ANT E105 Lecture 25: Ant_E105_Class_-_25
Alexander Stanley
Ant E 105
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Fall 2019
Do Beliefs Matter?
● Chinese and Propitious Years
● Fire year = ends in 6 or 7 = heart conditions
● Earth year = ends in 8 or 9 = diabetes, peptic ulcers, cancerous growths
● Metal year = 0 or 1 = bronchitis, emphysema, or asthma
● Examined death records in California between 1969 and 1990:
● 28,269 adult Chinese
o Born in China and no autopsy (“traditional”)
o All others
● Findings
● Chinese Americans only: died 1.3 to 4.9 years sooner if had disease and bad year,
compared to disease and no bad year
● Traditional Chinese American women born in Earth year died 3.3 year earlier
from cancer
● Traditional women in Metal year died 8.3 years earlier from bronchitis,
emphysema, or asthma
Transnational Migration and Health Beliefs
● Conflict with biomedical care and new laws
● Santeria
● Shamans
Immigrant Health Beliefs and Practices
● Between Two Worlds documentary
● About Hmong in America (???)
Brief History
● Hmong mainly from highlands of Laos
● Mainly a rural, farming country
● Vietnam war = secret solders for U.S. (????)
● 1973, U.S. agrees to pull out of Vietnam
● 1973, Last American military leave Saigon and South Vietnam
● Pathet Lao take over Laos
● Goal: Exterminate Hmong
● Families separated
● 10s of thousands walk to Thailand, become refugees
Between Two Worlds
● Soul loss
Document Summary
Fire year = ends in 6 or 7 = heart conditions. Earth year = ends in 8 or 9 = diabetes, peptic ulcers, cancerous growths. Metal year = 0 or 1 = bronchitis, emphysema, or asthma. Examined death records in california between 1969 and 1990: Findings: born in china and no autopsy ( traditional , all others. 28,269 adult chinese compared to disease and no bad year. Chinese americans only: died 1. 3 to 4. 9 years sooner if had disease and bad year, Traditional chinese american women born in earth year died 3. 3 year earlier from cancer. Traditional women in metal year died 8. 3 years earlier from bronchitis, emphysema, or asthma. Conflict with biomedical care and new laws. Vietnam war = secret solders for u. s. 1973, u. s. agrees to pull out of vietnam. 1973, last american military leave saigon and south vietnam. 10s of thousands walk to thailand, become refugees. Mm mmm = listening for women; agreement for men.
