People of Greek Heritage

People of Greek Heritage

The Greeks are an ethnic community and are native mainly to Greece and other regions around the Mediterranean Sea. Their cultural heritage can be traced as far back in history as four thousand years. The Greek culture has evolved over the years to what can be described as great prosperity levels that led to a cultural boom that was also reflected in various artistic and scholarly forms such as science, architecture, and drama. The pillars of the Greek culture are their traditions, religion, music, and language (Reinhold, 2012). The Greek Orthodox Church is an important aspect of the Greek community from where they practice their religion and holidays, which are also religion-based, for example, Easter and Christmas. In contemporary Greek culture, the church still plays a significant role in governmental affairs. Their families can be described as close-knit, and it is from their concept of family that social institutions have also evolved from. A typical Greek family, therefore, consists of a husband, a wife, and children.

The Greeks culture is other than being religious is also characterized by several superstitions such as the evil eye, matiasma. Greeks believe that individuals who have caught matiasma have a higher risk of feeling bad, either physically or mentally. To protect themselves from matiasma the Greeks thus possess several charms, for example, a marble glass or a blue bracelet. They also use garlic to protect themselves from the evil eye. Greeks believe that the blue colour can protect them from the evil eye though people with blue eyes give matiasma. The Greeks belief about death is Christian based, whereby they believe in life after death. Due to the prosperity realized in the course of the cultural evolution, Greeks were able to discover therapies and medical interventions from their initial theory of humors (Reinhold, 2012). According to the theory of humors, health is obtained from a balance of blood, black bile, yellow bile and phlegm.

People of Cuban Heritage

Hinduism is considered both as a religion and a way of life. The culture is practised mainly in the Indian subcontinent and some regions of Southeast Asia. It is regarded as the oldest religion with prominent scholars referring to it as the “eternal way” or Santana Dharma. Hinduism has a complex concept of God that relies on the philosophy followed. Hindus devote to one god though unlike Christians acknowledge the existence of other gods. Hindu religious rituals are mainly practised at home though they are compulsory. The most imperative ritual any Hindu can undertake in their life is the wedding. Hindus regard marriage as a sacred affair that continues beyond an individual’s lifetime (Jain, 2016).

Majority of Hindus do not consume pork or beef and strictly follow a vegetarian diet. They are also known to follow a dietary system known as Ayurvedic under which foods are characterized as hot or cold and can have positive or negative implications on an individual’s health and emotions. The characterization of food as hot or cold is not based on the foods actual temperature but instead on the taste. While cold foods are sweet foods or bitter foods, hot foods are those rich in animal protein, salty, or sour. Hindus also support the concept of organ donation and transplants. They take mental health seriously perceiving mental illness as both a psychological and spiritual concern (Jain, 2016). The religion and culture also accept suffering and pain as a consequence of karma, not as a punishment but rather as an individual’s opportunity to grow spiritually. Hindus also accept illness and death as part of life and forbid any form of intervention that only prolongs the last stages of an individual.

People of Cuban Heritage

Cuban people are the citizens of the Republic of Cuba or individuals born in the country. Cuba can be described as a multiracial society comprising of individuals of African and Spanish origins. Cuba’s history and culture are mainly influenced by Spanish, American, and Soviet culture. Cubans have two surnames, one from the father’s family name and the other from the mother’s family name. Married women are also given the option of adding the husband’s name. Cuban families like Greek families can be described as patriarchal with a dominant male figure and a dependent and submissive female (Purnell & Fenkl, 2019). A significant majority of Cubans are Roman Catholics though there are other faiths such as the Santeria, Jews, and Protestants accounting for only fifteen per cent of the Cuban population.

African Cuban is known to seek biomedical intervention for diseases and consult Santero in the event of a spiritual or emotional crisis. Incidents of fainting spells must be treated in the presence of a Santero. Cuban Americans, on the other hand, tend to rely mainly on the family as the source of health counsel. Older women among Cuban American serve the role of providing domestic remedies to intervene for mild symptoms. Generally, Cuban Americans have what can be described as a strong health ideology characterized by a successful primary system. While Greeks influenced the Cuban view of family, Hinduism mainly influenced medical intervention with the introduction of various types of complementary therapies (Purnell & Fenkl, 2019).