Every 10 years, the U.S. Government performs its duty of collecting a full count of the people residing in America. This decade’s survey is well underway. This initiative, mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, provides the necessary data to allocate critical funds, assess the greatest needs of that moment, and gather other information that impacts people’s daily lives. Here’s what all Latinos need to know. While the outbreak of the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted the U.S. Census Bureau’s work, the agency is pushing forward to garner as many completed surveys as possible. “As we resume operations delayed by the —, [we recognize] that our data collections are becoming increasingly complex and rely upon new technologies, innovations and reforms, it is ...
U.S. Latinos are bearing an extraordinary burden when it comes to cases, deaths, other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Worse, this continues a trend of this group's continual hardship of experiencing health and social inequities. Many reports suggest that this trend of Latinos and other people of color being disproportionately affected is worsening already harsh historical inequities. One of those inequities is drug use. Moreover, COVID-19 and opioid addiction can impact and worsen each other, mainly for people of color. "As people across the U.S. and the rest of the world contend with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the research community should be alert to the possibility that it could hit some populations with substance use disorders (SUDs) particularly hard," Dr. Nora ...
Since the founding of this country, Latinos, African-Americans, and all people of color have experienced harm at the hands of an unjust system. With the death of George Floyd at the hands of those meant to protect and serve, millions have taken to the streets to protest systemic racism across the U.S. Latinos, who are experiencing a rising burden of hate crimes, discrimination, and anti-immigrant sentiment, have joined in the Black Lives Matter cause to advocate for change — not just in African-American neighborhoods, but in all communities of color. “It’s not just black people being murdered by police. Hispanics are dying, too,” Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR), told El Paso news station WWLP 22. “It’s not only one bad ...
In a move that shows how social movements can address local health, Black Lives Matter advocates are helping push for a grocery store in a food desert in Oklahoma City (14.6% Black, 19.2% Latino). The advocates brought a demand for a store to city leaders. They met with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, Homeland grocery store President and CEO Marc Jones, and economic developers to discuss plans for building the 30,000-square-foot store to a local food desert on the Northeast side of the city, according to Patrina Adger of KOCO News. The area's only grocery store closed down about a year ago. This left neighbors with little access to fresh fruits and vegetables. "Obviously it's just this huge unmet need [for healthy food options] for a number of years," Jones of Homeland told ...
Racism is a public health crisis. Decades of racism-infused social, economic, and political systems have led to inequitable communities. These areas face higher burdens of stress, disease, and premature death. Now, amid U.S. protests for racial/ethnic and social justice, city leaders are creating resolutions that declare racism a public health crisis and commit to action. Download the free Salud America! “Get Your City to Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis Action Pack.” The Action Pack will help you get input from local social justice groups and advocates of color, start a conversation with city leaders, and build local support for a resolution to declare racism a public health issue along with a commitment to take action to change policies and practices. GET THE ...
Unlike a pandemic or emergency, there is no epidemiological definition for public health crisis. Experts at the Boston University School of Public Health tried to solve this. They explored the distinction between immediate and important and how politics, perceived risk, and affected groups shape the concept of a crisis. For example, they juxtaposed the number of deaths caused by terrorism and by gun violence with action taken by the U.S. government. Between 2001 and 2013, 3,380 Americans were killed by terrorism and 406,496 Americans were killed by firearms on U.S. soil; yet the U.S. spent trillions on the War on Terror and failed to pass gun control legislation. They conclude that people often confuse the immediate and the important, and that the important often fails to receive ...
Systemic racism makes it harder for Latinos and other people of color to get healthcare, housing, transportation, education, employment, healthy food, safe treatment by police, and more. We need solutions to end racial/ethnic injustice. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, to discuss how to address racial/ethnic injustice and discuss clear, measurable strategies and actions to combat racial/ethnic disparities in housing, public health, education, and more! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Addressing Racial/Ethnic Injustice
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, June 16, 2020
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: UnidosUS (@WeAreUnidosUS), America’s Promise Alliance (@AmericasPromise), CommonHealth Action ...
The American economy has been in freefall since the outbreak of the current novel coronavirus — and Latinos face the most widespread unemployment. Job loss is impacting Latinos and immigrant communities at higher rates than their peers during the pandemic, according to recently published data from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). The pandemic is not only forcing more Latinos out of work, but it will have long-lasting ripple effects across the nation, according to Dr. Rogelio Sáenz, a professor in the Department of Demography at the University of Texas at San Antonio. "Over the last several decades, Latinos have represented the engine propelling the U.S. economy," Sáenz writes in a National Association for Community Asset Builders blog post. "While people ...
Systemic racism makes it harder for Latinos and other people of color to get healthcare, housing, transportation, education, employment, healthy food, safe treatment by police, and more. How can cities and states take a meaningful step to address racism? Declare racism a public health crisis. That’s what cities and counties in Ohio are doing, with a commitment to: Incorporate educational efforts to dismantle racism.
Review all portions of codified ordinances with a racial/ethnic equity lens.
Prioritize policies that will have the most beneficial health impact on people of color.
Train elected officials, staff, funders and grantees on workplace biases and how to mitigate them. “Through race-conscious policy-making, we’ve got to unwind the generations of ...
