Shiny cars screeching down the road. Grocery stores filled with bright lights and food-stuffed aisles. TV screens flickering colorfully. Cesar Ramirez stepped – mesmerized – into American life for the first time as a child. Born in rural Honduras, Ramirez only knew poverty. He lived in a one-bedroom shack with his mother and no water, electricity, or healthcare. His father, in the U.S. to work, sent money home. “We just had enough to survive, that was enough for us,” Ramirez said. Ramirez, with the support of his parents and resiliency from childhood, is now a medical student at Sam Houston State University, pursuing his dream to be a doctor who cares for patients and improving healthcare systems. He is also an intern at the Institute for Health Promotion Research ...
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 ...
We’re seeking a communications specialist to join our communication team at Salud America!, our national Latino health equity organization based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio. The position will write, edit, and communicate health content and messages. This includes digital content curation for the Salud America! project, as well as assisting in the production of numerous IHPR internal and external communication vehicles, such as newsletters, email blasts, presentations, websites, social media, press releases and more. Apply Now!
Details for the Communications Specialist Position
A bachelor’s degree and two years of related experience is required. Also preferred experience includes: Knowledge and/or strong interest in ...
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 ...
Many Latinos and other people of color were not counted in the 2020 Census. Latinos have historically been undercounted, but the 2020 Census undercounted Latinos by more than three times the rate for that group in the 2010 census, CNN reports. Learn what led to the census undercount, why it matters for Latinos, and how we can fight inequities in our communities.
What Happened with the 2020 Census?
Overall, about 0.24% of the country’s population, or about 782,000 people, were not counted in the 2020 Census. The undercount rate for Latinos was 4.99%, according to NPR. Latinos are often undercounted because the Census has a harder time reaching marginalized communities. “The census has historically undercounted populations that are harder to reach through surveys, phone ...
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 ...
