American Background
The first interviewee, J.S., is a 34-year-old female born in the USA, as well as both of her parents and grandparents. Using the heritage assessment tool, it has been found that her parental grandparents come from Phoenix, Arizona, and her maternal grandparents are from Atlanta, Georgia. The interviewee’s parents met in Atlanta and settled down in this city. J.S. grew up in the middle-class Catholic family and, as she stated, health was always important for them. The experience of the past has influenced her: she admits that she continues to follow her mother’s approach to health in relation to her own family.
First and foremost, J.S. is concerned about preventive measures. Similar to her childhood, she regularly goes for check-ups, has the vaccination, and makes sure her family does the same. According to the interviewee’s words, her mother managed to help her husband quit smoking, and none of them had bad habits except for eating not so healthy food. Besides, J.S. took part in National Stroke Awareness Month and argued it did help her understand her situation because her father had a history of cardiovascular diseases. She believes that, although such events are often criticized, they should be held (Nordrum, 2015). She made friends there and started promoting a healthy lifestyle among her colleagues.
Another set of practices used by the interviewee pertains to restoring health. Flu treatment is probably one of the most illustrative examples: if J.S. or her family members fall ill, to visit a doctor and take sick leave is the unspoken rule. She states she has never postponed treatment, and prescriptions are always followed. J.S. regularly contacts with her parents and helps them with health issues including health problems. For instance, she knows how her father takes his heart disease drugs and monitors if he does everything in a proper way.
Native American Background
The second person interviewed is A.L., a 21-year-old female born in the USA. Her father and parental grandparents, the Native Americans, come from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Her mother and maternal grandparents come from Denver, Colorado. The interviewee’s parents are divorced because of the father’s excessive drinking, and two children live with their mother. A.L. takes care of her younger brother while the mother is at work. As the interviewee bitterly states, she knows much about how alcohol affects people, particularly Native Americans.
In the context of the interviewee’s situation, she demonstrates deep knowledge of some health aspects while other areas are not familiar to her. Child care and the drinking problem are what she knows best.
Similar to the first interviewee, A.L. pays attention to maintaining and protecting health. She encourages her brother to play sports, monitors his vaccination, and teaches him how he should behave in order to be healthy. For example, she explains to him the importance of hygiene rules and assures he follows them. As for her father, A.L. hopes for the best and supports him: he participates in the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (DrugAbuse.com, n.d.). She states he seems to be in a satisfactory condition, and this program becomes a kind of preventive measures.
A.L. admitted that restoring health was not the subject of her primary concern at that moment. If she had to deal with this issue, it was usually connected with her brother’s or mother’s cold and her own headache. The interviewee visits a health care specialist with her brother but fails to find time for herself.
References
DrugAbuse.com. (n.d.). Denver Alcohol Abuse Rehab Programs and Support. Web.
Nordrum, A. (2015). America’s obsession with health awareness days isn’t making people healthier. International Business Times. Web.