As a child, my favorite response about where I came from was “It’s the melting pot of the world,” and I still stand by that phrase today. While my race is Chinese, I consider my ethnicity to be Chinese-American. The interrelationship between these two words is what defines the very core of my being because one cannot exist without the other. Throughout my life, the traditions and values from both my Chinese home and my American education have reflected and overlapped with each other to ultimately create one well-integrated upbringing. In combination with my constant exposure to other cultures, I grew up constantly finding the middle ground to any problem or situation. Contrary to the phrase “no man’s land,” there should be no uncertainty or fear for two cultures to meet, especially in the medical field.
Back when the class was focused on Toni Morrison’s Home, a lot of people (including myself) were unfamiliar with the healing process that Cee undergoes, also known as sun-smacking. Given the context, sun-smacking seems to be a traditional and faith-based healing process. Max brings up a fair point that traditional healing practices such as sun-smacking may do more harm than good in his post “Killing with Kindness, a response to ‘Integrating Medical Cultures.’” Max then segues into the dilemma of choosing between big, untrustworthy pharmaceutical companies and traditional healing techniques such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In his post, studies regarding TCM either demonstrate that herbal medicine is often ill-prepared and could lead to acute poisoning or the studies are not adequate at all.
While I acknowledge the probability that a lot of herbal remedies could be ill-prepared since these treatments are incredibly old and probably have not been modernized in any way, I do not think TCM should be completely labeled as a malevolent source for treatment. TCM does not only constitute of herbal remedies but also includes acupuncture, massage, and exercise, which can fill in the gaps that pharmaceutical medicine do not cover. Personally, I have a holistic approach towards taking care of any illness that I fall under. In order to fully recover as soon as possible, one must take care of both the body and the spirit. While my American doctor prescribes antibiotics to kill the root of the problem in the bacterial environment that is my body, I also treat myself with specific teas/soups and massages (courtesy of my mom) in order to soothe the slimy feeling that often invades your head and veins when you are sick. This interdependence between the two cultures delivers a sense of completeness that cannot be replaced by any other, which is why I do not think medical cultures should be separated.
Therefore, sun-smacking is used to heal Cee emotionally and physically by easing her back into the loving care of nature and of the women in Lotus. The sun literally and naturally warms her and helps Cee cope with the trauma that she experiences from the cold tools of the doctor. Although Cee is initially embarrassed of using such a vulnerable technique at first, she easily becomes accustomed and quickly regains a social life back home.