This is part of our Building Support for Latino Families: A Research Review »
Introduction
Latinos are expected to comprise 32% of the U.S. population by 2050.1 As such, the strength and health of this country’s future workforce depends upon the investments made in Latino communities today. Currently, one-third of U.S. Latino families live in poverty and two-thirds are low-income, with limited access to high-quality education, community resources, and health care.2,3 Recent research has shown that social programs targeting adults as well as children result in the most effective long-term improvements in children’s academic success, health, and future economic stability.4 Thus whole-family support services that address the specific social, medical, and economic needs of ...
Latinos face many barriers to health care, including language differences; complex and confusing documents and processes; lack of knowledge of available services; unreliable transportation; and fear of using government services. One way to increase health equity among Latinos is to remove these barriers. Rocio Muñoz, community health navigator at Benton County Health Department (BCHD), in partnership with the school district, worked to embed bilingual, bicultural health navigators into elementary schools in Corvallis, Ore. (7.4% Latino), to address these identified barriers. The partnership resulted in a model where health navigators are placed in schools to coordinate with students, parents and teachers regarding students’ health records in order to boost access to health ...
Hannah Lieder, foster mother and founder of Minneapolis Swims, has been working since 2010 to keep open the local Phillips Pool in a disadvantaged neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minn. Why? Lieder knows that children living in low-income, Latino, or minority neighborhoods have historically lacked convenient access to physical activity spaces, particularly swimming pools, compared to white or high-income neighborhoods. These social and environmental inequalities contribute to disparities in drowning rates, physical activity levels, health outcomes and academic achievement. Phillips Pool was in disrepair and under constant threat to be concreted over. Now, six years later, Lieder’s legacy lives on, through Denny Bennett, as crews will break ground on the Phillips Aquatics ...
Financial stress, especially the cost that comes from struggling to afford housing payments, is one of the most toxic people can experience. While the financial crisis of 2008 is over and the economy as a whole has by and large rebounded, Latinos are still reeling from its lingering effects. More and more Latinos and Latino families are choosing to rent than buy a home. According to research by The Hill, Latino homeownership rates that declined due to the financial crisis are still on the decline. In 2007, nearly 50% of all Latino households owned their own homes. In 2017, that rate is now 47% and sinking. Research also found that the number of Latino families submitting mortgage applications have plummeted 74% from their peak numbers in 2007. The much stricter financial ...
As of December 31, 2016, 8.8 million Americans had signed up for coverage through HealthCare.gov since open enrollment began on November 1, 2016. This is up from the 8.6 million during Open Enrollment in 2015. Latinos have benefitted more than just about any other racial or ethnic group since the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Over 4.2 million Latinos (ages 18-64) have gained health insurance coverage, lowering the uninsured rate among Latinos by 7.7%. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect with others, and get involved. “With 8.8 million Americans signed up for coverage through HealthCare.gov, more than last year at this time, it is clear that Americans want ...
One of the main ways that scientists measure the overall health and well-being of a nation is by tracking the rate at which its citizens die and how long they are expected to live. For the first time in over 20 years, the U.S. has seen a drop in overall life expectancy. “This is a big deal,” said Philip Morgan, a demographer at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in an interview with NPR. “There’s not a better indicator of well-being than life expectancy. The fact that it is leveling off in the U.S. is a striking finding.” Latinos are the nation’s largest racial and ethnic minority group. As a population they are expected to grow from 1 in 6 people today to 1 in 4 by 2035 and 1 in 3 by 2060. As Latinos are becoming a growing “force” in all facets of life, ...
Latinos have been one of the groups who have benefited the most from the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as over 4 million have obtained insurance since the law’s passing. During the current Open Enrollment session, the rate of uninsured Latinos is expected to lower even further. Research released by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has found that nearly half of the overall still uninsured Americans are unaware of tax credits that will help with coverage. Millions of Americans are eligible for premium tax credits, which help ease the financial burden of purchasing healthcare coverage. Shopping for plans on HealthCare.gov can help even those with current insurance plans possibly get better deals. In order to reduce health disparities, it is ...
A new report from the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), using national data, found that the Latino high school graduation rate rose to 78% in 2013 compared to 2007. Toward A More Equitable Future: The Trends and Challenges Facing America’s Latino Children is a new report released by the NCLR which utilized nationally gathered data to shed light on the true state, good and bad, of Latino children in the United States. “When people don’t want to do something, they hide behind data,” said Lori Kaplan, head of the Latin American Youth Center in Washington, D.C. at a recent news event announcing the report. “They say ‘show me the data.’ But smaller operations usually don’t have the resources to gather data to prove that what they know to be true through ...
The east side neighborhood of San Antonio (63.2% Latino) struggles with socioeconomic hardships, health disparities, and a lack of access to quality healthcare. In the past few years, the nonprofit Eastside Promise Neighborhood (EPN) has sought ways to improve conditions for residents in the city’s east side. To solve the gap in the availability of healthcare options in the area and fight health disparities, the EPN partnered with a provider, CommuniCare Health Partners, to open a new health clinic in the area.
Latinos in need in San Antonio
San Antonio’s historic east side neighborhood is home to 17,955 residents (mostly Latino), more than 200 private businesses, and six schools on 3.5 square miles bounded by Interstate 37 to the west, Fort Sam Houston to the north, AT&T ...
