Continuity and Change: The Mexicana Experience with Health and Healing in Iowa

Rapid growth in Iowa\u27s Latino immigrant population has presented challenges for health care providers. Of principal concern are the health disparities between newcomer Latinos and established-resident Iowans and if these disparities result from a lack of access to health care or the inability of Iowa health care providers to accommodate the unique practices and perceptions of newcomer patients. The purpose of this article is to address this issue through the experience of Mexican women who have migrated to Iowa and interacted to varying degrees with health care providers. In addition to addressing issues of access and the newcomers\u27 perceptions of the cultural competence of health providers, we also explore the role that traditional or folk medicine plays in the overall access to healthcare in Iowa