The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
Anne Fadiman. 1997.
Share your impressions of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Fadiman examines the intense collision between American and Hmong cultures through the case of Lia Lee, a Hmong child, who is too young and too sick to speak for herself. Discuss the controversial medical and legal debate of what occurred in the events recorded by Fadiman. Consider what medical professionals could have done differently to address the miscommunication when illness and culture collide. How do cultural differences lead to health disparities? What are some specific examples from the book? How can western medicine combat these disparities? Is it in the patients best interest to privilege western knowledge?
