Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, has issued the following statement about the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and its aftermath across the country: "The murder of George Floyd at the hands of those whose duty it was to serve and protect him is one in a long series of tragedies impacting the Black community. We offer our condolences to the families of Mr. Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless others who have died from perpetuated systemic racism and injustice in America. We stand with our Black brothers and sisters in this catastrophe, as well as those who are standing in the streets—putting themselves in harm’s way—to speak out against injustice. Racial injustice is a public health issue—and it permeates ...
Communication is a critical aspect of the human experience, and, for Dr. Jason Rosenfeld, it is the key to making any societal shift. From working with small communities in Africa to helping rural towns in the Rio Grande Valley, he has devoted his career to crafting the right phrase or infographic that can effect change. This work in healthcare communications has led to numerous victories over countless threats. With the spread of the current novel coronavirus, COVID-19, Rosenfeld, his colleagues, and a team of medical students at UT Health San Antonio are addressing this new danger by creating health messaging to help people understand what this illness is, how it spreads, how to stay safe, and other critical pandemic information. Rosenfeld, DrPH, MPH—an Assistant Professor of ...
Cities are increasingly recognizing the value of streets as car-less public space. For example, due to a spike in demand for outdoor space early in the coronavirus pandemic, cities around the world began closing streets to vehicles to give people walking and biking more space. More recently, cities are closing streets to vehicles to give restaurants and shops space to serve customers outdoors—in parking spaces, on sidewalks, and on streets. However, street vendors, many of whom are Latinos and immigrants with no paid sick leave and a history of fighting to serve these very spaces, are being left out of reopening plans. “They’ve been so exposed through the nature of their work and the cruelty of our society that has forced them out of the formal economy,” Megan Macareg ...
Latinos workers are essential to the economy. Although, some have worked throughout the pandemic, others are now facing unemployment. At the same time, many will soon be returning to work. Many Latinos hold jobs at meat packing plants, childcare, health care and other positions on the frontlines (i.e. restaurants, retail, etc.). Only 16% of Latino workers are able to work from home, so what does this mean for Latinos and their loved ones? What can we do to advocate for their safety? Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, to discuss ways to provide support and promote a healthy environment for Latino workers and their loved ones amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this National Safety Awareness Month! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Latinos and Workplace Safety Amid ...
Without childcare, going back to work after the coronavirus lockdown is not an option for many families. But many city and state leaders are overlooking this childcare dilemma as they push to reopen businesses, even while schools remain closed amid the pandemic. That’s why Melinda Lopez is speaking up. Rhode Island, where Lopez lives, began reopening businesses on May 9. But childcare sites have to remain closed through May 30. Beyond this three-week-lag, when childcare centers do reopen, they will take fewer kids. Many moms will still be left without a spot for their child. “I’m concerned about what our women in our communities are going to do,” said Lopez, an Education Strategies Specialist with Highlander Institute, Early Childhood Adjunct Instructor at Rhode ...
Without paid sick leave, too many Latinos are forced to choose between financial security and health. After all, just a few days of lost pay due to illness is the same as losing an entire month’s worth of groceries for some families, which fare worse during a pandemic like COVID-19. “For a typical Latino family without paid sick days, losing an average of 3.3 days due to sickness is equivalent to a family’s entire monthly health care budget or its monthly grocery budget,” according to a joint fact sheet from UnidosUS and National Partnership for Women & Families. This situation won’t just fix itself after the pandemic, either. “Lives are at stake when policies are not put in place from the top down to prevent the spread of disease or create healthy living ...
Half of workers with the lowest wages and more than half of Latinos are unable to earn a single paid sick day through their jobs. Without paid sick leave, these workers are forced to choose between the financial consequences of staying home without pay and the health risks of both ignoring health problems and exposing others to contagious disease. Afterall, just a few days of lost pay due to illness is the same as losing an entire month’s grocery budget for some families. Workers everywhere should be able to earn paid sick leave, particularly as our country focuses on economic recovery after COVID-19. Join #SaludTues on May 19, 2020, at 1:00 PM EST to tweet about why it is so important to for all workers to be able to earn paid sick leave. WHAT: #SaludTuesTweetchat: ...
Use La Loteria to talk about health with your family amid COVID-19! La Loteria, a traditional game in Latino families, is a version of Bingo using pictures on cards instead of numbers. The National Alliance for Hispanic Health has created COVID-19 Bingo (La Loteria). The family game has pictures of social distancing, hand-washing, video calls, physical activity, healthy food, faith, hope, and more. "My daughter and I were playing La Loteria and we thought it might be a great way to help other kids understand COVID-19," said Edgar Gil Rico of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. "So it became a family project resulting in a new version of Bingo (La Loteria) with tips for parents to use the game to discuss COVID-19 and what families can do to stay well and healthy." La ...
Millions of unauthorized, taxpaying immigrants will not receive any financial support from the U.S. government through its recent stimulus package. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided most Americans with $1,200—as well as an additional $500 for each child under 17—to provide some economic security in the wake of the pandemic. Still, undocumented residents who pay taxes using a taxpayer identification number did not receive any help. Worse, children in that household, whether they are American citizens or not, won't receive aide either — and these families are suing the government over this issue. "The refusal to distribute this benefit to U.S. citizen children undermines the CARES Act's goals of providing assistance to Americans in need, ...
