As if Latino immigrant parents didn’t face enough worry—hostile political climate, wage gaps, lack of access to health care—a new “stressor” is on the rise. Bullying of immigrant children is, sadly, common these days. More than 50 incidents of white students using politics to bully Latino and other minority children have been reported in 26 states, BuzzFeed reports. Feeling a need to help, the nonprofit Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors has released a bilingual video to show Latino immigrant parents how to help their children who are victims of bullying. “At the start of the year, we were inundated with calls from concerned parents who were desperate for information on … how to keep their families safe,” said Sandra Gutierrez, founder and national director for ...
Salud America! Guest Blogger
Jefferson Dental Care The key to a long, healthy life isn’t fame or fortune. It's right under your nose...it's your mouth! Poor dental health—cavities, tooth loss, and gum disease—are a big problem for many Latinos ages 65 and older. In fact, Latino seniors have among the highest rates of no remaining teeth (25%) and untreated tooth decay (40%). And that's not all.
Mouth in Bad Health = Body in Bad Health
Poor dental health isn't just bad for your teeth as you age. Dental issues are linked to diabetes, cancers and heart disease, which are each more prevalent among Latinos than the overall population. Inflammation in the body also translates in the mouth, and Latino seniors who suffer from diabetes are also likely to heal less rapidly ...
Did you suffer property damage or home loss from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, or Maria? You can partake in a special enrollment period for those in Medicare or who need healthcare, thanks to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This gives hurricane victims the chance to change their Medicare health plans and get health coverage. That includes Texas (38.42% Latino population), Louisiana (4.72%), Florida (23.72%), Georgia (9.15%), South Carolina (5.32%), Puerto Rico (99%), and the U.S. Virgin Islands (17.13%). “The lives of millions of Americans have been disrupted and impacted in some way by recent hurricanes,” said CMS leader Seema Verma in a news release. “Setting up special enrollment periods gives … the opportunity to access health coverage during this ...
Many families aren't as active as they would like to be because they lack safe places to walk, bike and play. In fact, the U.S. is failing five of nine factors that reflect walking and walkable communities. Latinos in particular face barriers to walk, which negatively impacts physical and mental health, as well as economic prosperity. Are you interested in helping to make walking more commonplace for families in your community?
Micro Grants;
America Walks is hosting a round of micro grants for up to $1500 to fund or start smaller-scale, low-cost projects and programs. The goal is to increase the prevalence of walking, expand the diversity of people and organizations working to advance walkability, and help to make walking safer, easier, and more fun for all community ...
Hey, city leader... Are your policies and programs equitable for Latinos, Blacks, and other minorities? Fortunately, a new tool helps local governments add an "equity lens" to involve the community and create policies and programs that account for racial/ethnic minorities. The tool, Racial Equity: Getting to Results from the Government Alliance on Race and Equality, enhances the Results-Based Accountability (RBA) methodology to empower policymakers to make “good decisions and advance racial equity.” “Currently across the country, regardless of region, racial inequities exist across every indicator for success—including health, criminal justice, education, jobs, housing, and beyond,” according to the new tool. “We know these inequities are incongruent with our ...
What I if I told you there was an Internet community for Latino and all teens to tell their stories and empower other youth who are battling depression or anxiety? Well, it exists, and that's Project UROK—"You Are Okay" or "You Rock"—is all about!
What is Project UROK?
Project UROK, a nonprofit created by writer/comedian Jenny Jaffe in 2014 and now part of the Child Mind Institute, aims to help youth and reduce the stigma around mental health. On the program's website, teens can register for a free, anonymous, safe account. Then they can comment on and favorite videos, from comedy sketches to informational videos to podcasts and scripted web series, and access resources for dealing with abuse, suicidal thoughts, alcohol and drug abuse, etc. They can even make their ...
Everyone in America deserves to live within a 10-mile walk of a park. Sadly, many do not. Latino kids, in particular, tend to lack safe, accessible places to play, which prevents them from getting the physical activity they need for healthy minds and bodies. That's why the Trust for Public Land created the ParkScore.
What is a ParkScore?
ParkScore assesses a city's park system. It also ranks the nation's 100 most populated cities by park access, park size, and facilities and investment. Minneapolis has the best park score. Check out the many reasons why Minneapolis has such a good score. Laredo, a 95% Latino city in South Texas, comes in 93rd. Here's the full list of ranked cities. City officials can use the ParkScore to guide investment in parks and promote ...
Recent reports have shown a leveling off in childhood obesity rates. But, for Latino kids, the crisis of obesity is continuing at significantly higher rates than among their peers, according to new data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Trust for America’s Health, and the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. Across the nation, Latino kids ages 10-17 were more overweight or obese (39.9%) than their black (38.2%) and white (26.3%) peers. “Children as young as 11 from socially and economically disadvantaged families and neighborhoods appear more likely to have thicker carotid artery walls, which in adults may indicate higher risk for heart attack and stroke in later life," said Nancy Brown, American Heart Association CEO, in a recent statement. "Elected ...
The U.S. is failing five of nine factors that reflect walking and walkable communities, according to a new report card. Children's walking behavior, pedestrian infrastructure, safety, institutional policies, and public transportation were graded an "F" by the new 2017 United State Report Card on Walking and Walkable Communities. The report is from the National Physical Activity Plan Alliance, which developed a system to evaluate U.S. walking and walkability.
Why walking is critical in Latino neighborhoods
Walking is a natural and inexpensive activity to improve health and prevent chronic disease. However, safe places to walk are often not accessible, particularly in Latino neighborhoods, according to our own research. Thus, many Latino children and adults don't walk and suffer ...
