Diabetes Illness Narratives among Mexican Immigrants in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region

Abstract

This project investigates experiences of type 2 diabetes among Mexican immigrants living in Tucson, with a specific focus on conceptualizations of risk, heritability, individual responsibility, and experiences of emotion. It combines questions about the negative impacts of structural factors on the health of immigrants in the U.S. with questions about conceptualizations of risk. Participants viewed individual responsibility as an important ethical value in terms of managing risk. Because of the hereditary nature of diabetes, discourse on responsibility could be interpreted as an at-risk illness narrative. An emphasis on individual responsibility in diabetes management led to negative emotions both for the person with diabetes and their family members, as well as feelings of blame on the part of family members. Negative emotions cause conflict within families, and in the instance of depression or feelings of resignation, impede self-care.