TV personality Oprah Winfrey has selected Dr. Amelie Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio as a "Cycle Breaker" for her groundbreaking work to build health equity in the Latino community. Cycle Breakers is a video series from the Smithsonian Channel that spotlights leaders who are solving health disparities in marginalized communities. Each Cycle Breaker is chosen by Oprah to augment her documentary, The Color of Care, which chronicles how people of color suffer from systemically substandard US healthcare and how COVID-19 exposed the tragic consequences of this inequity. Ramirez's episode, released Oct. 3, 2022, features her life's work to break the cycles of inequities that worsen health for Latinos. "Cycles are tough to break. Amelie Ramirez is the driving force behind an ...
Storytelling can be important within a family or community. The passing down of stories from people groups and generations can also have a significant cultural impact. Are there stories in your community that should be heard? Those in the San Antonio area now have the opportunity to share them with StoryCorps!
What is StoryCorps?
StoryCorps serves as a non-profit that aims to give people across the country the opportunity to record meaningful conversations. StoryCorps was founded by Dave Isay. In October 2003, he set up the first story recording booth in New York City at Grand Central Station. “We can learn so much about the people all around us, even about the people you already know, just by taking the time to have a conversation. And if you pay just a little attention, ...
October 15, 2022 is National Latinx Aids Awareness Day (NLAAD). This observance calls for raising awareness on the impact of HIV on Hispanic/Latino/Latinx communities and eliminating stigma. NLAAD, first created by the by the Hispanic Federation and the Latino Commission on AIDS in 2003, is a good opportunity to feature the CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together (Together) campaign in English and Spanish, which is part of the national campaign of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. “[The Together campaign] aims to empower communities, partners, and health care providers to reduce HIV stigma and promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment,” according to the CDC.
The State of HIV among Latinos on NLAAD
Sadly, ...
The Biden Administration has reversed the 2019 public charge policy changes implemented by the Trump Administration, according to the US Department of Homeland Security. The final rule was published on Sept. 9, 2022 and will go into effect on Dec. 23, 2022. The 2022 “fair and humane” public charge rule will benefit Latino immigrant families, as it will help address the “chilling effects” of the 2019 rule. Here’s what you need to know.
What is Public Charge?
A person is considered a “public charge” if they would be reliant on certain public benefits upon entry into the US. If someone is considered a public charge, officials can deny their entry into the US or modifications to their citizenship status.
What Changed Under the 2019 Public Charge Rule?
Before ...
Today, we rely on the internet for school, work, and even health. With so many needing internet access as an everyday tool, and populations like Latinos facing a digital divide, digital inclusion and equity is more important than ever! Digital Inclusion Week aims to bring awareness, recognition, and celebration to promote digital equity throughout communities across the nation. This year’s Digital Inclusion Week is celebrated Oct. 3-7, 2022, with the theme “Turning Our Moment into Movement.” Digital Disparities Digital inclusion means “the activities necessary to ensure that all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged, have access to and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs),” according to the National Digital Inclusion ...
In a modest house in Maryvale, Arizona, a young Latino boy watched wide-eyed as the famous artist, Bob Ross, painted a masterpiece on TV. With each brush stroke and happy little tree, the boy’s excitement grew in anticipation for the end result – a beautiful piece of landscape art. The boy grew even more excited as he realized two of his other artistic role models – Mr. Rogers and Levar Burton from Reading Rainbow – would appear on TV later that day. Feeling inspired, the boy – Edward Dennis – scurried off to sketch some drawings and work on his own passion and talent for art. Now grown up, Edward is a freelance artist with an impressive resume that includes clients like Disney, Shimano, Giant Bicycles, Toyota, and various video game companies. But his ...
Everything is bigger in Texas – except wages, worker protections, and the right to organize, according to a recent study by Oxfam, an organization dedicated to fighting poverty and injustices. After analyzing each state’s wage policies, worker protections, and the right to organize, Texas ranked 48th out of 52 (including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico) in Oxfam’s “Best States to Work Index.” In comparison, Oregon, California, and Washington placed first, second, and third, respectively. What does this mean for Latinos, who make up 40.2% of Texas’ population? First, let’s take a closer look at Oxfam’s study.
Wage Policies
Oxfam’s evaluation criteria for this category included the ratio of the state minimum wage to the cost of living for a family of four, ...
For Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor a Latina who dedicated her life to the advancement of Latinos and other disadvantaged groups: Nina Otero-Warren. Otero-Warren is known for fighting for women’s suffrage in her home state of New Mexico, becoming the first female Superintendent of Public Schools in Santa Fe County, stimulating political change, and helping to improve public health. Recently, Otero-Warren was the first Latina to be featured on US currency. She was honored with her image being stamped on a US quarter, which also depicts New Mexico's state flowers and Otero-Warren’s Spanish slogan, "Voto para la mujer," – "votes for women."
Early Years of Life for Otero-Warren
Otero-Warren was born in 1881 in New Mexico on her family’s hacienda – large ...
By Dr. Fátima Coronado
CDC, Salud America! Guest Blogger Every year, the United States recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month (NHHM) from September 15 to October 15, to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of generations of Hispanic Americans born in and outside the U.S., who have helped to shape this diverse country. The theme for this year’s NHHM is Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation. In Hispanic culture, unidos (in unity, with inclusivity) is associated with positive outcomes. Being unidos is necessary for getting through tough times, for meeting goals and getting things done together. NHHM provides an opportunity to acknowledge that while many health indicators have improved for most people in the U.S., significant disparities in health and ...
