents, domestic violence, and no healthcare coverage

Lack of Language

24 different Mayan languages in Guatemala

10 different Mayan languages in Lake Worth

Spanish is also spoken by some

Problems, especially, in healthcare to understand treatment or their diagnosis

There are differences in words and their meanings even in Spanish

Two stories: Cuban nurse at St. Mary’s and 18 year old boy

(M. Martinez, personal communication, May 30, 2013)

Working Too Many Hours

Both parents often work

Children are home alone or are taken care by others and picked up late by the parents (Story of little girl)

“There is no time to raise your children like you want to, but this gives me strength to be here and help my people”

Real problem is with teenagers: Are alone at home. They are bored and running the streets, doing drugs, drinking alcohol, selling drugs, prostitution, and gangs. Also girls are leaving with older men and their mothers are worried not knowing where they are(M. Martinez, personal communication, May 30,

2013)

Lack of Legal Documents

Many in their community do not have legal papers

Have no job or have very low paying jobs

"It is just not fair, how little our people are paid, they are good and hard workers"

They do not know were to go to get documents

Many men have been deported

Single mothers in the community

"Problem is too that if they have accidents in jobs and do not have papers, then they cannot get any money or healthcare"


Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a problem in the Maya community

Both women and men are victims

Alcohol is often involved

"The Lake Worth police department sends them back home to danger because they do not have anyone who even speaks Spanish, so we try to tell our people to come here and then we call the police to do the report here because we can interpret”

A young woman with her children was being helped as we spoke.


No Healthcare Coverage

Due to lack of papers, they cannot qualify for Medicaid and in day jobs do not have health insurance by their employer

Use Caridad Center in Boynton Beach

Sometimes Health Department

Traditional Healers

Story of young man dropped off to the curb by hospital


Globalization

"Our people,

they are so worried about surviving themselves here

every day"


Global Health Policies

”They have so many problems locally”


Community Leadership

"This center is the leadership with Father Frank, who founded it. He is your

people"



Two afterschool programs and this summer started a new VPK program

To help with children being home alone

New counseling group meets Thursday nights. Hosted by two nurses with a Honduran heritage who volunteer their time

Mothers of the runaway girls or victims of domestic violence

Partnerships with various organizations

Legal help and help to get access to healthcare(M. Martinez, personal communication, May 30, 2013)

http://www.guatemalanmaya.org/content/marias-story


Their action is through the use of various media

TV (Channel 5)

Radio (Radio Fiesta)

Newspaper (Palm Beach Post)

The locals will come to them if they hear about anything concerning

"It they hear something, they come to us".


Guatemalan-Maya Center

Background

Maya account for approximately sixty percent of the population in Guatemala

The largest indigenous groups in the Americas

Ladinos have exploited them for centuries and still continue in Guatemala today

36 year war in Guatemala, started in 1960, resulted in destruction of over 400 Mayan villages and the death of over 200,000 people, majority of whom were Mayans, causing many to flee to Mexico and to the United States

(Burns, 1993; Brown and Odem, 2011; Green, 2009; Hiller, Linstroth, & Vela, 2009)

Background

Many Guatemalan Mayan immigrants came to the United States in the 1980s due to the immense violence of the war

Or in the late 1990s after the end of the Civil War in 1996, when the Mayan villages were terribly struck by hunger, unemployment, and continued violence

The Maya who came to Florida in the early 1980s came as families, however, later in 1980s this changed to mostly young men arriving alone (Burns, 1993; Brown and Odem, 2011; Green, 2009; Hiller, Linstroth, & Vela, 2009)

Background

The Guatemalan Mayan refugees come mostly from rural, poor western highland villages where more than twenty different Mayan languages are spoken

Most of the Guatemalan Maya who arrived in Florida came from the province of Huehuetenango and are referred to as Kanjobal Maya here in the United States

The indigenous heritage and injustice that Guatemalan Maya experienced in their home country, is often carried with them into their new life in the United States

(Burns, 1993; Brown and Odem, 2011; Green, 2009; Hiller, Linstroth, & Vela, 2009)

Background

1.1 million Guatemalans live in the United States

81,887 Guatemalans in Florida

19,615 in Palm Beach County

4,358 in Lake Worth

Lake Worth has the highest Guatemalan population of all Florida cities

Miami at second place with 4,060; West Palm Beach at third place with 3,775

(Pew Research Center, 2013; U.S. Census Bureau, 2013)

Background

Median age of Guatemalan in the United States is 27

Median income is $17,000

26 percent of them live in poverty

Only 8 percent have at least a Bachelor's degree

(Pew Research Center, 2013)

Background

U.S. Hispanics Guatemalans0

10

20

30

40

50

18

31

48

% of population without health insurance

(Pew Research Center, 2013)

Review of Literature

Language and race

Families and communities left behind

Stress

Health and illness

Undocumented immigration


Language and race

The Maya are considered Native American and not Latino or Hispanic

Healthcare providers are often unaware of the difference between Hispanic and Mayan

Creates many problems in their care because their traditions and language are vastly distinct.

Mayans do not consider themselves Hispanic, nor identify with the Latino community

(Czerwinski, LeBaron, & McGrew, 2011; Hiller et al., 2009)

Review of LiteratureLanguage and race

21 official Mayan languages in Guatemala and over 50 Mayan dialects

4 most common Mayan languages are Mam, K'iche, Chuj, and Q'anjob'al

The majority of the Lake Worth Mayan speaks Q'anjob'al today

Some Mayan speak or understand Spanish or a non-standard Spanish, called "la castilla"

Critical need for interpreters of the various Mayan languages because not speaking good enough Spanish or English is an immense barrier to health care (Czerwinski, LeBaron, & McGrew, 2011; Hiller et al., 2009)


Families and communities left behind

Today increasing amount of women are migrating leaving their children to be cared for by other caretakers, typically women, such as aunts and grandmothers

Remittance

Discipline from abroad

Separation

(Brown & Odem, 2011; Moran-Taylor, 2008)


Stress

Worrying about family’s safety back home

Waiting in job pools on street corners in hope of having a job for the day

Feeling of not being acknowledged as skilled agricultural workers

Accept drinking over the weekend as a way to deal with the multiple stressors

Have a higher risk for stress and mental health disparities because of their distinct culture, language, history of trauma, and immigration status.

(Millender, 2010; Millender, 2012)


Health and illness

Illness is caused by an imbalance between hot and cold elements in the body

Use traditional healers and medicines, such as herbs, and they often wait to seek help from Western medicine only if these traditional methods are unachievable or their illness has become serious

The Mayan prefer to receive health information through word-of-mouth communication

Frightened by the healthcare system and mistrust the care because their culture is disrespected

(Czerwinski et al., 2011; Long et al., 2012)


Undocumented immigration

Many Guatemalan Mayan work low paying jobs as day laborers, as majority of them do not have documentation due to the immigration laws that do not qualify them for political asylum

The United States immigration officials saw Guatemalan Mayan as economic refugees and not political refugees

1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act

Obama administration’s immigration reform S.744

(Burns, 1993; Mayo, 2010; Ruiz, 2013)

Globalization

At the grassroots, the Maya community in the Lake Worth, does not have a sense of globalization

Letter, on behalf of the Guatemalan-Maya Center, Corn Maya, and Ik Balam, to the Guatemalan President, the high commissioner for human rights in the United Nations and the office of high commission of human rights in Guatemala

(M. Martinez, personal communication, May 30, 2013; The Guatemalan-Maya Center, 2012 )

Globalization

Interconnectedness and interdependence between United States and the Guatemalan Maya

During the Civil War, the United States government sited with the Guatemalan military and the U.S involvement has been seen as the key aspect contributing to the human rights violations during the war Causing Maya to flee to Mexico and to the United States

The lack of U.S. authorities to recognize the Maya as refugees Lack of legal papers is still a critical issue, which also

affects their access to healthcare and the quality of their care

(Bradbury-Jones, 2009; Miller, 2011)

“What happens in one country matters for the rest of the world"

Globalization

Nurses are expected to be global citizens and be aware of various issues that cross borders and impact all of us

Influence of the United States globally, effects health care and its determinants locally

In 2009, President Obama started the Global Health Initiative (GHI), and one of its focus areas is combating malnutrition of the Maya women and children in the highlands of Guatemala

USAID also supports the indigenous women of Guatemala and receives funds from the U. S. Global Health Budget

(Kriel, 2011; Mill, Astle, Ogilvie, & Gastaldo, 2010)

Leadership Strategies

1. Internationalizing the Curriculum

According to the review of literature and the field interview, the Mayan feel apprehensive about our health care system and share that their culture is not understood or respected

Nursing education has the responsibility to prepare students to give care in a global context

Service-learning experience in a local, culturally diverse community

Study abroad experience in a Guatemalan Mayan village

Leadership StrategiesMultidisciplinary Service-Learning

The Maya Heritage Community Project (MHCP) is an example of an interdisciplinary service-learning project

Students and faculty from various disciplines, such as history, education, and nursing, work together to serve the local Mayan community

Various service-learning projects, such as the toolkit for health care providers, the handbook on teaching students of Maya heritage, and helping with the Mayan annual national conferences (Kennesaw State University, 2011; National Service-Learning

Clearinghouse, 2013).


Study Abroad

Larson, Ott and Miles (2010) discuss the impact of their school of nursing's first elective course offering a two-week immersion experience in Guatemala

Gained a deeper understanding of US politics in developing countries, and recognized the intersection of health and economics

Allowed them to respect the traditions and beliefs of the Mayan people, instead of seeing them as barriers to health or as odd


Study Abroad

Wright (2009) explains that during the past six years their school of nursing in the United States has offered a study abroad clinical course in Botswana

No matter where humans live, they have basic similarities

Partnered with a local school of nursing and after several years, the faculty from the U.S. school of nursing was asked to help the local school to start a bachelor level program


Internationalizing the Curriculum

Interdependence in education involves moving away from isolated institutions to collaborating with other institutions and organizations both locally and globally, with a goal of "harnessing global flows of educational content, teaching resources, and innovations"

(Frenk et al., 2010, p. 1924).

Leadership Strategies2. Political Activism

Nursing must be committed to social justice and social responsibility should be its core value

Health remains a goal to achieve and a commitment for humanity

One of the biggest issues that the field experience revealed centered on the lack of legal documents

Legal status would improve not only their wages and chances for stable employment, but their access to and quality of health care

Political activism is a way to take action against racial prejudice and social injustice, therefore promoting human diversity and health care for all (Kelley, Kun, Connor, & Salmon, 2008; Racine, 2009)

Leadership Strategies2. Political Activism

Healthcare is political because it is expensive and there are limited resources to be matched with the needs

It is nurses' responsibility to get involved

At this time of immigration reform, writing to Florida Senator Rubio urging him to vote in favor of the immigration reform bill, is a concrete and effective leadership strategy that would help both provide the W visas for the hard working Guatemalan Mayan immigrants and allow for the unification of their families (Roux & Halstead, 2009)

Summary

The field interview revealed that the challenges of the Guatemalan Mayan people in Lake Worth are lack of language, working too many hours, lack of legal documents, domestic violence, and no healthcare coverage

The review of literature confirmed that especially immigration and healthcare are of concern to the Guatemalan Maya people in the United States.

The review of literature further exposed that Guatemalan Maya did not trust the healthcare in the United States, due to their culture not being understood or even disrespected

Through the stories told by M. Martinez, this same theme for lack of cultural competence and distrust emerged

Summary The suggested leadership strategies were centered on the two

key needs of the community locally and globally:

1. Need for enhanced cultural competence for the nursing profession

2. Migration as it relates to healthcare

Including an interdisciplinary service-learning experience in a local community and/or including a study abroad experience in the nursing curriculum, were suggested as leadership strategies for enhancing the cultural competence

Political activism in a form of writing a letter to Florida Senator was suggested as a leadership strategy related to migration

Legalizing the Guatemalan Maya immigrants would not only improve their social status from "second class citizens", but would also assure them access to healthcare(LeBaron, as cited in Hutto, 2013)

ReferencesBradbury-Jones, C. (2009). Globalisation and its implications for health care and nursing.

Nursing Standard, 23(25), 43-47. Retrieved frohttp://ezproxy.barry.edu/login?url= http://search.proquest.com/docview/219889301?accountid=27715

Brown, W. & Odem, M. (2011). Living across borders: Guatemalan Mayan immigrants in the U.S. South. Southern Spaces. An Interdisciplinary Journal About Regions, Places, Cultures of the U.S. South and Their Global Connections. Retrieved from http://www.southernspaces.org/2011/living-across-borders-guatemala-maya-immigrants- us-south

Burns, A. F. (1993). Maya in exile. Guatemalans in Florida. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.

Czerwinski, K., LeBaron, A. & McGrw, M. (2011). Maya Health Toolkit for Medical Providers. Retrieved from http://www.brycs.org/maya-toolkit/upload/Maya-Toolkit.pdf

Frenk, J., Chen, L., Bhutta, Z. A., Cohen, J., Crisp, N., Evans, T., . . . Zurayk, H. (2010). Health professionals for a new century: Transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. The Lancet, 376(9756), 1923-1958. doi:10.1016/S01406736(10)61854-5

Fooksman, L. (n.d.). Day in the life of Guatemalan-Mayan Center. Retrieved from http://www.guatemalanmaya.org/featured/day-life-guatemalan-maya-center

References

Green, L. (2009). The fear of no future: Guatemalan migrants, dispossession and dislocation. Anthropologica, 51(2), 327-341.

The Gutemalan-Maya Center. (2012). Important letters. Retrieved from http://www.guatemalanmaya.org/letters

Hutto, T. (2013). The Maya: Elevate your graduate journey. Kennesaw State University Graduate College Magazine, Spring 2013, 22-26. Retrieved from http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/admissions/magazine.shtml

Kelley, M. A., Kun, K. E., Connor, A., & Salmon, M. E. (2008). Social responsibility: Conceptualization and Embodiment in a school of nursing. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 5(1), 1-16. doi:10.2202/1548-923X.1607

Kennesaw State University. (2011). The Mayan Heritage Community Project. Retrieved from https://commons.kennesaw.edu/maya-project/

Kriel, L. (2011). Healing the World. Retrieved from http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/health/110714/ghi-targets-chronic-malnutrition-guatemala

Larson, K. L., Ott, M., & Miles, J. M. (2010). International cultural immersion: En vivo reflections in cultural competence. Journal of Cultural Competency, 17(2), 44-50. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.barry.edu/docview/365997203/fulltextPDF?accountid=27715

References

Long, J. M., Sowell, R., Bairan, A., Holtz, C., Curtis, A. B. & Fogarty, K. J. (2012). Exploration of commonalities and variations in health related beliefs across four Latino subgroups using focus group methodology: Implications in care for Latinos with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 19(4), 133-142

Mayo, E. J. (2010). Maya USA: The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and its impact on Guatemalan Mayan in the United States. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 3(2), 29-44.

Millender, E. I. (2010). Stress experienced by Guatemalan-Mayan immigrants. Archives in Psychiatric Nursing, 24(3), 212-214. doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2009.04.001

Millender, E. I. (2012). Acculturation stress among Maya in the United States. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 19(2), 58-64.

Moran-Taylor, M. J. (2008). When mothers and fathers migrate north. Caretakers, children, and child rearing in Guatemala. Latin American Perspectives, 161(35), 79-95. doi:10.1177/0094582X08328980

National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. (2013). Interdisciplinary models of service-learning in higher education. Retrieved from http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/fact_sheets/he_facts/interdisciplinary

References

Olmedo, S. (2008). Mayan immigrants face prejudice. Daily Sundial. Retrieved from http://sundial.csun.edu/2008/04/mayanimmigrantsfaceprejudice/

Pew Research Center. (2013). Hispanics of Guatemalan Origin in the United States, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/06/27/hispanics-of-guatemalan-origin-in-the-united-states-2010/

Ruiz, D. R. (2013). Maya migration north: Transnational indigenous identities. Cultural Survival. Retrieved from http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/voices/debra-rodman-ruiz/maya-migration-north-transnational-indigenous-identities

Roux, G. & Halstead, J. A. (2009). Issues and trends in nursing. Essential knowledge for today and tomorrow. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

United States Census Bureau. (2013). American Fact Finder. Census Group 2010. Popgroup Guatemalan. Retrieved from http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices /jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF2_PCT43&prodType=table

Wright, D. J. (2009). Planning a study abroad clinical experience. Journal of Nursing Education, 49(5), 280-286. doi:10.3928/01484834-201000115-05

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