Music Therapy with Mexican Migrant Farmworkers: A Pilot Study

In the mountains of Western North Carolina, Christmas tree farms are one of the main sources of income for local farmers and landowners. In order for this business to be profitable to these individuals, many of them hire migrant farmworkers from Mexico and other Latin American countries. These workers, who may be either documented or undocumented, come into the region to assist with the care, maintenance, and harvesting of the trees. The farmworkers' journeys are often long and difficult and separate them from their families and social support systems for long periods of time. They often arrive to live in conditions that are less than ideal, and they must work long hours to make the most pay. Many of them will live with men they have never met before, and it will be the first time that they are not living with their families (Legal Aid, 2007). In these close quarters, if one worker has serious mental health issues, it can affect the entire house. Needless to say, many of these farmworkers experience high levels of depression and anxiety, which often present as somatic symptoms such as a high heart rate or shortness of breath. When a farm worker experiences these symptoms, his work may be affected, which may lead him to seek medical treatment if available (Kim-Goodwin & Bechtel, 2004).Since many of these farmworkers do not have access to medical treatment, psychosocial counseling or education, it is necessary to find alternatives that help them reach their fullest potential and maintain their health. As they have come to the United States to earn money for their families at home, maintaining health is critical to their success. How can their needs be met with culturally appropriate interventions?Latino and Mexican CultureMany Caucasians misinterpret the way the Latino population interact with them, as Latinos may be courteous, reserved, or polite. Knowledge of cultural differences is essential for therapists providing services to Mexicans living in the U.S. (De Leon Siantz, 1994).Two main components of the Latino and Mexican cultures include familism and machismo (De Leon Siantz, 1994). De Leon Siantz outlined three important aspects of MexicanAmerican family: familism, male dominance, and subordination of the young. Through familism, interdependence is emphasized over independence. While individual dignity is important, its importance is embedded in the context of the family and the individual's role within the family. While this system could imply distance, De Leon Siantz noted that personal interactions are highly important to this cultural group.Another component of the Mexican culture that is often misinterpreted or misunderstood by Caucasians is machismo, the idea that the man makes all of the decisions for the family and is responsible for providing his family with economic support (Andres-Hyman, 2006). While this often agrees with the predominant culture in North America, this cultural trait can cause great stress on Mexican men. Many Mexican men view this responsibility with great obligation (Clare, Jimenez, & McClendon, 2005).Music has long played a central role in Mexican culture. From traditional Spanish music, such as seguidillas, coplas, and fandangos, new genres were developed like the son and jarabe. As these new forms of music became popular, they began to be identified with Mexican national identity, even though they were regionally based (Sheehy, 1998). However, women's roles in the Mexican music culture have been somewhat limited. Many of the places where musicians, such as the mariachi played and socialized were cantinas (Perez, 2002). A girl was not supposed to play with the mariachi for fear that she would become a callejera, a woman who walks the streets.Migrant Farmworkers and Mental HealthWithin the greater Mexican-American community, there is the migrant farm worker community, which includes individual men and families. It is estimated that there are 1 . …