The United States has been a nation of immigrants. Throughout the course of the nineteenth century, European immigration was widespread. With each new wave of migration, these groups brought new productive capacity and labor power that fueled the economic growth of the country. They also brought rich social traditions from their countries of origin, adding to the unique cultural mix in the United States.
Health
Latino Health Paradox.
The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI), based at the School of Policy, Planning, and Development at the University of Southern California, released a study, which revisits the Latino “health paradox.” The Latino “health paradox” refers to the widely- accepted belief that Latinos in the United States tend to be healthier than the average population despite their generally low socioeconomic status.
The Power of Community in Fighting HIV/AIDS Among Latinos.
The sense of family in the Latino community is so strong academics have coined a term for it: familismo. But for Latinos, family includes the village, the community at large. Dr. Garth Graham, a physician who heads the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, thinks that the idea of familismo or la familia primero (family first) is a key factor, together with the community, for helping Latinos in their fight against HIV/AIDS.
National Latino AIDS Awareness Day and Call to Action.
On October 15th more than one thousand organizations in over 300 cities across the nation, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, came together to promote HIV testing and prevention initiatives in recognition of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD), a nationwide community mobilization campaign seeking to raise the visibility of HIV/AIDS within the Latino communities.
New Hispanic youth drug use data released – Hispanic 8th graders outpace peers in illicit drug use.
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and local urban youth experts announced new report regarding drug use among Hispanic youth. According to a special report issued today by the ONDCP, Hispanic teen use of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine currently outpaces White and African-American teen use.
Minorities account for 51% of the U.S. Transplant waiting list.
In observance of National Minority Donor Awareness Day, Donate Life America calls attention to the 49,000 minority individuals that account for 51 percent of the United States transplant waiting list. There are nearly 100,000 people of all ages, races, and religions in desperate need of life-saving organ transplants that may not come in time. Hundreds of thousands more are in need of tissue transplants to restore their health, mobility, and sight.
NHCSL: Child Health Survey Report.
The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) released its first Child Health Survey Report & Findings. The report presents the current attitudes and perspectives that Hispanic state legislators have on child health issues such as childhood obesity, nutrition education, physical activity, and they provide some of the solutions that are working in their state.
Minorities are in Critical Need of Organ and Tissue Donors.
Nearly half million minorities in the United States are waiting on organ transplants and Eve J. Higginbotham, MD, Dean of Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in Atlanta is calling on minorities to become organ and tissue donors.
Children in Immigrant Families.
The huge influx of immigrants coming to the United States from every corner of the globe has helped propel the issue of immigration high up on the national agenda. Most of the attention has focused on the legal side of the issue, especially with Congress set to tackle comprehensive immigration reform this year.
In contrast, relatively little attention has focused on the side of the nation’s immigration story that represents the future: children.
Hispanics & African Americans among those at Risk due to high cost of Prescription Drugs.
The high costs of prescription drugs led many Hispanics and African Americans to take desperate measures, like delaying filling a prescription or skipping doses, according to a new AARP national study of adults 18 plus. The study also found a high level of support in the Hispanic and African American communities for state legislation to make prescription drugs more affordable.
National Cancer Institute Goes Online with new Spanish-Language Web Site.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) launched a new Internet Web site that will serve as a Spanish-language version of the official NCI Web site, cancer.gov. The new Web site is completely in Spanish and is one of the latest tools developed by NCI in its efforts to address cancer health disparities. The Web site is tailored to Spanish-speakers and members of the Hispanic/Latino community in the United States. There are approximately 40 million Hispanics/Latinos in the United States and about 30 million of those persons speak Spanish. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the U.S.
New Study serves up Latinos’ Health Habits.
Staying healthy for most of the 44 million Latinos living in the US means watching their diet/what they eat (84 percent) and exercising regularly (79 percent). Only 30 percent of Latinos report that they do preventive care or take medications to help them to stay healthy according to the new LatinoEyes Health Beat report.
