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The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
Fadiman, Anne
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1997

Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West
New York, NY 10003

PHONE (212) 741-6900

ISBN 0-965-67311-1; $25; $17.50 at http://www.amazon.com/

This 339-page novel is the true story of a refugee Hmong child and her family who try to negotiate the American medical system in order to diagnose and treat her illness. They speak no English, have recently come to this country, and face a frightening and confusing disease. Through this personal story, the book exposes the problems, realities, and worst-case scenarios of culture-clash in a medical setting. As background reading, this novel is a great eye-opener for teachers who are discussing the American health system in class, or for health professionals who see patients from other cultures, particularly Hmong patients.

KEYWORDS: Asian Americans, Children's Health, Cross-cultural Communication, Immigrants

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World Education
November 2000