Veteran's Day is on November 11. We at Salud America! are excited to honor all U.S. military personnel, including Latinos, who have served our country.
Latinos in the Military: History
Latinos have a “proud and indeed enviable” record of military service that dates back to the Civil War, according to a U.S. Army historical website. About 20,000 Latino serviceman and women participated in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991, 80,000 in the Vietnam War in 1959-1973, and more than 400,000 in World War II in 1939-1945. Latinos have received more than 40 Medals of Honor, according to the Department of Defense. “Whether their heritage can be traced to Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or one of dozens of other Spanish-speaking countries or cultures, they’ve answered ...
From school gardens to active transportation, use the new Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy Resources Suite to improve nutrition and physical activity where you live. The suite, developed by ChangeLab Solutions and the California Department of Public Health’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Branch (NPAB), is home to resources that support policy work on nutrition and physical activity-related public health efforts. Local health departments, public health practitioners, and community leaders in any U.S. state can benefit from these resources. Let’s take a closer look into how these resources can help communities and families.
Strategies to Support Safe and Active Transportation
In ChangeLab Solutions’ resource suite, public health and community leaders can find a ...
The Latino population in the United States is the largest overlooked population in the US, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. was home to 341,784,857 people as of 2025. Included is 70,145,126 Latinos, who increased their percentage of the whole population from 20% to 21% from 2024 to 2025, according to the Census Bureau. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers of Latinos in the U.S.
Population By Numbers
U.S. states that have 1 million of more Latino residents include: Arizona
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Massachusetts
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Texas
Virginia
Washington Harris County, Texas, experienced the nation’s largest gain in Latino ...
When Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez founded the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio in 2006, she envisioned it as a place to cultivate innovative health research and the next generation of population health leaders. 20 years later, past members of the IHPR’s team have gone on to achieve ground-breaking research, training, and other big accomplishments. Here are just a few folks we are so proud of!
Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina: From Cancer Researcher to Research Leader
Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina served as a professor at the IHPR at UT Health San Antonio from 2008 to 2016. At the IHPR, Parra-Medina led several theory-based, culturally competent research projects to increase uptake of the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and encourage healthy habits in ...
As of 2025, Latinos make up 20% of the U.S. population. In some areas, like California, Latinos comprise 40% of the population and are expected to rise to 50% by 2050, according to the National Latino Physician Day website. Many of these populations encounter hurdles to healthcare, including language, access, and more, leading to worse health outcomes. One way to address this is by increasing the number of Latino physicians, who only make up 6% of the physician workforce. As the nation continues to experience a shortage of health care workers, how do we increase the number of Latino physicians? That’s something National Latino Physician Day on Oct. 1, 2026, is striving to bring awareness to every year.
How Did National Latino Physician Day ...
Over the past 20 years, the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio has worked to improve health in South Texas and beyond. The IHPR, under the leadership of Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, built the nation’s first digital health communications program on Latino health, saved lives with culturally relevant patient navigation for women, helped people quit smoking, and more. For its 20th anniversary on Oct. 1, 2026, let’s celebrate some of our biggest milestones! Read our new booklet!
IHPR Creates the Salud America! National Digital Communications Program
Just a year into its existence, the IHPR team created the Salud America! program. The program, funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2007, became the first national digital ...
Become a politician? Work in a health ministry? As a young girl growing up in Colombia, Dr. Marcela Mazo Canola wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted to be — but she dreamed of making a difference for people. Today, Mazo Canola is helping others as a breast medical oncologist at Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio and contributing to research to improve cancer and health outcomes for Latinos and all populations. “Although I’m in a different career that I love very much, I guess I still ended up doing something similar to what I was dreaming of when I was a little girl,” she said. During Hispanic Heritage Month, Salud America! is highlighting heroes in healthcare and throughout the community who strive to make a difference. Let’s take closer look into Dr. ...
On Oct. 1, 2006, the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) was launched. This week, on Oct. 1, 2026, the IHPR will celebrate its 20th anniversary as part of the Department of Population Health Sciences in the School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, under the leadership of Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez. In the past two decades, the IHPR team has worked tirelessly to achieve its mission to improve the health of Latinos and all people through research, outreach, and action in South Texas and across the United States. But how did it start? Who started it? Why was it needed? Let’s answer those questions and more!
The Need for the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR)
On April 17, 2006, the Task Force on Access to Health Care in Texas released a report, Code ...
“Para bailar La Bamba se necesita una poca de gracia.” There’s a strong chance you’ve heard this song, “La Bamba,” on the radio, on TV, walking through the grocery store, or somewhere else at least once in your life. While there are several different versions of this song, one of the most well-known was recorded by Ritchie Valens, a rock ‘n’ roll icon who had a short but impactful career. During Hispanic Heritage Month, Salud America! is celebrating Latino trailblazers, historical figures, and inspirational stories. This year we are highlighting the career and contributions of Ritchie Valens, a Mexican American singer and songwriter who blazed a trail for rock musicians for decades to come.
Ritchie Valens: Early Life Before Fame
Richard Steven Valenzuela ...
