Mariachi music is a hallmark of Latino way of life. Generations of Latinos listen to mariachis – a small Mexican musical ensemble of mostly stringed instruments – and continue to pass on this beautiful part of the Latino lifestyle to future generations. Isabel (Belle) Ortiz, who passed away in July 2023 at age 90, was one of those people dedicated to teaching and sharing mariachi music with others. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re celebrating Belle’s life work bringing mariachi music to the forefront of music education.
A Trailblazer in Mariachi Music Education
Belle, nicknamed the “Godmother of Mariachi,” grew up on the west side of San Antonio. She was musically talented and passionate about mariachi from a young age. Throughout her childhood, ...
UT Health San Antonio, including Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, and seven regional collaborators will leverage $46 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over the next five to seven years to translate scientific discoveries into therapeutic benefits for human health and well-being. A key focus will be reducing health differences among Latinos (particularly Mexican Americans), active military personnel, and veterans. Dr. William L. Henrich, president of UT Health San Antonio, recently announced the funding from the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program. Henrich thanked partners including The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School and College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at San Antonio and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute for ...
“Now remember, you must return your books on time,” said the librarian at the local public library in Austin, Texas. She peered down at 6-year-old Octavio N. Martinez, Jr., who eagerly nodded in agreement. She smiled and handed the child his first library card. From there, Octavio fell in love. Hard. He loved books and became a ferocious reader. With each page turn, his passion for learning grew. By the time he reached sixth grade, he knew he was destined for college and had even earned the nickname “professor” among his friends. Now a grown man, Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr. has since earned four college degrees, including a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health. He is also one of the nation’s top mental health leaders and philanthropists, a ...
Latinos face inequities in non-medical drivers of health (NMDoH), from housing to healthcare, making it harder to achieve health fairness. Watch the UT Health San Antonio webinar — “How to Address Non-Medical Drivers of Health in Our Clinics and Systems” — which was held at 11 a.m. CST on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, to explore how healthcare settings can care for patients' medical and NMDoH needs. Panelists from UT Health San Antonio, Nemours Children's Health, HOPE Clinic in Houston, the American Cancer Society, and Genentech unpacked NMDoH screening, a strategy that clinics, hospitals, and healthcare systems can use to check patients for social needs and connect them to needed resources. This is a part of a webinar of a series, “Let’s Improve Health in South Texas ...
About half of Latinos who enroll in a four-year college do not end up graduating, according to a new analysis from ¡Excelencia in Education! Latinos’ college graduation rate (52%) also is lower than their White peers (65%). How can we increase Latino college graduation rates? Let’s dive into to the numbers and explore how to close the Latino education gap, and better support Latino students.
Latino College Graduation by the Numbers
28% of Latino adults (age 25 and older) currently have an associate degree or higher, compared to 48% of White adults. To better understand that gap, the new analysis from ¡Excelencia in Education! highlights 4 measures that track degree completion: 1. Graduation Rate: Total percentage of students who graduated within ...
“Grab what you can,” said a frantic young mother to her four children in their small rural home in El Campo, Texas. As their mother swiftly shoved a few belongings in a bag, her four children began to grasp the seriousness of the situation and why she pulled them out of school mid-day. It was finally their chance to get out of town and leave their abusive father – who suffered from alcohol addiction – behind. Diana Anzaldua was one of those four children. She knew her parents struggled to make ends meet, especially since they were teen parents with mental health challenges of their own. “We faced day-to-day domestic violence and a chaotic household. My mom, of course, was depressed,” recalled a grown Diana, who is now a licensed clinical social worker and resilient ...
It’s been nine months since President Biden announced his student loan forgiveness plan, and a lot has happened since. Whether you’re for or against the forgiveness, information on the plan’s status can be confusing and overwhelming. So, here’s a simplified summary of where our nation stands on student loan forgiveness.
Have Any Loans Been Forgiven?
So far, only targeted groups have benefitted from loan forgiveness. The billions of dollars awarded to these groups account for just 1% of all federal student loan debt. Most borrowers have yet to benefit from forgiveness, and the current student loan debt amount sits at $1.7 trillion.
What’s the Hold Up with Student Loan Forgiveness?
Pushback on the loan forgiveness plan has occurred across the nation in many states, ...
Healthcare coverage rates are better among people with higher education levels. But Latinos still face some of the largest health insurance coverage gaps among background groups, no matter their education level, new Census research shows. “Those identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native ... or Hispanic had the highest uninsured rates at all education levels,” according to the Census Bureau. Let’s dive deeper into the differences in education level and uninsured rates by background, with a close look at Latinos.
What Is the State of Latino Educational Attainment?
20.8% of Latinos age 25 to 64 had a bachelor's degree or higher in 2021, according to Census data. This is a lower rate than 60.8% of Asians, 41.5% of Whites, and 26.8% of African Americans. Still, ...
Dr. Amelie Ramirez, leader of Salud America! and a health researcher at UT Health San Antonio, is among 15 new inductees to the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame. Since 1984, the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame has annually inducted women from Bexar and surrounding counties who have shaped the future of San Antonio and paved the way for women in Texas business, service, education, and more. Ramirez is recognized in the "health" category, where she will join 32 other women from public health, health promotion, medicine, nursing, and more. Ramirez and the other new inductees were inducted at an event in San Antonio on March 4, 2023. "I am humbled to join the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame. I wholeheartedly support its mission to help local women pursue a college ...
