Why parents cross for children's health care: Transnational cultural capital in the United States–Mexico border region

Abstract

To investigate how cultural capital functions in transnational health fields, the experiences of 13 low-income parents of Mexican-decent living in El Paso, Texas and 11 low-income Mexican parents living in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico are considered as they negotiate the US-Mexican border for health care for their children with asthma. Parents on both sides crossed to receive affordable care, ‘better’ services, and/or the ‘correct’ diagnosis. When parents did not cross, it was because of a lack of documentation, incomplete knowledge and other constraints. To understand these crossing behaviors, the concept of transnational cultural capital, that is the transnational power to achieve desired ends in a health-care field that spans borders, is introduced, building off Pierre Bourdieu. Transnational cultural capital is relevant in other transnational settings, such as large urban areas whereby immigrants, have the option to access treatments from their home country, the United States, and other naturopathic remedies.