Mr. Perez is a 76-year-old Mexican American who was
recently diagnosed with a slow heartbeat requiring an implanted pacemaker. Mr.
Perez has been married for 51 years and has 6 adult children (three daughters
aged 50, 48, and 42; three sons aged 47, 45, and 36), 11 grandchildren; and 2
great grandchildren. The youngest boy lives three houses down from Mr. and Mrs.
Perez. The other children, except the second-oldest daughter, live within 3 to
10 miles from their parents. The second-oldest daughter is a registered nurse
and lives out of state. All members of the family except for Mr. Perez were
born in the United States. He was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and immigrated to
the United States at the age of 18 in order to work and send money back to the
family in Mexico. Mr. Perez has returned to Mexico throughout the years to
visit and has lived in Texas ever since. Mr. Perez is retired from work in a
machine shop. Mr. Perez has one living older brother who lives within 5 miles.
All members of the family speak Spanish and English fluently. The Perez family
is Catholic, as evidenced by the religious items hanging on the wall and prayer
books and rosary on the coffee table. Statues of St. Jude and Our Lady of
Guadalupe are on the living room table. Mr. and Mrs. Perez have made many
mandas (bequests) to pray for the health of the family, including one to thank
God for the healthy birth of all the children, especially after the doctor had
discouraged them from having any children after the complicated birth of their
first child. The family attends Mass together every Sunday morning and then
meets for breakfast chorizo at a local restaurant frequented by many of their
church’s other parishioner families. Mr. Perez believes his health and the
health of his family are in the hands of God. The Perez family lives in a
modest four-bedroom ranch home that they bought 22 years ago. The home is
located in a predominantly Mexican American neighborhood located in La Loma
section of town. Mr. and Mrs. Perez are active in the church and neighborhood
community. The Perez home is usually occupied by many people and has always
been the gathering place for the family. During his years of employment, Mr.
Perez was the sole provider for the family and now receives social security
checks and a pension. Mrs. Perez is also retired and receives a small pension
for a short work period as a teacher’s aide. Mr. and Mrs. Perez count on their
nurse daughter to guide them and advise on their health care. Mr. Perez visits
a curandero for medicinal folk remedies. Mrs. Perez is the provider of
spiritual, physical, and emotional care for the family. In addition, their
nurse daughter is always present during any major surgeries or procedures. Mrs.
Perez and her daughter the nurse will be caring for Mr. Perez during his
procedure for a pacemaker.
1. Explain the significance of family and kinship for the
Perez family.
2. Describe the importance of religion and God for the
Perez family.
3. Identify two stereotypes about Mexican Americans that
were dispelled in this case with the Perez family.
4. What is the role of Mrs. Perez in this family?
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