ECU Libraries Catalog

Border medicine : a transcultural history of Mexican American curanderismo / Brett Hendrickson.

Author/creator Hendrickson, Brett author.
Format Book and Print
Publication Info New York : New York University Press, [2014]
Descriptionxvii, 233 pages ; 24 cm.
Subject(s)
Series North American religions
North American religions. ^A1144949
Abstract "Mexican American folk and religious healing, often referred to as curanderismo, has been a vital part of life in the Mexico-U.S. border region for centuries. A hybrid tradition made up primarily of indigenous and Iberian Catholic pharmacopeias, rituals, and notions of the self, curanderismo treats the sick person with a variety of healing modalities including herbal remedies, intercessory prayer, body massage, and energy manipulation. Curanderos, "healers," embrace a holistic understanding of the patient, including body, soul, and community. Border Medicine examines the ongoing evolution of Mexican American religious healing from the end of the nineteenth century to the present. Illuminating the ways in which curanderismo has had an impact not only on the health and culture of the borderlands but also far beyond, the book tracks its expansion from Mexican American communities to Anglo and multiethnic contexts. While many healers treat Mexican and Mexican American clientele, a significant number of curanderos have worked with patients from other ethnic groups as well, especially those involved in North American metaphysical religions like spiritualism, mesmerism, New Thought, New Age, and energy-based alternative medicines. Hendrickson explores this point of contact as an experience of transcultural exchange. Drawing on historical archives, colonial-era medical texts and accounts, early ethnographies of the region, newspaper articles, memoirs, and contemporary healing guidebooks as well as interviews with contemporary healers, Border Medicine demonstrates the notable and ongoing influence of Mexican Americans on cultural and religious practices in the United States, especially in the American West"-- Provided by publisher.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
LCCN 2014024571
ISBN9781479834785 hardback
ISBN1479834785 hardback
ISBN9781479846320 pb
ISBN1479846325 pb

Available Items

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Joyner General Stacks GR111 .M49 H46 2014 ✔ Available Place Hold