Diabetes Mellitus is a complex disease; its prevention, control and treatment require socioeconomic action and support that are culturally and linguistically appropriate. No particular type of professional health care provider or single individual can effectively tackle the burden of diabetes mellitus in culturally diverse communities. Culturally sensitive interdisciplinary professional networking is needed, in partnership with affected communities to ensure cultural appropriateness for any health care intervention conducted to address the problem/burden of diabetes mellitus.

• Mexican Americans: 1.2 million. 10.6% of all Mexican Americans have diabetes. On average, Mexican Americans are 1.9 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age.
• Other Hispanic Americans: On average, Hispanic Americans are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age.

However, to address the need for a culturally sensitive network of interdisciplinary professional health care providers, I eventually plan to conduct an in-depth literature review, in both English and Spanish, of field-investigations that describe epidemiologic studies, community intervention programs, barriers to care, patient education, and other social and demographic variables related to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the U.S.-Mexico border population, in particular the communities along the California-Mexico border.