Summarizes the historical, cultural, religious, and ethical backgrounds of refugees from Cambodia, Kampuchea, or Laos, and Vietnam, along with their medical beliefs and practices. Language illustrates the differences between these Indochinese people. For example, while the Vietnamese have a monosyllabic, polytonal national language, a large number of ethnic Chinese Vietnamese speak Mandarin or Cantonese dialects instead of Vietnamese; while most Laotians speak Lao, the hill-tribe ethnic groups speak any number of mutually exclusive dialects. Religious beliefs include Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Catholicism, and Animism. Common to all three countries, however, is a strong emphasis on the family unit, on passivity, and on harmony as the cornerstone of health. Disease is caused by imbalance, such as a deficiency or excess of bodily fluids or airs, or by malevolent spirits or bad winds. Treatment combines aspects of Western, modern Indochinese, and traditional medicine and focuses on self-care. Health care providers serving these populations need to use interpreters well versed in refugees’ language as well as cultural and medical beliefs; avoid culturally offensive practices and negative judgmental attitudes toward traditional healing practices; and be especially aware of potential psychiatric problems and the phenomenon of sudden, unexplained nocturnal deaths.
