COVID-19 doesn't discriminate. But U.S. Latinos are more likely than all Americans to say the coronavirus pandemic changed their daily lives, and disrupts their mental health, finances, and jobs, according to new Pew Research Center surveys. "Latinos make up significant portions of the hospitality, construction, leisure and agricultural sectors of our labor market, and are the largest uninsured population in America," wrote Kristian Ramos, ex-spokesman for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, for The Hill. "These workers and uninsured families are unable to telecommute, will not be paid if their jobs are lost, and likely do not have immediate access to health care."
Latino Daily Life During COVID-19
Early on in the outbreak, Pew Research Center reported that a higher percentage of ...
Lack of access to healthy food, insufficient health insurance coverage, living paycheck-to-paycheck — all issues that have impacted U.S. low-income families for decades. Sadly, experts say these problems are worsening as the current novel coronavirus, COVID-19, continues to spread. This leaves the millions of men, women, and children, including the 3 million people who have recently lost their jobs, at risk of more issues than just becoming sick. Latinos—many of whom fall below the poverty line—could face significant hardship without a dedicated response from local, state, and federal leaders. "What we are seeing around the country is that we're operating and telling people to do things from the position of wealth," Rev. William Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People's ...
With schools and retail stores closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, more people are going outside to walk and bike in communities across the country. New York is even piloting a project to close some streets to cars and open them to people walking and biking. This gives people room to practice six-foot social distancing rules as they pick up groceries, get physical activity, and grab some fresh air amid the coronavirus lockdown. But some cities and states are closing parks amid virus fears. This worsens existing inequities in access to green and open spaces for Latinos and other disadvantaged communities. Equitable access to green and open spaces is more important than ever.
Outdoor Recreation is Surging during Coronavirus
Social media is abuzz about the spike in people ...
Coronavirus does not discriminate. But experts warn that COVID-19 will cause more suffering among U.S. Black and Latino workers, due to societal inequities shaped by structural racism and low-paying jobs with no chance of telework. "When the COVID-19 pandemic has ended in this country, we will see an unequal distribution of infections and deaths along the intersecting lines of race and class," wrote labor historian Christopher Hayes in the New Jersey Star-Ledger. Why is this?
Coronavirus Compounded: Income Inequities among Latino Workers
These statistics show a glimpse of how much Latino workers earn: 1 in 3 Latinos live in poverty.
1 in 2 Latino families are low-income.
Nearly 60% of Latinos earn less than $15/hour (vs. 39% of full-time workers overall). In ...
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting health equity in many ways, including homelessness, evictions, and affordable housing options. Low-income workers, the uninsured, those with unstable housing, and immigrant communities will bear the brunt of this crisis. Many U.S. cities were dealing with a homelessness crisis long before this outbreak. Now, the escalating pandemic has created a catastrophe threatening thousands of lives.
Affordable Housing Crisis during COVID-19
Millions of Americans face housing cost burdens. Over half a million sleep on the streets any given night, according to a recent report. Worse, countless people and families pay more than they can afford to keep a roof over their heads every month. The coronavirus outbreak is a public health emergency that will ...
As the current novel coronavirus continues to spread, one fact has become clear: Governments around the globe were not prepared — especially concerning environmental impacts. While there is no direct link between pollution and the risk of developing COVID-19, yet, studies have shown that poor air quality can raise one's susceptibility to disease. Worse, high rates of toxic exposure can lead to poorer outcomes of those illnesses. Disadvantaged groups, including Latinos, are in greater jeopardy as they are the ones who live in the areas with more significant amounts of air pollution. "There's lots of evidence that air pollution increases the chances that someone will get pneumonia, and if they get pneumonia, will be sicker with it," Aaron Bernstein, interim director of the ...
Coronavirus is locking down much of the United States, making it harder for vulnerable populations like Latinos to get information, especially those who speak Spanish. Fortunately, new resources are popping up for Spanish-language Latinos. Here are some of our favorites!
CDC Promotes Spanish-Language Coronavirus Resources for Latinos
About 37 million Latinos in the U.S. speak Spanish at home. But the CDC wasn't on the Spanish-language boat from the onset of coronavirus. In fact, on March 17, 2020, the website Latino Rebels shared that CDC was behind in translating its "15 Days to Slow the Spread" coronavirus recommendations. They finally posted it three days later. But now their Spanish-language website has lots of information. They cover how COVID-10 spreads, symptoms, ...
Cancer patients are at higher risk for the new coronavirus COVID-19, as well as more severe outcomes of the diseases, than those without cancer, health experts say. What does this mean for your cancer journey? For treatment? Screening? Clinical trials? Latinos and vulnerable populations? "We don't want to be overly alarming, but the truth is that Latino and all cancer patients should be concerned about COVID-19 because they are at higher risk," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America! and associate director of community outreach and education at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. "So we want to help spread truthful, equitable information that will help all cancer patients in their journeys." Here are some important issues for cancer patients and ...
As families practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 and as governments close non-essential businesses, employees are losing their jobs and transit is losing ridership. Economists estimate that nearly three million Americans could lose their jobs by summer. Many of these are low-wage workers in service industries with little savings to get through a recession. Recently President Trump warned Senate Republicans that the coronavirus pandemic could cause the unemployment rate to reach 20%, according to NBC News. This is double the highest unemployment rate from the Great Recession. On March 25, 2020, U.S. legislators agreed to a $2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus bill. “Without federal financial assistance, many transit agencies and paratransit service ...
