Mexican Americans and Health: Sana! Sana! (The Mexican American Experience)
Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, and 60 percent of them are Mexican American. This book, by two professors of Mexican American studies and public health at the University of Arizona, is the first in a series aimed at undergraduates. Unlike Jane Delgado's recent ­Salud!: A Latina's Guide to Health (LJ 12/01), a broad-based clinical resource for women, this book deals specifically with policy issues affecting Mexican Americans in the Southwest. Drawing on interviews with Mexican Americans from various age groups and socioeconomic levels, the authors examine this population's experiences with healthcare, considering how such factors as language, cultural competency, immigration status, employment, and health insurance affect access to the healthcare system. They also note the need for culturally competent healthcare and the lack of Mexican American healthcare professionals. By identifying these problems, policymakers will be able to work toward improving the system. The text is ably designed to help students focus on the issues, offering not only notes and study questions but a list of acronyms, many statistical charts, a glossary, and an extensive bibliography of print and electronic resources. Useful for academic and public health collections as well as large public libraries. Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.