Spanish and International Health, B.S.
Clemson University '23
Reflection
I completed a research paper on Indigenous women’s health in Mexico this semester. Writing this research paper was completely different than any paper I have written before. The guidelines were more lenient, and I could create my thesis and process for finding and exploring my topic. Before I picked my topic, I thought about my varied areas of interest. I eventually narrowed it down by selecting my favorite topic, women’s health. I love learning about every aspect of women’s health and was excited to have the opportunity to pick a specific sector of it to delve into. I chose Indigenous women’s health in Mexico because I have always been interested in the Indigenous cultures within Mexico. It was a great way to combine two of my interests. While writing this research paper, I got a glimpse into the life of someone who does research. I created my outline, found sources, and learned how to narrow the topic because the information can be overwhelming. Also, I had a great advisor to bounce my ideas off of, which led me to a more distinct path. One exciting resource I learned about was the interlibrary loan at the Clemson Library. This resource was so helpful because there were many articles that I wanted to read but didn’t have access to. It is a little ironic that I learned about this resource when I was about to graduate. Nevertheless, it was useful.
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During my research, I learned about Indigenous culture, in general, in Mexico, and some interesting customs that surprised me. First, Mexico has 62 Indigenous ethnic groups with various Indigenous languages. That number was interesting because I thought it would be a more significant number of Indigenous people in Mexico. Second, many Indigenous women in Mexico only go to school for about six years and then are married at an early age. Many girls have to help with chores on top of their school, which makes it difficult for them to continue their education. The educational barriers for Indigenous women put into perspective why future behaviors, such as teenage pregnancy, occur. Additionally, I appreciated my opportunity to attend school without any obligations outside of school and work-study. Third, in Mexico, hospitals can be 30 to 70 km from Indigenous communities making transportation to hospitals increasingly difficult. The large distances to healthcare services and lack of transportation access in Mexico is similar to problems for rural areas in the United States. Another similarity between Mexico and the United States is the language barriers in healthcare settings. Many different races and ethnicities live in the U.S., with people speaking more than one language. These language barriers can make it difficult for people to convey their symptoms and trust their providers. This distrust and confusion because of language barriers was proven true in Indigenous communities because of the large variety of distinct languages. By doing this research paper, I have learned an iota about the struggles of indigenous women in Mexico. But as a Language and International Health major, I know I will always have to keep learning and be open to other cultures.