The San Francisco district attorney’s office said it plans to enable prosecutors to make charging decisions in some criminal cases without knowing the race or background of the suspects and victims, a move aimed at reducing the potential for implicit bias in prosecutions, according to the L.A. Times. This is great news for Latinos and minorities, who traditionally face negative stereotypes and police discrimination.
What is Implicit Bias?
This unconscious thinking is preconceived attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions. Assumptions like these then influence your actions and judgments: A widely held, simplified, and essentialist belief about a specific group (race or ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status, sex, sexuality, and so ...
Researchers have recently discovered 65 genetic variants in minority populations, which could lead to improved specialized medicines for those groups. Up to this point, doctors have conducted the majority of medical discovery research using data from people with European ancestry, according to the international science journal, Nature — leading to a lack of diversity that hinders precision medicine for minority populations. The news is excellent for Latinos and all minorities who have traditionally been understudied or left out of clinical research. “This is an extremely important public health issue,” Misa Graff, assistant professor in the school’s epidemiology department and co-author of the paper told UNC News. “We need to work hard to make sure that the ...
June marks Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month. This is a time to reflect on the many challenges and inequities facing people of color in the United States when it comes to Alzheimer's Disease and overall brain health. Sadly, U.S. Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than whites, studies show. Alcohol, sleep deprivation, and diabetes play a role in this gap. Worse, Latino caregivers can experience high levels of stress when supporting their family members with the disease. To understand and address these disparities, people must pay more attention to the role of the social determinants of health. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, June 25, 2019, to tweet about the latest research and beneficial strategies and programs to prevent and reduce ...
We already know that Latinos are more likely to die on the job compared to their white and black counterparts. The majority of Latino work-related deaths happen in the construction industry, and most fatalities affect foreign-born Latinos. However, there is good news: This issue was addressed at the Safety 2019 Conference. “There is a lack of communication between foreign-born Latinos, their superiors and even their coworkers because of limited language capabilities,” Carmen Julia Castellon, Health and Safety Specialist for U.S. Cellular and a Bolivian immigrant, told EHS Today.
Latinos & Workplace Harms
Latinos make up 19% of all workforce fatalities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2016, 879 Latino workers were killed on the job. Just one year ...
Latino workers are more likely to die on the job than anyone else. Most of the Latinos killed are also immigrants, according to a news report by KALW radio. “In 2017, we lost 376 workers [in California],” Jora Trang, a managing attorney at the labor rights’ organization Worksafe, told KALW. “That’s more than one worker a day.”
Latinos & Job Fatalities
Latinos have disproportionately died on the job for quite some time. In 2016, 879 Latino workers were killed on the job. In 2017, that number rose to 903. This puts the Latino fatality rate higher than the national job fatality rate for all workers, Latino Rebels reports. “This is a national crisis. And it’s well past time that our elected leaders in Washington, D.C., stop playing politics and take ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez and her team at Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio have won three Communicator Awards for promoting Latino health equity! Communicator Awards are given annually by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. The awards honor international marketing and communication that “transcends innovation and craft” and made a “lasting impact.”
The Three Big Awards 2019 Communicator Award of Distinction, Websites, General Activism for Websites, Salud America!
2019 Communicator Award of Distinction, Features, Copy or Writing for Websites, Salud America!
2019 Communicator Award of Distinction, Online Video, Documentary Series, Salud America! Salud Hero Video Series “We’re excited by the ongoing stamp of approval for our communication work from ...
Medical access can be a determining factor in whether or not someone lives a healthy life. Lack of healthcare treatment especially impacts undocumented Mexican immigrants, according to new findings published in the Journal of Latinx Psychology. Not only does this have immediate effects on Latinos, but research also shows this demographic can suffer long-term psychological and physical impairments related to their migration, according toTexas Medical Center News (TMCN). “We knew there was a high prevalence of loss and trauma in this population—we expect it because we know the many challenges they face. However, they were so much higher than I could even imagine, particularly in terms of repeated exposure or multiple losses,” said Dr. Luz Garcini, the study’s lead author and a ...
In California (39.1% Latino), numerous bills seeking to confront implicit bias among medical professionals, police officers and judges, are making their way through the state legislature, according to KPCC's AirTalk. “No one likes to be told what to do and no one thinks they’re a racist, so the question I hear a lot is, ‘Why do we need this?’,”state representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove told The Los Angeles Times. “The goal is not to have punitive legislation. It is to help people acknowledge they have [implicit biases] and help reduce them.”
Legislation in the Works
Senate Bill 464 Senate Bill 464, or more commonly the California Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act, was introduced by State Senator Holly Mitchell last month. It would implement an ...
We already know that implicit bias, or unconscious bias, is an uncontrollable predetermined notion that affects understanding, actions, and judgments about others. But did you know that microaggressions are an outcome of implicit bias?
Microaggressions
Microaggressions are indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against a marginalized group, according to the American Psychologist. A minority is more likely to encounter microaggressions, even when there is no obvious, explicit judgment or harassment. In a 2004 study, Researchers Sandra Graham and Brian S. Lowery identified three categories of racial microaggressions that include: Microassault: “Verbal or nonverbal attack meant to hurt the intended victim through name-calling, avoidant behavior, or purposeful ...
