What Biden’s New Immigration Plan Means for Latinos



President Joe Biden has vowed to completely reform how the U.S. handles immigration. In the first two weeks of his presidency, Biden has begun taking action to stop the border wall, family separation, support DACA recipients, reverse the public charge rule, and is planning further legislation to create an easier path to citizenship for immigrants. How does Biden’s immigration reform affect Latino immigrants? Let’s take a look at the different immigration policies Biden has in store. Update 3/10/21: Biden's administration stopped enforcing the public charge rule first enforced by Donald Trump's administration, according to CBS News. Update 7/22/21: The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reaffirmed that the public charge rule is no longer in effect and ...

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Cheryl Aguilar: Providing Mental Health Support to Families with Immigration Trauma



Immigration is difficult and often traumatic. People who immigrate to the U.S. often face a dangerous journey only to be met with aggression and xenophobia at the border. It can lead to loss of hope, anxiety, depression, and even suicide. Cheryl Aguilar wants to help families experiencing the trauma of immigration and adjusting to new life in the U.S. Aguilar immigrated from Honduras as a teenager, an experience that helped guide her to give back to immigrant communities. Aguilar is a clinical social worker and founding director and therapist at the Hope Center for Wellness. “As a therapist, one of the things that I do is help individuals, families, and communities heal from whatever distress, trauma, or experiences they might have encountered. I believe in holistic healing, ...

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President-Elect Joe Biden’s Cabinet Boasts Diversity, Minority Representation


biden diverse cabinet

When Joe Biden takes the presidential office on Jan. 20, 2021, he’ll bring cabinet members from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life. Biden’s cabinet is the most diverse presidential cabinet in history. There are more people of color and women than any previous cabinet and also has LGBTQ and Native American representation. Why does this matter? Having diverse government leaders can lead to more inclusive and equitable policies. Let’s take a look at who is joining Biden’s diverse cabinet. Who are the Latinos in Biden’s Cabinet? Biden will have several Latinos in cabinet positions, bringing representation to an area in government that has historically been predominately white. Some of the Latino politicians joining Biden’s cabinet are Alejandro ...

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Héctor Rodríguez: Bringing Latino Representation to the Comic Book World


hector rodriguez

To his students, he’s Mr. Rodríguez. To his fans, he’s the creator and author of the comic book and graphic novel series El Peso Hero. When he noticed a need for more Latino representation in comic books and literature, Héctor Rodríguez launched his long-time project as a web series in 2011. El Peso Hero is a Latino superhero who fights corruption, drug trafficking, immigration, and other real-life social and racial justice issues happening on the Texas/Mexico border. Now almost 10 years later, Rodríguez has printed several comic books, produced a radio novella and short film, and is working on developing El Peso Hero into a Hollywood production. Rodríguez first found inspiration for El Peso Hero during his childhood on the Texas/Mexico border. Inspiration on the ...

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Jennifer Morris Brings Hispanic Heritage Month to her English Language Learners


Jennifer Morris teacher hispanic heritage month

You probably haven’t heard of Jennifer Morris. She’s an English Language Learner teacher at Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School in Philadelphia. But to her students from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Honduras, and Colombia, she is a hero. When Morris noticed that some of her immigrant students weren’t as engaged, she felt a need to add more Latino culture to her classroom. That’s why she helped bring Hispanic Heritage Month to her school. Becoming an ELL Teacher Morris has always wanted to make a difference in her classroom. Her aspirations to become a teacher began early. “From as long as I can remember, I was always playing school at home. I would beg my mom to go out to buy my sister prizes so I could teach her how to do certain math lessons,” Morris ...

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Report: ICE Allegedly Gives Detained Immigrants Hysterectomies Without Full Consent


ICE Detained Immigrants Hysterectomies

Among the horrific forms of treatment undocumented individuals face, a new report claims that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) performs hysterectomies on immigrant women. The shocking details, obtained through a complaint filed by Project South, assert that a gynecologist at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Georgia performed these procedures — without providing a full understanding of the operation. Sometimes, they didn't even give these details in their native language, according to the report. Dawn Wooten, a former nurse at the detention center and the whistleblower of this complaint provided insight into the alleged practice. "Everybody [that the accused gynecologist] sees has a hysterectomy — just about everybody," Wooten said in the complaint. ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 9/29: How a Community-Based Workforce Advances Health Equity


How a Community-Based Workforce Advances Health Equity

Latinos are disproportionately impacted by the health and economic impacts of COVID-19. To reduce inequities, local and state leaders need to ensure Latinos and others from highly impacted communities are embedded in response and recovery. That’s where a community-based workforce comes in. During a pandemic, community-based workforce principles can help cities expand contact tracing and identify risk; support psychological, social, and primary care services; and mitigate the impact of unemployment. Join #SaludTues on Sept. 29, 2020, at 1:00 PM EST to tweet about how telehealth providers can reach underserved populations. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “How a Community-Based Workforce Advances Health Equity” DATE: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020 TIME: 1:00-2:00 p.m. ...

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Marcelino Serna, Latino WWI Veteran, Gets Texas Legislative Medal of Honor, After He Faced Discrimination


Advocates Petition to Award Latino WWI Veteran Marcelino Serna a Medal of Honor, After He Faced Discrimination

Marcelino Serna is remembered as Texas’ most-decorated World War I veteran. Serna was the first Latino man to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and was awarded more than 10 other awards for his bravery and service in the Battles of St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. But he never received the most prestigious military award: The Medal of Honor. Latino advocates are petitioning the U.S. Army and federal government to posthumously award Serna the Medal of Honor, arguing that he was denied the award because he was a Mexican immigrant. “That Private Serna served during a time of extreme prejudice cannot and must not erase his acts of immense bravery and devotion to the United States,” wrote the Mexican American Legislative Caucus of Texas in a letter to the U.S. Army, ...

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U.S. Latinos Reach Record-High 18.5% of Nation’s Population


U.S. Latinos are a rising population group

The U.S. Latino population grew to 60.6 million in 2019, a record 18.5% of the total population, according to new Census Bureau data. Here are all the details you need to know. The U.S. Latino Population Continues to Grow The U.S. population reached 328,239,523 in 2019. Latinos reached 60,572,237 in 2019. Now at 18.5% of the U.S. population, Latinos are the second-largest racial/ethnic group, behind non-Latino Whites (60.1%). They have greater numbers than Blacks (13.4), Asians (5.9%), and American Indians or Alaska Natives (1.3%). Latinos accounted for 16% of the U.S. population in 2010. In fact, the U.S. Latino population is up by 10,093,626 from 2010 to 2019, or 20% growth, according to the new Census Bureau data. Growth of the U.S. Latino Population Is Slowing Even ...

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