Selected Orishas, the Corresponding Saints, and Related Health Problems
Orisha Saint Health Problem
Obatala Crucified Christ Bronchitis Chango Saint Barbara Violent death Babalu-Aye Saint Lazarus Sickness Bacoso Saint Christopher Infections Ibeyi Saints Cosmos and Damian Infant illnesses Ifa Saint Anthony Fertility Yemaya Our Lady of Regla Maternity
Sources: Gonzalez-Wippler, M. (1987). Santeria—African magic in Latin America. Bronx, New York: Original Publications, pp. 1–30; Riva, A. (1990). Devotions to the Saints. Los Angeles: International Imports, pp. 91–93.
Puerto Ricans are able to accept much of what Anglos may judge to be idiosyncratic behavior. In fact, behavioral disturbances are seen as symptoms of illness that are to be treated, not judged. Puerto Ricans make a sharp dis- tinction between “nervous” behavior and being loco. To be loco is to be bad, dangerous, evil. It also means losing all one’s social status. Puerto Ricans who seek standard American treatment for mental illness are castigated by the com- munity. They understandably prefer to get help for the symptoms of mental illness from the santero, who accepts the symptoms and attributes the cause of the illness to spirits outside the body. Puerto Ricans have great faith in this sys- tem of care and maintain a high level of hope for recovery.
The santero is an important person, respecting the patient and not gos- siping about either the patient or his or her problems. Anyone can pour his or her heart out with no worry of being labeled or judged. The santero is able to tell a person what the problem is, prescribe the proper treatment, and tell the person what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. A study in New York found that 73% of the Puerto Rican patients in an outpatient mental health clinic reported having visited a santero. Often, a sick person is taken to a psy- chiatrist by his or her family to be “calmed down” and prepared for treatment by a santero. Families may become angry if the psychiatrist does not encourage belief in God and prayer during work with the patient. Because of cultural dif- ferences and beliefs, a psychiatrist may diagnose as illness what Puerto Ricans may define as health. Frequently, a spiritualist treats the “mental illness” of a patient as facultades, which makes the patient a “special person.” Thus, esteem is granted to the patient as a form of treatment. I visited a santero in Los An- geles with the hope of his granting me an interview. Instead, he argued that if I wanted to know about his practice I should “sit,” so I did. He proceeded to examine my head and palms, throw and read cowrie shells, tell me a story, and asked me to interpret it. Once this was accomplished, he recommended cer- tain interventions. His manner was extremely calming and, when he interpreted the story with me, I discovered his uncanny ability to read habits and behavior
HEALTH and ILLNESS in the Hispanic Populations ■ 313
(Flores-Peña, 1991). A number of cultural phenomena affect the health and health care of Hispanic Americans (Table 12–7) (Mumford, 1973).