During Hispanic Heritage Month, Salud America! is celebrating Latino trailblazers, historical figures, and inspirational stories. This year we recognize Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez, a conjunto and Tejano music icon. Before his recent passing in July 2025, Jiménez dazzled audiences for decades as one of the most well-known Tex-Mex musicians. Jiménez helped popularize conjunto music, a genre “developed by Texas-Mexican working-class musicians, who adopted the accordion—the main instrument in conjunto music—and the polka from nineteenth-century German settlers in northern Mexico,” according to the Texas State Historical Commission.
What Was Early Life Like for Flaco Jiménez?
Flaco Jiménez was born in San Antonio, Texas, on March 11, 1939. He came from a very ...
Ya fuera con pintura sobre lienzo o con una charla amistosa en persona, la artista de San Antonio, Mary Louise Lopez, siempre transmitía amor y mostraba la belleza del espíritu humano. Mary Louise fue una artista de talento en dibujo, pintura, escultura y batik. Los temas de muchas de sus pinturas fueron las comunidades nativas de Texas, México, Centroamérica y Sudamérica, lugares a los que viajaba con frecuencia y donde iniciaba fácilmente amistad con muchas personas locales. Mary Louise, quien falleció en noviembre de 2022, de cáncer de páncreas, retrató el orgullo y la fortaleza de los latinos nativos con gran cariño y cuidado, dijo Irene Peche, una amiga cercana de la familia. “Ella buscaba capturar su dignidad y la ética de trabajo con la que vivían. Hay ...
At Salud America!, we're excited to discuss health during Hispanic Heritage Month! This annual U.S. observance, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the histories, backgrounds and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America and Latin America.
How Did Hispanic Heritage Month Start?
U.S. Congressmen George E. Brown and Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles, and Henry B. Gonzales, were among those who introduced legislation on the topic in 1968. President Lyndon Johnson implemented the observance as Hispanic Heritage Week that year. U.S. Rep. Esteban E. Torres of Pico Rivera proposed the observance be expanded to cover a 31-day period. President Ronald Reagan implemented the expansion to Hispanic Heritage ...
A recent study from the University of Michigan found that extended family members, such as siblings, cousins and grandparents, are the most influential mentors for Latino emerging adults and can simultaneously empower and constrain young people's efforts to create social change. “It is essential to understand how adults can partner with youth to create social change,” the study states. Let’s dig deeper into this study and what the results mean for families and communities.
The Impact of Extended Family
“Our research reveals that adults play complex, multifaceted roles in these young people’s civic development,” said Wendy de los Reyes, U-M postdoctoral research fellow in the Combined Program in Education and Psychology.” For the study, de los Reyes and her ...
Memorial Day is May 25, 2026. We at Salud America! are excited to honor all U.S. military personnel, including the Latinos, who have served and died for our country.
Latinos in the Military: History
Latinos have a “proud and indeed enviable” record of military service that dates back all the way to the Civil War, according to a U.S. Army history 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 earned 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 ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, was chosen as a 2024 recipient of the annual John P. McGovern Lectureship Award in Health Promotion by the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. Ramirez delivered her McGovern Award Lecture on Nov. 4, 2024. Watch the full lecture on YouTube. “We need to do a better job in listening to and hearing our community members about they are truly seeing, feeling,” said Ramirez, who also leads the Institute for Health Promotion Research and community outreach at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. “What are those concerns that they have?" watch the lecture
Dr. Ramirez & Her Health Promotion Research
Ramirez is an internationally ...
Good health is important for everyone. With this in mind, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking public comments on its 2026-2030 NIMHD Strategic Plan “to identify the most pressing concerns” for health in the next five years. You can endorse a model comment by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, to emphasize priorities in the plan. Endorse the comment by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. January 2025 Update: 136 people endorsed a model comment by Dr. Amelie Ramirez to emphasize priorities in the 2026-2030 NIMHD Strategic Plan. endorse the comment!
Endorse a Comment on the NIMHD Strategic Plan
Go here to endorse this comment: As the leader of Salud America!, an organization that promotes health improvement for all ...
To truly improve patient and community health, we must address the non-medical drivers of health, such as access to housing, transportation, and food that can make it harder for people to stay healthy. That’s where screening for the non-medical drivers of health (NMDoH) comes in. Screening for the non-medical drivers of health is a questionnaire given to patients in a healthcare setting to help providers identify their needs. These include issues like financial hardship, housing, and food. Patients can then be referred to helpful community resources. You can use the new Salud America! Action Pack, “How to Start Screening for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health,” to launch screening in your clinic, hospital, or healthcare system! The action pack, created by Dr. Amelie G. ...
Veteran's Day is on Nov. 11, 2025. We at Salud America! are excited to honor all U.S. military personnel, including the 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 ...
