Núcleo Disca

Points of interest:

• The objective of this article is to analyze the narratives of medical professionals in the city of Rancagua (capital of the O’Higgins Region, central Chile), about the reproductive health/motherhood of Haitian women.
• Haitian women face more obstacles to receiving good medical care: there are no translators, there is a lack of information, and cultural differences are not respected.
• Being a mother and a migrant is difficult. Many times, these women are judged for not fitting the image of a “good mother” according to what is expected in Chile. This puts them in an unfair position and their way of interacting with their babies is questioned.
• Doctors in Rancagua say that Haitian women do not show enough affection to their babies. This was called “lack of attachment” in the research.
• Doctors compare Haitian mothers with other migrant mothers and say that they do not care for their children in the same way. This creates mistrust toward them.
• The study shows that Haitian women are discriminated against for being Black. Medical staff see them as different, inferior, or “less civilized.”
• Racist ideas influence how these women are treated. Negative images are built that affect their access to healthcare and that of their children.
• More births, same problems. Although the number of Haitian women giving birth in Rancagua has increased, the health system has not changed or adapted to serve them better.
• Importance of the intercultural approach. The study says a change is necessary. Health care needs to understand and respect different cultures and ways of being a mother.

Notes:

• The following summary was prepared by Núcleo Milenio DISCA and is based exclusively on the original publication. Therefore, it should not be used for citations or references.
• This article was originally published in English and Spanish.

Cociña-Cholaky, M and Rodríguez-Garrido, P (2024). Haitianization of Migration: The Lack of Attachment of Haitian Women in the Medical Discourse of the City of Rancagua, Chile. Población & Sociedad. Vol. 31 (1): 1-26. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.19137/pys-2024-310104.