We talked in class about the importance of finding a medium between two cultures: the Hmongs and the American medical system. However, the main problem in this particular case is that the two cultures seem to contradict each other in their most elemental forms. Although it is possible to gain the trust and respect of the Hmong, the way to achieve this intimacy takes lots and lots of time. Consider Anne Fadiman’s experience. She writes that the first couple of visits with Hmongs were disastrous. However, she took the time to find an appropriate way to be introduced to the Lees (through the cultural hierarchy). After this initial meeting, it takes a long time and the help of a superior translator (or more accurately, cultural broker) May, to gain a good relationship with the family. Thus, it is possible to somewhat bridge the cultural differences. However, for the doctors in the hospital to do this would require going against the basic nature of the American medical system which is to treat as many people as possible in the shortest time frame while still giving effective treatments.
Thus, to find a compromise between the two is difficult. However, this book presents the first step to a compromise which is simply more understanding between the cultures. It is interesting that to get the Hmong message across took years and years of intense research and cultural emersion. If more people make an effort to bridge different cultures, the job of understanding would be made easier. The next step in compromise would be to develop much more communication between the two. Once communication is established, it would be so much easier to understand the reasons why your culture (as a Hmong or American doctor) needs to be compromised a little in some situations.