How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Conquergood considered his relationship with the Hmong to be a form of barter, "a productive and mutually invigorating dialog, with neither side dominating or winning out." (4.11)
Dwight Conquergood is the exception to the rule. Instead of acting all condescending toward the Hmong, he makes a point of learning about their culture and uses that knowledge to better convey Western medical concepts. And guess what—it works. Sometimes, good communication is as simple as meeting the other person halfway.
Quote #5
"It felt as if there was this layer of Saran Wrap or something between us, and they were on one side of it and were on the other side of it." (5.19)
Sweet metaphor, dude. No matter how hard he tries, Neil just can't get on Nao Kao and Foua's level. Neil is a good dude and a good doctor, but even he fails to look past his own cultural preconceptions and see the Lees as people. Unfortunately for Lia, her parents are in the same boat. You'd think Saran Wrap would be less tough to navigate than, say, a brick wall, but hey, layers are layers.
Quote #6
It was tempting to address the reassuringly Americanized teenaged girl who [...] spoke English [...] Yet failing to work within the traditional Hmong hierarchy [...] insulted the family. (6.18)
Here we've got the whole problem in a nutshell. Even when there is someone who can translate both languages, it doesn't remove the cultural barriers, which often end up being much harder to overcome. As a result, the doctors inadvertently make faux pas after faux pas, gravely offending their Hmong patients just as they think things are finally clicking into place.