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Stacy Cantu-Pawlik

Stacy Cantu completed both her BS & MPH at Texas A&M University (gig ‘em!), and is passionate about all things public health. She curates content on Healthy Food and Healthy Minds.


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Articles by Stacy Cantu-Pawlik

Tell U.S. Gov’t: Protect Immigrant Families


Immigration Rally in Washington latino dad and daughter march

Everyone deserves a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. But the Trump administration's proposed change to the Public Charge rule could penalize legal immigrants applying for green cards if they use public benefits, such as food assistance or housing, according to the National Immigration Law Center. The government wants public comments on the proposed Public Charge changes from Oct. 10 to Dec. 10, 2018, at regulations.gov. Here's how you can speak up: Copy a model comment below, drafted by our Salud America! research team. Hit "Comment Now." Paste the comment in the box at regulations.gov; be sure to to edit the comment by adding a personal story or tweaking the information before submitting, as exact duplicate comments will be discarded. Model ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 10/30: Why Culinary Health Education Matters



Did you know approximately 40% of Latino kids are overweight or obese? Additionally, unhealthy food contributes to disease, especially in Latino families who lack access to healthy foods and nutrition education. Join us on Twitter for #SaludTues on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, to find out how to take action and tweet about the importance of culinary health and food as medicine. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Why Culinary Health Education Matters TIME/DATE: 1 P.M. ET, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018 WHERE: On Twitter using hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: CHEF - Culinary Health Education for Families (@CHEFSanAntonio), Farm to School (@FarmtoSchool), Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living (@msdcenter). We’ll open the floor to your comments, ...

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Study: Rural Immigrant Communities on the Border Suffer Poor Health


Stawberry Harvest in Central California

Foreign-born immigrants in U.S. rural borderlands are plagued by poverty, stress, discrimination and lack of access to adequate healthcare, according to a new study by the University of California Riverside. These inequities jeopardize their mental and physical health. “While the research focused on Latino immigrants in Southern California, our findings tell us a lot about structural level factors and daily life events and chronic strain that create stress for minorities and immigrants in rural communities,” Ann Cheney, lead researcher and an assistant professor in the Center for Healthy Communities at UC Riverside, said in a press release. Rural Health as a Health Disparity The South Eastern Coachella Valley is home to predominantly low-income Mexican farmworking ...

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Public Charge: What it Means for Immigrants


Latino family american flag

The Trump administration recently announced draft regulation that would penalize legal immigrants applying for green cards if they use public benefits, such as food assistance, according to the Department of Homeland Security. This is called "Public Charge." What Does Public Charge Mean for Immigrants? Part of federal immigration law for over 100 years, the Public Charge test is designed to protect American taxpayers by identifying people who may depend on the government as their main source of support. For a Public Charge test, immigration officials look at all a person's circumstances in determining whether they are likely to become a public charge in the future, both positive and negative. This includes age, health, income, assets, resources, education/skills, family they must ...

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Reports: Philly Sugary Drink Tax is Working


Sugary drink tax

In Philadelphia, the 1.5-cent-per-ounce Sweetened Beverage Tax on sugary drinks took effect January 2017. The tax aims to reduce sugary drink consumption and raise funds for health and education programs, such as expanding pre-kindergarten programs and improving parks. The tax also offered a tax credit for companies that sell healthy beverages. Sugary drinks—soda, sports and energy drinks, sugary fruit juices, and flavored milk—contribute to the obesity and related health disparities facing U.S. Latino kids, according to a Salud America! Research Review. The beverage industry challenged the tax, calling it unconstitutional. In July 2018, the tax was upheld. But did it work as intended? Update on Soda Tax: It’s Working! The National Bureau of Economic Research has ...

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Minerva Perez Busts Fear, Builds Mental Health Support for Latino Immigrants



Fear. Of being deported. Losing homes. Losing children. Minvera Perez knows Latino immigrants live in constant fear in East Hampton, N.Y. (17.1% Latino), which stresses these parents and kids—not to mention harming their physical and mental health. Perez wanted to help. How could she overcome Latino families' grim fears and stresses, and ease their mental health burden? Levels of Fear Perez is executive director of Organizacion Latino-Americana of Eastern Long Island (OLA). OLA promotes cultural, social, economic, and educational development within Long Island’s East End Latino communities, specifically Suffolk County, N.Y. (19.5% Latino). Perez and OLA are speaking up for social justice for Latino immigrants. "Right now, Latino members in our community need ...

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Raheem Baraka Makes Latino Family Health a Civil Rights Issue in Boston



Raheem J. Baraka grew up seeing health inequity all around him in Boston (19% Latino). He saw people in one low-income neighborhood suffer more disease, less access to health care, and live 33 years less than people in a wealthy area just 2.7 miles away. He saw doctors treating illnesses, not addressing prevention or social determinants of health. He was fed up. So Baraka started Baraka Community Wellness. The nonprofit group makes health a civil rights issue by creating programs to address health equity and the social determinants of health, such as the unique "Healthy Moms, Healthy Kids" program to connect single moms to access to healthy eating, physical activity, and social support from financial aid to housing advocacy. "I truly have a disdain for disparity and ...

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SNAP Stories: Program Improves Life for Latinos and Others


SNAP Stories

Under the revised House Farm Bill, 1 in 11 households who receive SNAP benefits would no longer be eligible for the program. SNAP not only lifts millions of people out of poverty, it also helps them stay out and improves the economy. And there are real stories behind these facts. The State of Obesity's "SNAP Stories" website showcases people and families who benefit from SNAP. Who Benefits from SNAP? The State of Obesity report features SNAP Stories of people and families who benefit from SNAP. SNAP Stories is a collection of stories about the benefits SNAP provides for individuals and families all across America. Stories were produced by StoryCorps and Upworthy with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. SNAP recipients are the subject of many stigmas and ...

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CHEF Brings Nutrition Education into San Antonio Schools


chef kids in school

Unhealthy food contributes to disease, especially in Latino families who lack access to healthy foods and nutrition education. Healthy food, on the other hand, is medicine. That's the belief of the Culinary Health Education for Families (CHEF) program in San Antonio (63% Latino). CHEF teaches children and families basic nutrition and practical cooking skills. The long-term goal is to motivate individuals and communities to adopt and sustain healthier eating and wellness habits. “[We want to] make sure that every family, regardless of income level, or education level, can put a healthy, nutritious, familiar meal on the table that’s better for them perhaps than what was there before," said Suzanne Mead Feldmann of the Goldsbury Foundation, a group behind CHEF. CHEF now ...

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