Latinos are driving the U.S. economy thanks to a rise in population, workforce participation, entrepreneurship, and economic contributions. But progress is hampered by COVID-19, discrimination, and wage disparities. “There’s no doubt Latinos are slowly being more fully integrated into the US economy. Yet there’s also no doubt there’s a long way to go, especially for first-generation Latino immigrant,” according to Lucy Perez, Bernardo Sichel, Michael Chui, and Ana Paula Calvo of McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. Let’s explore how Latinos are influencing the economy now and in the future.
Latino Population Growth
Latinos account for over 18.5% of the total U.S. population. As the Latino population has continued to grow rapidly, it has ...
“The good news is, we can’t kill you trying to save you. You showed up fit to fight.” Still in shock of recent events, Loriana Hernandez-Aldama tried to process the words of world-renowned oncologist Dr. Mark Levis. In such a short period of time in January 2014, her life had completely changed. Just a few days earlier, Loriana, a married mother and TV news anchor with a successful career in Austin and Dallas, Texas, was excitedly working with her fertility doctor to have another baby. But a precautionary blood test before a traditional embryo transfer revealed a disheartening diagnosis of AML Leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer. At the advice of her doctor and healthcare connections, she kissed her then 2-year-old son, Gabriel, goodbye, and boarded a plane to Johns ...
Oncologists who identify as Latino remain highly underrepresented in the workforce, according to a new report from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Although the percentage of Latino hematologists/oncologists has risen slightly over the past decade, from 4.1% in 2008 to 4.7% in 2018, Latino participation decreases at nearly every step in the path to becoming an oncologist, according to ASCO. “As a result, [Latino] patients are deprived the benefits of a representative workforce, such as improved access, enhanced culturally and linguistically competent care, and minimization of health disparities,” wrote Dr. Gladys Rodriguez of the START Center for Cancer Care in San Antonio, and her colleagues, in a recent study in JCO Oncology Practice. Why is this a ...
In late 2020, public health and racial justice advocates started meeting monthly to understand and support the movement to declare racism a public health crisis. They shared resources, hosted webinars, and led workshops to spur action against racism. Now, these advocates have formally become the Collaborative for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE), a group of partner organizations including Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio CARE has launched a website to streamline access to tools and information, help people make connections, and inform solutions to advance health and racial equity. “The website is a place where those working in health equity, racial equity, and anti-racism can get access to some important resources to inform their work, if they are just getting started in ...
COVID-19 continues to have a large impact on Latinos and other communities of color, particularly when it comes to cases and deaths. However, the toll extends beyond the physical impacts of the virus. Racial and ethnic minority populations are more likely to experience COVID-19–related discrimination than their white counterparts, according to a new study from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). Learn what the study found on COVID-19–related discrimination, the impact of discrimination on health, and what we do to improve the situation for Latinos and others of color.
What Did the NIMHD Study Find on COVID-19-Related Racial/Ethnic Discrimination?
This is the largest study to date on discrimination related to COVID-19. Dr. Paula D. ...
Decades of explicit and implicit racism in social, economic, and political systems have led to inequitable outcomes in communities of color with heavy burdens of toxic stress, disease, and premature death. That’s why leaders across the country are adopting formal resolutions to declare racism a public health crisis and committing to specific policy changes. We at Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio created to an action pack to help. On March 17, 2022, we are cohosting a webinar, “How to Work with Local Leaders to Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis” with the Network for Public Health Law to share resources in our action pack to help you connect with local advocates of color, draft a resolution, start a conversation with local leaders, and build support for a ...
Racism is a public health crisis. Decades of racism-infused social, economic, and political systems have led to inequitable communities for Black, Latino, and other people of color, who face high burdens of stress, disease, and premature death. You can help local leaders declare racism a public health crisis and commit to change! Download the free action pack, “Create a Meaningful Resolution on Racism as a Public Health Crisis,” from the Salud America! Latino health equity national program at UT Health San Antonio. The action pack will help you connect with local advocates of color, draft a resolution, start a conversation with local leaders, and build support for a resolution to declare racism a public health crisis and take action for more equitable policies and ...
Forty years after the virus was discovered, an HIV vaccine is finally in development. Moderna and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) are launching the first clinical trial for an HIV vaccine. “The search for an HIV vaccine has been long and challenging, and having new tools in terms of immunogens and platforms could be the key to making rapid progress toward an urgently needed, effective HIV vaccine," said Mark Feinberg, president and CEO of IAVI, according to a press release. This vaccine is particularly impactful for Latinos and other people of color, who are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS and are underrepresented in clinical trials. Learn more about the HIV vaccine clinical trial, how Latinos are impacted by HIV/AIDS, and how clinical trials can ...
Over 60 members of Salud America! endorsed our public comment to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in their request for feedback on as part of its draft Strategic Plan for 2022-2026. The draft was open for comment from Oct. 7 to Nov. 7, 2021. At Salud America!, we believe that improving healthcare by making it more accessible and culturally tailored for Latinos and other people of color will help build health equity. We believe this is possible through increasing diversity among research leaders and clinical trial participants, eliminating implicit bias in the doctor’s office, and hiring healthcare workers who can provide culturally relevant patient care. That’s why we submitted a comment from our leader, Dr. Amelie Ramirez.
Dr. Amelie Ramirez’s Comment ...
