August 2020
Volume 16 No.9
Un Periรณdico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
The Color of Coronavirus: โ จ COVID-19 is NOT the Great Equalizer Un Periรณdico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Un Periรณdico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Un Periรณdico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
2
Editorial / Editorial
Race Matters - Coronavirus is not the great equalizer On May 2020, Stephen A. Main, MD posted the online version of the article COVID-19 and Health Disparities: the Reality of “the Great Equalizer” published on the Public Health Emergency COVID-19 Initiative webpage of the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM) on May 14, 2020. The first paragraph of the article states that, “From government officials to mainstream media and even celebrities, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been touted as “the great equalizer.” It is a disease that transcends wealth, fame, prestige, or age. We are all at risk. The statement highlights our vulnerability as part of a society that lacks any immunity to the novel virus. However, it also inaccurately assumes that we will all be equally affected by it. History has shown that this will not be the case.” While it is true that the virus can affect anybody, as the days go by, there is increasing evidence that some racial and ethnic minority groups are being disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Data from CDC (Centers or Disease Control) recognizes that people of color are being
disproportionately affected when compared to the rest of the population. This could be explained by the ongoing health and social inequalities that continue to impact this sector of the population. Factors such as discrimination, healthcare access and utilization, occupation, education, income, and wealth gaps are interrelated and influence a wide range of health and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. So, in reality COVID-19 is not the great equalizer. The following NOC (No One Cares) quote very well describes the present reality. People say we are on the same boat in this pandemic. We are not. We are in the same ocean but not on the same boat. Some are on yachts, others are on ships, sturdy, strong and safe. But most of us are on wooden boats, others are clinging on to floaters, and many are still drowning.
contents
2 Editorial / Editorial Race Matters - Coronavirus is not the great equalizer 3 Portada / Front Page Latinos and COVID-19 in Massachusetts 5 Growing COVID-19 Hotspots in the U.S. South and West will Likely Widen Disparities for People of Color 6 NIH Project Homes In on COVID Racial Disparities 7 Factors Linked to Structural Racism Put Latino Communities at Risk for COVID-19, New Study Says 8 Over a Decade After Katrina, Racial Inequities Resurface in Federal Response to COVID-19 9 Opinión / Opinion The vote of Puerto Ricans is key to elect Alex Morse to Congress on September 1st 10 The Pandemics of COVID-19 and hunger 11 L ibros/ Books The Sea Needs No Ornament/ El Mar No Necesita Ornamento
What Saves Us 12 Finanzas / Finances Lemonade or Lemon Aid?”
13 Educación / Education Grant Relief Boosts President’s Student Emergency Fund
OT TINTNAT E H N I K CALIE
In Holyoke… On Wednesday, July 29, 2020 we
posted the video of El Sol Latino Podcast 413 where we interviewed retired Holyoke police officer Melvis Romero on OS M RA a Holyoke social media group. Important to note that this AU FR por MANUEL particular interview was conducted in Spanish. A few hours later, we noticed that somebody commented (and we quote):
Is this the Spanish channel, I have enough of them on cable Seems that not everyone appreciates and values linguistic diversity in the city.
Foto del Mes/ Photo of the Month
Springfield Old Timers Softball League (OTSL) 2020
STCC launches new Water Distribution course; second in series
15 Salud / Health Holyoke Health Center Celebrates 50 Years of Service to the Community
Medicare’s Race, Ethnic Data Often Undercounts Minority Populations, Study Finds
Cita del Mes/ Quote of the Month “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” JOHN ROBERT LEWIS (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) Lewis was a civil rights leader and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020.
i-d: Roberto Fontánez - Presidente de la OTSL, junto a los árbitros Miguel Rivera, Edgar Rivera, Orlando “Landy” López, y José Santos - Vice-Presidente de la Liga
He was recognized as one of the “Big Six” of the Civil Rights Movement (along with Martin Luther King, Jr., A. Phillip Randolph, Whitney Young, James Farmer, and Roy Wilkins) who met with President Kennedy to discuss the planning of the “March on Washington”. In 1963, at the age of twenty-three, he was a keynote speaker at this historic event.
Founded in 2004
n
Volume 16, No. 9 n August 2020
Editor Manuel Frau Ramos manuelfrau@gmail.com 413-320-3826 Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau Managing Editor Diosdado López Art Director Tennessee Media Design Business Address El Sol Latino P.O Box 572 Amherst, MA 01004-0572
Editorial Policy
El Sol Latino acepta colaboraciones tanto en español como en inglés. Nos comprometemos a examinarlas, pero no necesariamente a publicarlas. Nos reservamos el derecho de editar los textos y hacer correcciones por razones de espacio y/o estilo. Las colaboraciones pueden ser enviadas a nuestra dirección postal o a través de correo electrónico a: info@elsollatino.net. El Sol Latino welcomes submissions in either English or Spanish. We consider and review all submissions but reserve the right to not publish them. We reserve the right to edit texts and make corrections for reasons of space and/or style. Submissions may be sent to our postal address or via electronic mail to: info@elsollatino.net. El Sol Latino is published monthly by Coquí Media Group. El Sol Latino es publicado mensualmente por Coquí Media Group, P.O Box 572, Amherst, MA 01004-0572.
household size, occupational segregation, the existence of underlying chronic health condition and access to health care.
In Massachusetts, Latino median household income is approximately half of that of Non-Lati and over a quarter of Latinos live below the federal poverty threshold. The poverty rate for 3 El Sol Latino August 2020 Latinos in Massachusetts is extremely high, 26% compared to non-Latinos, 8%. For children the disparity is even larger with 31% of Latino children living in poverty compared to 9% of by LORNAnon-Latino RIVERA, PH.D and SHEYLA MANON children. There is also a severe income disparity between Latinos and non-Latino Statewide, median household income, $41,019, is about two thirds of the non-Latino We know that on a national and state level, Latinos are testing positive for two thirds ofLatino the non-Latino median household income, $81,585. COVID-19 more than any other racial/ethnic group, but why are Latinos median household income, $81,585. As of June 16, 2020, Latinos make up 30% of the COVID-19 cases in
Portada / Front Page
Latinos and COVID-19 in Massachusetts
Emerging studies about COVID-19 make it clear that social and economic inequalities are shaping the distribution of COVID-19 cases in the United States and elsewhere. According to the World Health Organization, the social determinants of health are: “the conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power, and resources at global, national, and local levels.â€? In the U.S. and in particular Massachusetts, there are significant disparities in social determinants of health with regards to the incidence, prevalence, and outcomes of COVID-19 by race and ethnicity, income, housing conditions, types of employment, and access to health care among many other social determinants. From February 1, 2020, when Massachusetts identified its first COVID-19 case, to July 29, 2020 over 108,000 Massachusetts cases of COVID-19 have been reported by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (see GastĂłn Institute’s COVID Data Dashboard here: https://www.umb. edu/gastoninstitute/research). As of July 27, 2020, the positive cases of COVID-19 continue to rise for Latinos in MA while declining for all other groups, and they have tripled since April 2020. Because COVID-19 testing has been performed by a variety of private firms, the race and ethnicity of these cases are not always identified (despite a state mandate that this data must be collected). As a result, 35% of the race and ethnicity of COVID-19 cases are unknown in Massachusetts. Of the known cases, the racial/ethnic disproportionality is evident: among Blacks and Latinos, the incidence of COVID-19 dramatically surpasses their representation in the population. For example, cases among Blacks account for 14.4% of the total cases while they account for 7% of the state’s population. 30% of all COVID-19 cases are Latinos, but Latinos make-up 12.3% of the state’s population. Disparities in the death rates among Blacks and Latinos are harder to determine because of the inconsistency in the reporting of race and ethnicity in cases that result in death: 45% of the deaths reported by the MA-DPH still have an unknown race and ethnicity. Of those where race and ethnicity data are known, the overwhelming majority were white COVID-19 cases. Among both whites and Asians, their share of deaths surpasses their representation among COVID-19 cases. In contrast, the opposite is true among both Blacks and Latinos – their share of deaths is smaller than their representation among COVID-19 cases. Although better race and ethnicity data is needed from the MA-DPH to better understand the mortality and infection rates from COVID-19 of different racial-ethnic groups, from available data we can surmise that both Latinos and Blacks are more likely to be infected by the Coronavirus but less likely to die from their exposure to it. What are the key social determinants of health critical to understanding the spread and differential infection rates of COVID-19 among Latinos? Risk factors that lead to high rates of COVID-19 infections for Latinos include high poverty rates, the age of the population, household size, occupational segregation, the existence of underlying chronic health conditions, and access to health care. In Massachusetts, Latino median household income is approximately half of that of Non-Latinos, and over a quarter of Latinos live below the federal poverty threshold. The poverty rate for Latinos in Massachusetts is extremely high, 26% compared to non-Latinos, 8%. For children, the disparity is even larger with 31% of Latino children living in poverty compared to 9% of nonLatino children. There is also a severe income disparity between Latinos and non-Latinos. Statewide, Latino median household income, $41,019, is about
Massachusetts, while they make up only 7% of all deaths. One factor that As of June 16, Latinos make 30% of theofCOVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, while th may explain this2020, difference is the ageupcomposition the younger Latino make up only 7% of all deaths. One factor that may explain this difference population. In Massachusetts, Latino’s median age is 27 years, while that is the age composition Latino population. In Massachusetts, Latino's median age is 27 of non-Latinosofisthe 41 younger years. However, as more accurate data is collected, years, while that ofare non-Latinos is 41 years.and However, as more accurate the latest numbers showing that Latinos Blacks have higher rates data is collected, the latest numbers are showing that Latinos andcompared Blacks have higher rates of death from COVID-1 of death from COVID-19 in every age group to white and Asian in every age group residents under the compared age of 70. to white and Asian residents under the age of 70. TABLE 3. LATINO MEDIAN AGE
TABLE 3. LATINO MEDIAN AGE ͜͡
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more likely to be infected by the COVID-19 virus? In this article, we reprint some research conducted by the GastĂłn Institute for Latino Community Development & Public Policy that suggests there are multiple risk factors associated with key social determinants of health that really matter for Latinos in MA. (see full report here: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/gaston_pubs/253/).
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Source:2014-2018 2014-2018American AmericanCommunity Community Survey (PUMS) Source: Survey (PUMS)
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AAmajor the pandemic is that Latinos majorissue issueaffecting affectingLatinos Latinosduring during theCOVID COVID pandemic is that Latinos are less likely to are less likely to have health insurance than Non-Latinos. Lack of health have health insurance than Non-Latinos. Lack of health insurance hinders a person’s decision insurance hinders a person’s decision to get testing and treatment for get testing and treatment for COVID-19 illness. To make matters worse, in 2019, the Trump COVID-19 illness. To make matters worse, in 2019, the Trump Administration Administration enacted a public charge regulation. Gastón Institute research found that the ru enacted a public charge regulation. Gastón Institute research found that the rule change disproportionately affects citizen Latino children, as well change disproportionately affects U.S.U.S. citizen Latino children, as well as as Latino non-citizens i Latino non-citizens in Massachusetts, particularly in the 16are cities in which (See report here: Massachusetts, particularly in the 16 cities in which they concentrated. they are concentrated. (See report here: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/ https://scholarworks.umb.edu/gaston_pubs/230/). The fear of this public charge requirement gaston_pubs/230/). The fear of this public charge requirement may bemedical care. may be preventing some Latinos from seeking testing or COVID-19 preventing some Latinos from seeking testing or COVID-19 medical care.
AccordingtotoEva EvaMillona, Millona,president presidentofof theMassachusetts MassachusettsImmigrant Immigrant& & Advocacy Coalition According the many immigrants essential workers are “too fearful of are deportation or losing the chanc Advocacy Coalitionare many immigrants arewho essential workers who “too to become citizens toorgetlosing tested.� fearful of deportation the chance to become citizens to get tested.� TABLE 4. LATINOS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE. TABLE 4.
LATINOS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE.
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Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey (PUMS)
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(PUMS) continued on next page
Population density also raises the probability of a person’s exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Over half of the state’s Latino population lives in 10 densely populated cities and towns in Massachusetts. Chelsea is the state’s second-most densely populated city, and with 7,537 cas per 100,000 has the highest rate of COVID-19 cases in the state. Lawrence (3,786) Lynn (3,47 and Revere (2,792) are among the top 10 cities with the highest cases in the state.
4
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2020
Latinos and COVID-19 in Massachusetts continued from page 3 Population density also raises the probability of a person’s exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Over half of the state’s Latino population lives in 10 densely populated cities and towns in Massachusetts. Chelsea is the state’s secondmost densely populated city, and with 7,537 cases per 100,000 has the highest rate of COVID-19 cases in the state. Lawrence (3,786) Lynn (3,472) and Revere (2,792) are among the top 10 cities with the highest cases in the state.
TABLE 6. OCCUPATIONS WHERE MOST LATINOS WORK. Occupation
Table 5. Top 10 Latino Cities and Towns by Population Density and COVID-19 Case Rate.
Latino
Non-Latino
Latino Share
Food Preparation 38,716 and Serving Related
157,990
20%
Transportation and Material Moving
32,607
159,822
17%
Healthcare Support
23,035
104,015
18%
Personal Care and Service
11,977
95,513
11%
City or Town
Latino Population
Population Density/ Square Mile
COVID-19 Cases per 100,000
Chelsea
26,645
17,139
7,537
Lawrence
64,080
10,747
3,786
Lynn
38,828
8,087
3,472
Revere
17,526
8,656
2,792
Healthcare 12,346 228,188 Practitioners, Technical Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey (PUMS)
Worcester
39,507
4,817
2,620
Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey (PUMS)
Lowell
20,927
7,657
2,359
Holyoke
21,054
1,768
2,128
New Bedford
19,152
4,701
2,000
Boston
133,893
13,597
1,958
Springfield
69,131
4,673
1,674
For those those Latinos Latinoswho whoare areworking, working,not notonly only they encounterpeople peopleinin the workplace, For dodo they encounter transportation is needed to arrive at the workplace. Public transportation the workplace, transportation is needed to arrive at the workplace. Public is not conducive to physical distancing guidelines.to Larger of Latinos depend on public transportation is not conducive physicalshares distancing guidelines. Larger sharestransportation to ge to work than Non-Latinos. of Latinos depend on public transportation to get to work than Non-Latinos. TABLE OF OF TRANSPORTATION TO WORK. TABLE7.7.MEANS MEANS TRANSPORTATION TO WORK. ͳͺΨ
Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey and MA-DPH as of June 10, 2020
Unfortunately, Latino business owners are not benefitting from COVID-relief technical and financial assistance programs such as the Payroll Protection Program loans. According to one study, 86% of Latino small business owners reported significant negative impact on their businesses because of COVID-19 closures and two-thirds of Latino business owners reporting they might have to close their businesses within six months. Small businesses like bodegas have played a critical role in feeding Latino families, especially in neighborhoods where there are no major supermarket chains. According to Jonathan Shaer, executive director of the New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association: “They [bodegas] always have what you need,� and “they stay open in the face of added risk.�
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Latinos made up 12% of all employed workers in the state before the COVID crisis began. During the COVID-19 crisis, many higher-income workers can work from home, while lower-income workers in many service-related occupations continue to leave their homes to go to work. Latinos work in critical occupations providing essential services during the COVID-19 shutdown, and they fill a disproportionate share of many of these jobs. (Table 6) Many Latinos are also entrepreneurs and the long-term economic impact of the COVID-19 on Latino-owned businesses remains to be seen. In the past decade, Latinos have launched more small businesses than any other demographic group, and these businesses contribute nearly $500 billion to the U.S. economy. In Massachusetts there were 26,474 Latino-owned businesses, making up 7% of the state’s small business owners. In Boston alone, the share of privately-held firms owned by Latinos grew 60 percent from 2007 to 2012.
5%
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Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey Source: 2014-2018 American Community Survey (PUMS)
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Another major social determinant of health is housing. Latinos have the Another major social determinant of health is housing. Latinos have the lowest homeownersh lowest homeownership rates of any other racial/ethnic groups in MA, and ratesare of any other racial/ethnic groups in MA, they are disproportionately they disproportionately affected by the lack and of affordable housing in MA. affected by the lack of affordable housing in MA. One way that Latino families deal with high housing costs One way that Latino families deal with high housing costs in Massachusetts Massachusetts is to have a larger household size and share rental expenses with other is to have a larger household size and share rental expenses with other individuals. Larger household size increases the possibility of exposure individuals. Larger household size increases the possibility of exposure to to COVID-19. Latin in Massachusetts only live in more cities and towns, but they also live i COVID-19. Latinosnot in Massachusetts notdensely only livepopulated in more densely populated more crowded households. The average Latino household size is 3.31 cities and towns, but they also live in more crowded households. The compared to 2.55 for no Latinos,Latino and over 52% of size Latinos livecompared in households with or more people. average household is 3.31 to 2.55 forfour non-Latinos, and over 52% of Latinos live in households with four or more people.
Individuals who have chronic health problems are more likely to contract the COVID-19 viru
Individuals have chronic problems more likely theLatinos are more and chronicwho conditions place health populations at anare increased risk to ofcontract mortality. COVID-19 virus and chronic conditions place populations at an increased susceptible to COVID-19 because they have high rates of obesity (body mass index greater th risk of mortality. Latinos are more susceptible to COVID-19 because they 25), diabetes, and asthma. They have similar rates as others in the state for chronic obstructiv have high rates of obesity (body mass index greater than 25), diabetes, and pulmonary disease (COPD), ĞžƉŚLJĆ?ĞžĂ͕ Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ä?ĹšĆŒĹ˝ĹśĹ?Ä? Ä?ĆŒĹ˝ĹśÄ?ĹšĹ?ĆšĹ?Ć?͘ Chronic comorbidities such asthma. They have similar rates as others in the state for chronic obstructive diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and cancer are usually thought of as a result of pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or chronic bronchitis. Chronic genetics or individual behaviors. However, there is an abundance of evidence that these heal comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and outcomes, and the more immediate behaviors that may be influencing them, are shaped by soc cancer are usually thought of as a result of genetics or individual behaviors.
inequalities.
continued on page 12
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2020
5
Growing COVID-19 Hotspots in the U.S. South and West Will Likely Widen Disparities for People of Color SAMANTHA ARTIGA, JENNIFER TOLBERT, JENNIFER KATES, JOSH MICHAUD, AND KENDAL ORGERA | KAISER HEALTH NEWS | July 20, 2020 The number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is expanding rapidly, particularly in many states in the South and West. While the locations of outbreaks continue to move across the country, surging in some states and falling in others, much of the recent case growth has been occurring in the South and West. As of July 8th, we identified 33 states as hotspots (experiencing recent increases in cases and an increasing positivity rate or positivity rate over 10%), 23 of which were in the South and West. The shifting surge in outbreaks to the South and West will likely exacerbate the disparate effects of COVID-19 for people of color, who already are facing a higher burden of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths as well as a larger economic toll compared to their White counterparts. Hispanic people may be particularly hard hit as outbreaks rise in these areas. Just over half (51%) of people in the U.S. reside in these 23 Southern and Western hotspot states, but these states are home to seven in ten of all Hispanic individuals (71%) (Figure1). Moreover, roughly six in ten Asian (59%) and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) (57%) people live in these states, as do over half (51%) of Black people. Overall, nearly two-thirds of people of color (62%) reside in these states, compared to less than half of White people (43%).
In addition, people of color account for a larger share of the population compared to their share of the total U.S. population in a number of these states. For example, in 9 of the 23 Southern and Western hotspot states, Black people make up a larger share of the population compared to their share of the total U.S. population (12%). These states include Georgia (31%), Louisiana (32%), and Mississippi (38%), where more than three in ten residents are Black. AIAN people also make up a larger share of the population in 9 of these 23 states, including Montana (6%), New Mexico (9%), and Alaska (16%), compared to their share of the total U.S. population (<1%). Similarly, while 18% of the total U.S. population is Hispanic, they make up a higher share of the population in 7 of these 23 states, including roughly a third or more of the population in Arizona (32%), California (39%), Texas (40%), and New Mexico (49%). Asian people also account for a higher share of the population in Nevada (8%), Washington (9%), California (15%), and Hawaii (38%) compared to the U.S. overall (6%). Moreover, within many of these states, COVID-19 has already disproportionately affected people of color. Based on data reported as
of July 6, Black people accounted for a higher share of COVID-19 related deaths compared to their share of the population in 13 of these states that were reporting deaths by race/ethnicity. Similarly, Hispanic people made up a larger share of cases compared to their share of the population in 13 states, including in Tennessee and Arkansas, where their share of cases is over three times higher than their share of the population. There are also striking disparities for AIAN and Asian people in some of these states. For example, in Arizona, AIAN people made up 7% of cases and 16% of deaths compared to just 4% of the population and, in Nevada, Asian people made up 14% of deaths compared to 8% of the population. The large number of people of color living in COVID-19 hotspots coupled with the already disproportionate impact for people of color will likely lead to further growth in disparities as the outbreak shifts to the South and West. Potential growing impacts for the large shares of Hispanic and Asian people living in these areas heighten the importance of providing information and services in linguistically and culturally appropriate ways and addressing potential fears that could make those who have an immigrant family member hesitant to access services. Prior to the pandemic, growing research showed that many immigrant families were increasingly fearful of accessing services, including health care services, due to recent immigration policy changes. Rising cases will likely compound the major challenges AIAN people already are facing due to the pandemic and widen disproportionate impacts for Black individuals, as these groups are at increased risk of experiencing serious illness if they contract the virus due to high rates of underlying health conditions. People of color also are at increased risk of exposure to the virus, face increased barriers to testing and treatment, and are more vulnerable to financial challenges due to the pandemic due to social and economic circumstances. As discussed in previous work, the disparate impacts of COVID-19 mirror and compound existing racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care that are driven by broader underlying structural and systemic barriers, including racism and discrimination. For example, people of color are more likely to be uninsured, report poorer access to health care, and face increased economic and social challenges compared to their White counterparts. Further, 8 of these 23 hotspot states have not yet implemented the ACA Medicaid expansion to low-income adults, leaving a gap in coverage for poor adults in these states. Together the findings point to the importance of prioritizing health equity as part of response and relief efforts and directing resources to communities who are at the highest risk and experiencing disproportionate effects. Such efforts include collecting data to monitor the impact across communities; working with trusted community members and leaders and providing information in linguistically and culturally appropriate ways to effectively reach individuals; making testing and care readily accessible within communities to facilitate access to services, including for those who are uninsured; and providing adequate resources and support to help prevent spread of the virus. At the same time, broader efforts to address systemic and structural barriers both within and outside the health care system remain pivotal to addressing the underlying health inequities that have been highlighted and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. KAISER HEALTH NEWS is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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6
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2020
NIH Project Homes In on COVID Racial Disparities by ASHLEY GOLD | KAISER HEALTH NEWS | July 21, 2020 While the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Hispanic Americans is no secret, federal officials have launched studies of the disparity that they hope will better prepare the country for the next great epidemic. The National Institutes of Health began the ambitious “All of Us” research project in 2018 with the goal of enrolling at least a million people in the world’s most diverse health database. Officials saw it as an antidote to medical research that traditionally has skewed heavily white, well-off and male. Amid a wavering federal response that has allowed staggering levels of disease to sweep the country, the NIH program is a potential bright spot. About 350,000 people have consented to be part of the project, and more than 270,000 of them have shared their electronic health records and submitted blood or DNA samples. Of the latter, more than half are members of minority groups, and 81% are from traditionally underrepresented groups in terms of socioeconomic background, sexual identity or other categories, according to NIH. NIH researchers are trying to get a better sense of how socioeconomic factors like income, family structure, diet and access to health care affect COVID infections and outcomes. The hope is to come up with insights that will better prepare the country, especially its Black and Hispanic communities, for the next pandemic. The participants’ blood and DNA samples, and access to their electronic health records, offer researchers a trove of data about the pandemic’s effect on minorities. As part of the program, NIH has promised to return research results to all participants in plain language. In a sense, “All of Us was designed for COVID-19,” said Hugo Campos, a program participant and ambassador who lives in Oakland, California. “If we can’t deliver value to participants now, we might as well just forget it.” The NIH constructed All of Us with the expectation “that something like COVID-19 could come,” said Josh Denny, the project’s chief executive officer. All of Us, started by NIH Director Francis Collins under President Barack Obama, aims to answer questions that will allow health care to be tailored to individuals based on their unique genetics, environmental exposures, socioeconomics and other determinants of health. Now, scientists are tapping into its database to ask how factors like isolation, mental health, insurance coverage and work status affect COVID-19 infections and outcomes. The first NIH study employing the database, already underway, will conduct antibody testing on the blood of at least 10,000 program volunteers, starting with those who joined most recently and going back in time to determine when COVID-19 entered the U.S. Beginning in early May, All of Us has distributed monthly surveys to participants, via email or text, inquiring about stress levels associated with social distancing, work habits and environments, mask-wearing and handwashing. It’s also asking whether participants have had COVID-19 symptoms or have been tested, and includes queries about insurance coverage, drug use and mental health status. Another study will provide researchers with de-identified data, including antibody test results and digital health information, to study whether symptoms vary among people who have tested positive for COVID-19
depending on their ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other categories. Federal data shows that Black seniors have been four times as likely, and Latino seniors twice as likely, to be hospitalized with COVID-19 as white seniors. It’s understood that structural racism and socioeconomic differences contribute to this gap, but All of Us hopes to help pinpoint reasons and potential solutions. The minorities who’ve experienced the poorest COVID-19 outcomes are well represented in the All of Us research cohort, said Denny. “We will really be able to layer a number of kinds of information on what’s happening to different populations and try to drive at some of that ‘Why?’ Are there genetic differences, differences in prior medical history, timing of testing?” One of the precepts of All of Us is to share the results of its studies with participants as well as involve them in study designs. NIH hired leaders of churches, community organizations and other grassroots groups to spread the word on the program. The largely Spanish-speaking clientele at San Ysidro Health, a federally qualified health center based in San Diego, has been eager to participate in the COVID-19 research, said Fatima Muñoz, the health system’s director of research and health promotion. Most of the All of Us participants she helped recruit prefer in-person interactions, but they are adapting to the pandemic’s online requirements, she said. “There is historically a well-founded mistrust amongst some diverse populations and communities of color in biomedical research,” said Denny. “We can’t control history but can try to engage authentically going forward.” The Black Lives Matter protest movement has pushed the program’s leaders to do more for its diverse participants, Denny said. “It’s caused us to think more of how we can promote diversity in researchers, which had not been as much of a focus,” he said. “It has heightened some of the urgency and importance of what we’re doing. It’s a great call to action.” The All of Us program is funded with $1.5 billion over 10 years through the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016. Denny said he expects results from the antibody testing, an $850,000 project that was contracted out to Quest Diagnostics, to be published this year, with insights from the surveys published after that. The All of Us database provides unparalleled access to information on research groups whose level of harm by the virus would have been hard to predict, said Dr. Elizabeth Cohn, a professor of nursing at Hunter College in New York. Cohn is a community engagement lead for All of Us and chairs its publications committee. “This is the demonstration of why we built this platform,” said Cohn. “This is a big moment for All of Us because this is what it was built to do.” The pandemic has made it even clearer why it’s necessary to have a multicultural base for health research, said Dr. Randall Morgan, executive director of the W. Montague Cobb/National Medical Association Health Institute, an All of Us partner. “When we get to 1 million, we hope to still have that level of representation,” he said. KAISER HEALTH NEWS is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2020
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Factors Linked to Structural Racism Put Latino Communities at Risk for COVID-19, New Study Says WASHINGTON, D.C.| MILKEN INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, GWU | July 23, 2020 — Factors linked to structural racism put Latino communities in the U.S. at high risk of COVID-19, a study published today says. The new study is the first nationwide analysis of COVID-19 cases and deaths among Latinos. “We found that crowded housing, air pollution, jobs in the meatpacking and poultry industry and other factors put Latinos at high risk of COVID-19 infections and death,” said lead author of the study Carlos E. RodriguezDiaz, PhD, MPH, an associate professor of prevention and community health at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH). “Our study’s findings will help us look for tailored interventions aimed at keeping Latino communities healthy and safe.” Latino counties account for 11 percent of counties in the Northeast, 4 percent of counties in the Midwest and 33 percent of counties in the West, yet they comprise a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases in each region, Rodriguez-Diaz and his team found. Other reports suggest that Latinos make up 18 percent of the U.S. population but they account for 33 percent of all known COVID-19 cases.
To help identify some of the factors that put Latinos at such high risk, Rodriguez-Diaz and a multi-institutional team compared COVID-19 cases and deaths through May 11, 2020 in counties with a disproportionately large number of Latinos to all other U.S. counties. They also looked at county characteristics that could affect the risk and created a map of hot spots for COVID-19 among Latinos. The study found that Latino risks and deaths varied by region, with more COVID-19 infections found in the Midwestern and Northeastern Latino counties. However, the study suggests different reasons for the high risk. In the Northeast, many Latinos live in crowded housing units and are working on the frontlines or in essential jobs. Such conditions make it difficult to practice social distancing or isolation when necessary. Also, these predominantly Northeastern Latino neighborhoods are often located near busy highways or polluting industries. Researchers know that breathing in traffic emissions and other kinds of pollution can affect the respiratory system and can put people at risk for COVID-19 infection or a severe case of COVID-19. At the same time, the researchers found that COVID-19 deaths were higher only in the Midwestern Latino counties. Rodriquez-Diaz thinks that the high risk of death is related to the lack of health care and occupational risk – many of the Latinos in these areas work in risky meatpacking plants. Workers in these plants typically are not provided with protective equipment and cannot maintain a safe distance from co-workers, he said. Across the United States, five out of six Latinos work in delivery jobs or other work that requires travel and thus can increase the risk for exposure to the COVID-19 virus. This study is limited to the data available through mid-May. Many Latinos live in the South and Western states, which are the regions that are currently experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. While not captured in this study, it is very likely that the risks for infections and disease for these communities remains the same due to the lack of policies to address them early in the epidemic, Rodriguez-Diaz warns. Other research has shown that Latinos, Blacks and other people of color are at higher risk of getting infected with the virus or dying of COVID-19. Some of the same authors of this study previously showed that factors that contribute to structural racism also mean that COVID-19 deaths in predominantly Black communities are much higher than average.
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“It’s clear that the social determinants of health place communities of color at greater risk for COVID-19,” said Greg Millett, MPH, senior author of the paper and Vice President and director of public policy at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. “And, in the absence of complete national data, using the demographics of counties is a useful way to track the impact of COVID-19 in Latino as well as black communities.” Such studies might help policymakers find tailored solutions to help protect these vulnerable communities. For example, many Latinos are left out of public health insurance programs and mainstream health systems are unwelcoming. “Better access to medical care and support for grass roots organizations in the communities could help save lives,” Rodriguez-Diaz said. The study, “Risk for COVID-19 infections and death among Latinos in the United States: Examining heterogeneity in transmission dynamics,” was published July 23 in the Annals of Epidemiology.
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino August 2020
Over a Decade After Katrina, Racial Inequities Resurface in Federal Response to COVID-19 BOULDER, CO | THE NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY CENTER (NEPC) | July 28, 2020 – To inspire support for public health directives, many warn COVID-19 does not discriminate—everyone’s susceptible. The reality is more complicated. We are not “all in this together.” Racism ensures this, and New Orleans’ experience following Hurricane Katrina illustrates one way that racial inequities play out in times of crisis.
moment, including concerns over profiteering and who will have a voice in rebuilding communities disproportionately affected by economic shutdowns and school closures. Professor Buras ends her report with race-conscious, equity-focused policy recommendations spanning health, education, housing, labor, and democratic governance. These are necessary, she concludes, to realize an equitable future and hold accountable those whose negligence has inflicted and compounded harm for communities facing the crisis of not only COVID-19, but racism. In sum, Professor Buras’ report critically analyzes the following: • Reliving Katrina • The Effects of Disaster Are Not Natural: Federal Neglect Kills—And Kills Unequally • Crisis Reveals Preexisting Inequities and Exposes Tolerance for Racism • Profiteering and Privatization Dispossess Communities of Color • The Question of Who Has a Voice in Rebuilding the Economy Is Critical • Negligence Is Racist and Criminal • Toward an Equitable Policy Future
In a report released today by the National Education Policy Center, From Katrina To Covid-19: How Disaster, Federal Neglect, and the Market Compound Racial Inequities, professor Kristen Buras of Georgia State University draws on history, storytelling, and political analysis to describe how the government neglect that disproportionately affected communities of color during Katrina is again evident during the COVID-19 crisis, with similar devastating results.
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On August 29, 2005, Katrina struck New Orleans with disastrous effects. Yet while Katrina is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, Buras argues that government neglect and market-driven public policy generated the worst effects, especially for communities of color. Despite forecasts that Katrina could kill tens of thousands, federal, state, and local governments did little to protect those in geographically vulnerable neighborhoods or evacuate those without cars. In New Orleans, African Americans were left to drown in floodwaters and dehydrate on rooftops, disproportionately suffering an array of harms.
Find From Katrina To Covid-19: How Disaster, Federal Neglect, and the Market Compound Racial Inequities, by Kristen L. Buras, at: http://nepc. colorado.edu/publication/katrina-covid
But the harms did not end there. As floodwaters receded, policies aimed at privatizing assets in African American neighborhoods, including public schools, were enacted, compounding racial inequities wrought by a history of white supremacy. Almost 15 years later, on January 20, 2020, the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was detected. Despite warnings that a pandemic could wreak physical and economic havoc, the federal government failed to take preventative action. As a result, communities of color are again suffering disproportionately, with African Americans and other racially marginalized groups overrepresented among those who have died from the virus. Yet states have been slow to produce racially disaggregated data or provide racially targeted healthcare and other support. Instead of coordinating a federal response to the crisis and corresponding disparities, policymakers have advocated free market solutions, leaving states to compete for lifesaving medical supplies. The CARES Act, ostensibly passed to assist vulnerable communities, has been used to consolidate the wealth of corporate elites. Katrina and COVID-19 have been framed as “natural” disasters—one ecological and the other biological—but Buras contends that government inaction and racism have been most responsible for the disproportionate harms experienced by communities of color. With COVID-19, African Americans and other marginalized communities risk infection as low-paid workers, struggle to access food and healthcare, worry about rent and eviction, confront a digital divide amid shuttered schools, and die at higher rates. The experience of Katrina, then, has policy implications for the current
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LAS CLASES DE OTOÑO COMIENZAN EL 8 DE SEPTIEMBRE.
Opinión / Opinion
El Sol Latino August 2020
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The vote of Puerto Ricans is key to elect Alex Morse to Congress on September 1st by MARÍA IDALÍ TORRES The Congressional District has the largest Puerto Rican population in Massachusetts. The cities of Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, Westfield, Southbridge, and Pittsfield comprise the largest concentration of Puerto Ricans in Massachusetts. These cities are located within the First District, one of 9 congressional districts in Massachusetts. In addition to these six cities, the First District includes another 81 municipalities. Each of the 9 congressional districts is represented by one person in the US House of Representatives. Our current congressman is Richard Neal, of Springfield, who has been in this position since1989, for 31 years. Competing for the position this year is Alex Morse, the current Mayor of Holyoke. The election on Tuesday, September 1, will determine which of these candidates will be on the ballot for the general election. Puerto Ricans can be the voting bloc that determine the Congressional race on September 1, 2020. Estimates suggest that of the 65,000 Puerto Ricans who are eligible to vote in the First Congresional District only 39,000 are registered voters. If you are not a registered voter yet, you can register online https:// www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/ by August 10, 2020. If you are already registered but need to update your address or make corrections in your name, you can also use the online system to make these changes by August 10, 2020. Low Puerto Rican voting participation = no representation in congress. In previous elections, many Puerto Ricans did not vote because there was not a candidate that spoke directly to them about their concerns. Not having a caring and responsive person to represent us in the US House of Representatives makes a difference because policy decisions not only affect our lives in Western Massachusetts but also the lives of our families and friends in Puerto Rico. As US colonized citizens Puerto Ricans on both sides of the ocean experience violation of basic human rights and civil rights on a regular basis. In addition, our extended families often include Latinx immigrants waiting for immigration reform laws. At the present time we do not have an advocate for our interests. We not have a voice in the current congressional debates about policies that will make a difference in our lives such as (1) good paying green-based jobs, (2) tuition-free public college, (3) universal health care coverage, and (4) universal child care. After 31 years in congress, we still are waiting for Mr. Neal to lead legislation in support of his Puerto Rican and other Latinx constituents. It is time for a change! We can change this by voting for Alex Morse to represent us in congress. Alex Morse is the best candidate to represent Puerto Ricans and other Latinx in the US House of Representatives. The connection of Alex with the Puerto Rican community started early in his life. As a child, Alex attended Holyoke Public Schools and grew up with Puerto Rican children and their families. Like in many Puerto Rican families, his parents started a family as teenagers, lived in public housing and worked in low-wage jobs. Alex learned Spanish and became familiar with the culture of his Puerto Rican classmates and neighbors. He started to show his talents for leadership in public service
when he was in high school. After graduating from Holyoke High, he went to Brown University to obtain the skills required to help his community address persistent disparities in health, education, and economic development. Just before graduating from college, Alex became a candidate for mayor of his beloved city. At just 22, Alex became the youngest, first Spanish speaking and openly gay mayor in the history of Holyoke. His life story and political trajectory has sparked the interest of a younger multiethnic cohort of leaders in the District that seek to make changes in their communities. An open, transparents, and bilingual government staff. Alex believes that the residents are the greatest assets of the First District. As a congressman, he will locate his office in a community setting that is accessible to all the people, has an open-door policy and staff that represent all population segments of the district. Alex is committed to regular Town Hall meetings and direct feedback from constituents. Because Alex speaks Spanish, there is no need for English translation. When he was elected Mayor, Alex opened the doors of the Holyoke City Hall to all residents, but especially the Puerto Ricans, which were systematically excluded by previous administrations. Currently, you find bilingual staff in all the offices of municipal government services. Access to a quality public education: Alex believes in education as the foundation for safe and healthy communities and is committed to ensuring that every child in the First District has a world-class public education regardless of race, income, home language or ability. He will work to bring federal funding for universal pre-k and for school districts to provide year-round support services for children that need additional academic, social, health and nutritional assistance to successfully finish their education. During Alex’s tenure as Mayor, Holyoke’s graduation rate has increased from 49% to 73%. In Congress, Alex will advocate for federal investments in historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions and Tribal Colleges to address gaps in the training of the new generation of public educators and racial/ethnic disparities researchers. In addition, he will fight for tuition-free public college, universities, and vocational programs, and student loan debt forgiveness. Universal health care for all. Alex believes that access to health care is a basic human right. He has seen the impact of health disparities in his family, and as mayor of Holyoke, working to expand medical services. He knows the current system doesn’t address the needs of urban and rural residents and he supports policies that ensure universal access to quality comprehensive healthcare regardless of employment and place of residency. This system will cover prescription drugs, reproductive health services, treatment for mental health and addiction and will expand availability of services in rural communities. Recognizing that the transition from the current system to a universal health care system will take a few years, Alex will take steps to end “surprise medical billing”. Currently, 10,000 people every day get a surprise medical bill in this country. A person who is insured continued on page 10
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Opinión / Opinion
The Pandemics of COVID-19 and hunger by ANDREW MOREHOUSE We are experiencing two pandemics simultaneously – COVID-19 and hunger. Our region’s emergency food network provided food assistance to an average of nearly 105,000 individuals monthly between March and June as compared to about 90,000 monthly during the same time last year. If estimates are correct, we could be assisting as many as 128,000 individuals monthly by the end of the year. We know how to mitigate both pandemics: COVID-19 by washing our hands, wearing masks and maintaining social distancing; hunger by providing food assistance. To end COVID-19 will require a vaccine. Ending hunger is more complicated. We know this because there are many underlying causes of hunger that cannot be addressed with simple solutions. Clearly, COVID-19 has exposed social and economic inequities, which are powerful causes, that cannot be ignored if we are to be honest and objective. Those of us who have employment, income and assets to rely on are clearly privileged and fortunate compared to those without adequate means to make ends meet. However, the current pandemic may be putting even this reality to the test. Can you imagine what it must feel like to not have enough food to feed yourself and your children? …to endure the pain, stress, anxiety and, frankly, the trauma of witnessing family members, friends, and colleagues living with hunger and COVID-19? In western Massachusetts, most people at risk of hunger are white because most of the population is white. Yet, much like the rest of the country, communities of color are disproportionately at greater risk of both pandemics. Systemic racism has disenfranchised many individuals from
El Sol Latino August 2020
privileges that many of us take for granted… quality healthcare, education, and personal wealth and income to be able to afford decent housing, childcare, and transportation in healthy and safe environments. In fact, people of color are more likely to continue to work in dangerous essential services at low wages trying to make ends meet. These two pandemics, coupled with police abuse, are exposing yet again inequities in our society that we must acknowledge and do something about. Like you, we at The Food Bank continue to soul search as we carry out our mission. We know that we must deal with the immediate challenge. We must provide more healthy food to more people now. We also know that we must continue to advance long-term solutions to end the pandemic of hunger such as facilitation of the Coalition to End Hunger, advocacy of hunger-free public policy, and support for local farmers, including our investment in a second Food Bank Farm. We are developing bold plans and would very much welcome your input. Please consider contacting me. I’d be delighted to hear your thoughts and share more about ours. ANDREW MOREHOUSE (andrewm@foodbankwma.org) is the Executive Director, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. He issresponsible for the overall management of The Food Bank. He also engages in public education and advocacy, carries out fundraising and “friendraising,” and serves on several non-profit boards of directors. Morehouse has served as the Executive Director since 2005.
The vote of Puerto Ricans is key to elect Alex Morse… continued from page 9 may get medical care from a provider out of their insurance network, and a bill can bankrupt families who can’t fight the insurance companies. Sustainable economic development, creation of green jobs and affordable housing. Alex believes in including a fixed adult income to meet basic financial needs, a $15 minimum wage, and a new formula for distributing federal funding in communities that have experienced persistent poverty over many decades. He also supports the creation of good green jobs to rebuild infrastructure and a National Affordable Trust Fund to reduce economic insecurity and homelessness. Alex will use his experience as mayor of Holyoke to promote economic development in the entire First District by working on a district-wide green energy initiative that will modernize public housing and school buildings as well as commercial centers. He will also seek federal incentives to help farmers adopt organic and restorative practices. For a detailed description of his policy proposals, please visit his website https://alexmorseforcongress.com/issues. We can vote for Alex Morse by mail or in person at selected polling places or on elections day on September 1, 2020 at your regular pooling place. The easiest and safer way to protect ourselves against COVID 19 is to vote by mail. You can request a ballot to vote by returning the ‘vote-by-mail” application card that you receive from the local Elections Office. Before mailing back your card, please verify that your name and address are correct and check the boxes for September 1, 2020 and for Democratic ballot. If you do not receive the vote by mail application card, you can request a ballot from the website of the Secretary of State https://www.sec. state.ma.us/ele/eleev/evidx.htm. The second option is to vote early, from August 22 to 28, at a selected polling places to be announced by the Elections Office. The third option is to vote in person on Elections Day, Tuesday September 1 at your regular polling place.
Food insecurity can happen to anyone. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hunger in our region is projected to rise an astounding 47%.* Recently furloughed and unemployed individuals are seeking support for themselves and their families, possibly for the first time. Right now, your neighbors are concerned about how they will feed themselves and their kids. Please lend them a hand during this unprecedented time of need. Donate now.
foodbankwma.org/donate or mail: P.O. Box 160 • Hatfield, MA 01038 *As projected by Feeding America, a national network of food banks.
Libros/ Books
El Sol Latino August 2020
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The Sea Needs No Ornament / El Mar No Necesita Ornamento:
A Bilingual Anthology of Contemporary Poetry by Women Writers of the English and Spanish-speaking Caribbean edited by LORETTA COLLINS KLOBAH and MARÍA GRAU PEREJOAN • Leeds, UK| PEEPAL TREE PRESS | September 2020 | 411 pages Description: Thirty-three poets from the English and Spanish-speaking Caribbean offer poems in a variety of forms and styles – from free verse, formal, experimental, and exuberant to minimalist – employing a range of language registers, including borrowings from children’s ring games to blues rhythms. They speak in equally varied voices: lyrical, ironic, incensed, carnivalesque, meditative, and transgressive. Poems range over all aspects of women’s lives, from childhoods of joy or sorrow, relationships with men and women, motherhood, elder years, as part of collectivities or in solitude. Poems focus on the female body as a source of self-knowledge, pleasure, strength, blood, invasion, and sometimes abuse. As Caribbean women, these poets scrutinize their places in the region’s history and geography, including the intergenerational impact of migration; they celebrate or cast a critical eye over its spiritual traditions; decry the inequalities of class, race, gender, and sexuality; observe the region’s abundance of flora, fauna and supernatural beings; and lament the catastrophic natural forces of earthquake, flood and hurricane that have battered its peoples, who yet search for new ways to revive and move forward. As Ilya Kaminsky writes: “This book gives us some of the most passionate and insightful writing around, in any language… as I look at the translated voices here I am both moved and transformed by the ways they seem to address the devastation of the present moment… Spanish-speaking poets are presented with wonderful English-language poets. The result is a first-rate conversation between poetics, a marvel.”
About the Authors
LORETTA COLLINS KLOBAH lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she is a professor of Caribbean Literature and creative writing at the University of Puerto Rico. She has lived in various locations related to the Caribbean experience, including Jamaica, England, and Canada. She earned an M.F.A. in poetry writing from the Writers’ Workshop at the
University of Iowa, where she also completed a doctoral degree in English, with an emphasis on Caribbean literary and cultural studies. She was one of eight poets featured in the anthology New Caribbean Poetry, edited by Kei Miller (Carcanet Press, 2007), and her poetry has also been anthologized in the 1996 Pushcart Prize Anthology, TriQuarterly New Writers, and the collection How Much Earth? Her poetry and scholarly essays have been published widely in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, with poems appearing in such journals as The Caribbean Writer, Poui: The Cave Hill Literary Annual, TriQuarterly Review, Quarterly West, Black Warrior Review, The Missouri Review, The Antioch Review, Cimarron Review and Poet Lore. In addition to the Pushcart Prize and various awards from literary journals, her poetry has received the Earl Lyons Award from The Academy of American Poets and the Pam Wallace Award for an Aspiring Woman Writer. She was also the recipient of a tuition scholarship at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference at Middlebury College in Vermont. MARÍA GRAU PEREJOAN, holds a doctoral degree in Cultural Studies with an emphasis on Caribbean Literature and Literary Translation from the University of Barcelona, and an MPhil in Cultural Studies from the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago. She was visiting lecturer at the UWI, St Augustine Campus for three academic years, she then moved on to lecture courses in Translation and Caribbean Literature at the University of Barcelona, and since 2020 she is a Lecturer at the Department of Spanish, Modern and Classical Languages at the University of the Balearic Islands.
What Saves Us Poems of Empathy and Outrage in the Age of Trump edited by MARTÍN ESPADA • Evanston, IL | Northwestern University Press | October 2019 | 288 pages Description: This is an anthology of poems in the Age of Trump—and much more than Trump. These are poems that either embody or express a sense of empathy or outrage, both prior to and following his election, since it is empathy the president lacks and outrage he provokes. There is an extraordinary diversity of voices here. The ninety-three poets featured include Elizabeth Alexander, Julia Alvarez, Richard Blanco, Carolyn Forché, Aracelis Girmay, Donald Hall, Juan Felipe Herrera, Yusef Komunyakaa, Naomi Shihab Nye, Marge Piercy, Robert Pinsky, Danez Smith, Patricia Smith, Brian Turner, Ocean Vuong, Bruce Weigl, and Eleanor Wilner. They speak of persecuted and scapegoated immigrants. They bear witness to violence: police brutality against African Americans, mass shootings in a school or synagogue, the rage inflicted on women everywhere. They testify to poverty: the waitress surviving on leftovers at the restaurant, the battles of a teacher in a shelter for homeless
mothers, the emergency-room doctor listening to the heartbeats of his patients. There are voices of labor, in the factory and the fields. There are prophetic voices, imploring us to imagine the world we will leave behind in ruins lest we speak and act. However, this is not merely a collection of grievances. The poets build bridges. One poet steps up to translate in Arabic at the airport; another walks through the city and sees her immigrant past in the immigrant present; another declaims a musical manifesto after the hurricane that devastated his island; another evokes a demonstration in the street, shouting in an ecstasy of defiance. The poets take back the language, resisting the demagogic corruption of words themselves. They assert our common humanity in the face of dehumanization.
About the Author
MARTÍN ESPADA has published almost twenty books as a poet, editor, essayist, and translator. His latest collection of poems is called Vivas to Those Who Have Failed. He is the recipient of the 2018 Ruth Lilly Prize, and the editor of the groundbreaking anthology Poetry Like Bread: Poets of the Political Imagination from Curbstone Press
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Finanzas / Finances
El Sol Latino August 2020
Lemonade or Lemon Aid? by MILAGROS S. JOHNSON Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not confuse the two. Lemonade is a juice, and the Lemon Aid Law is the protection consumers have when buying a used vehicle. Auto-sales related complaints are our â&#x20AC;&#x153;numero unoâ&#x20AC;? each year! As your local consumer advocate, I want to give you the, â&#x20AC;&#x153;buying power to make an informed purchase, or know when to walk away from a bad deal.â&#x20AC;? I will be dedicating this month, and the next two months of The Con$umer Toolbox to those who are in the market for a new car. I will provide important tips on 1) what you need to know before buying a used vehicle, 2) how to get the best deal, and avoid buying a lemon, and 3) how the Massachusetts Lemon Aid Law protects you. So letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get started! Before going physically shopping for a vehicle, you should first decide on a budget. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re planning on financing the vehicle, be sure to first review your credit reports and FICO score to determine if a lender would consider you to be creditworthy, and to have an idea of what percentage rate (APR) you may qualify for. Hint: Consider applying for an auto loan at your local bank or credit union for a lower APR and get locked-in. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re paying cash for the car, keep reading! Once you have your budget and finances in order, narrow your decision to the year, make and model of the vehicle you want to buy. To avoid high pressure sales tactics, or giving into impulsive buying temptation, it is best to first do your â&#x20AC;&#x153;browsingâ&#x20AC;? online for vehicles available at local dealers. Once you narrowed it down to your choices, check the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kelley Blue Book value, as well as that of your trade-in. You may want to print the information to take with you to the dealer. To check on the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reliability and safety ratings, and any open recalls, go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, where you can review complaints on its database. Consider calling your insurance company to inquire on the cost of premium for the car you are considering buying. These factors could make
or break your decision to move forward with a purchase. In the August column of The Con$umer Toolbox, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll provide you with tips on how to buy the best car, and share some of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;tricks of the tradeâ&#x20AC;? with youâ&#x20AC;Śso stay tuned! To learn more about our program or to request assistance, please visit us at springfield-ma.gov, email us at moci@springfieldcityhall.com or call us at (413) 787-6437 (se habla EspaĂąol). Please note that we are currently not accepting walk-ins, however teleconferences are welcomed and strongly encouraged. Stay safe, be wellâ&#x20AC;Śand stay informed. MILAGROS S. JOHNSON is the Director of the Mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office of Consumer Information in Springfield, a Local Consumer Program funded by the Massachusetts Attorney Generalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office.
Growing COVID-19 Hotspots in the U.S. South and West Will Likely Widen Disparities... continued from page 3 However, there is an abundance of evidence that these health outcomes, and the more immediate behaviors that may be influencing them, are shaped by social inequalities.
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TABLE 9. COMORBIDITIES AND LATINO POPULATIONS.
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Latinos are overwhelmingly working in essential jobs where there is not enough free COVID-19 testing, Personal Protective Equipment, or CDC guidelines being followed in the workplace.
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ʹͲΨ
ͳ;Ψ
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categories: Building & Grounds, Cleaning & Maintenance, Food Preparation & Serving, Office & Administrative Support, Production, Sales, Transportation & Material Moving, and Construction in Massachusetts. Latinos working in these occupations have contact with large numbers of people.
ͳ;Ψ ͡Ψ
͡Ψ
The most recent unemployment data by race and ethnicity in the United States is for April 2020. Unemployment for the country was 14.7%, Latinos are the hardest hit, with a record jobless rate of 18.9%, higher than any other racial/ethnic group. Massachusettsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unemployment rate was 12.3%, with leisure and hospitality, trade and transportation, and construction losing the most jobs. Latinos in Massachusetts disproportionately work in these jobs. For those earning under $40,000, the Federal Reserve reported that 40% were laid off or furloughed by early April. Latinos make up a large share of those earning less than $40,000.
In conclusion, it is clear that the Latino population of Massachusetts is especially vulnerable to COVID-19 infections and many of the risk factors Â&#x17D;Â&#x17D; Â&#x192;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2022;Â&#x192;Â&#x2026;Â&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013;Â&#x2022; Â&#x192;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2018;Â&#x2022; and social determinants of health discussed in this article are disproportionately affecting Latinos who live in Gateway Cities like Chelsea and Lawrence. Source:2018 2018Behavioral BehavioralRisk Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Source: Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Understanding the social determinants of health is critical to developing Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, wage inequality existed among racial/ policies to address the differential infection rates of COVID-19 across Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, wage inequality existed among racial/ethnic groups in ethnic groups in MA. Latinos in Massachusetts earned a median wage populations. Most importantly, we need to investigate the impact of systemic MA. Latinos in Massachusetts earned a median wage income of $29,324 compared to $47,526 income of $29,324 compared to $47,526 for non-Latinos. One of the racism on the chronic stress and depression experienced by Latinos, as well for non-Latinos. One of the reasons for this wage inequality is Latinosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; occupational segregation. reasons for this wage inequality is Latinosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; occupational segregation. (See as how systemic racism affects the quality of the health care Latinos receive. (See GastĂłnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Latinos in the Laborforce report: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/gaston_pubs/248/) GastĂłnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Latinos in the Laborforce report: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/ Over 63% of Latinos work in just seven major occupation categories: Building & Grounds, gaston_pubs/248/) Over 63% of Latinos work in just seven major occupation continued on page 14 Cleaning & Maintenance, Food Preparation & Serving, Office & Administrative Support, Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x203A;
Â&#x2039;Â&#x192;Â&#x201E;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;
Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x192;
Production, Sales, Transportation & Material Moving, and Construction in Massachusetts. Latinos working in these occupations have contact with large numbers of people.
Latinos are overwhelmingly working in essential jobs where there is not enough free COVID-19 testing, Personal Protective Equipment, or CDC guidelines being followed in the workplace.
Educación / Education
El Sol Latino August 2020
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Grant Relief Boosts President’s Student Emergency Fund HOLYOKE, MA | HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE | June 19, 2020 - After COVID-19 broke, applications to the President’s Student Emergency Fund at Holyoke Community College soared. The fund, established by President Christina Royal through the HCC Foundation, is meant to assist students facing unanticipated financial burdens, such as a lack of affordable housing, childcare expenses, and transportation. For the 2019-2020 academic year, 93 percent of student requests to the fund have come since mid-March. As HCC transitioned to remote learning, nearly $25,000 has been distributed to help students facing income loss and struggling to pay their bills in the midst of the pandemic. “We are talking about an average gift of $500,” said Amanda Sbriscia, HCC vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the HCC Foundation, the college’s nonprofit fundraising corporation. “That is often the difference between staying on a path to a college degree or never being able to return to the classroom. Studying and learning remotely has meant added an unanticipated expenses for our students. Faster internet, upgraded technology, housing and food costs, utility bills – seemingly simple shifts in daily life are easy to manage for some, but for many HCC students, they can derail their entire education.” This week, the President’s Student Emergency Fund at HCC received a $35,000 boost in the form of a grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts designated for COVID-19 relief. The HCC Foundation was one of 29 area nonprofits receiving financial assistance in the latest round of COVID-19 relief funds from the Community Foundation. “You are receiving this grant thanks in part to funding from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund,” Jim Ayres, CFWM vice president for Programs & Strategy, said in an email to Sbriscia. “The Massachusetts
COVID-19 Relief Fund works in concert with regional community foundations and nonprofit leaders to support those across the state most impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis, focusing on essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations including the homeless, immigrant populations, people with disabilities and those facing food insecurity.” With the Community Foundation grant, the HCC Foundation has now raised $72,480 for the President’s Student Emergency Fund since late March when it launched the “TogetherHCC” fundraising campaign in response to the pandemic, placing the total amount of dollars available for student relief at $190,000. The largest single donation to the campaign was $20,000 from HCC alumna Margaret “Peg” Wendlandt ‘58 and her husband, Gary, who have supported the emergency fund since it was established three years ago. The rest of the contributions have come in much smaller increments from 160 individual donors and area businesses. “We are so grateful to the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, our alumni and HCC employees and friends for believing in the power of our emergency fund to help our students,” said Sbriscia. “In one way or another, all our students have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sense of relief and comfort we’re able to provide thanks to the generosity of so many is honestly life-changing for them.”
STCC launches new Water Distribution course; second in series SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | July 24, 2020 – Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) will offer an online course this fall to prepare students for careers in the drinking water industry and to help those working in the field enhance their skills. The course, called Concepts & Practices of Drinking Water Distribution, is being offered through the Workforce Development Center at STCC in partnership with the Massachusetts Water Works Association and the Springfield Water & Sewer Commission. The training, which runs Sept. 14-Dec. 4, is free for students enrolled in any community college in Massachusetts. Individuals not enrolled at a community college as well as employees at water utilities can register for the class for a fee. This is the second in a series of courses designed for careers in the water industry. Last fall, a water treatment course was offered in a similar selfpaced online format. Students who completed the training last fall touted the course’s effectiveness and flexibility. The water distribution course will include weekly videos, readings, discussion topics and quizzes.
“It’s an exciting and rewarding career,” he said. “Workers will face challenges as communities deal with aging infrastructure. Training such as the type we offer with STCC and the Springfield Water & Sewer Commission is critical to attracting new individuals to the field and enhancing the skills of new and existing employees.” The 12-week training will help prepare students to take the Massachusetts Drinking Water Operator Grade 2, 3 and 4 Distribution license exams. Licensure is necessary for beginning a career in the drinking water industry. This course is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Certification of Drinking Water Operators. Material covered includes hydrology, source waters, basic math and chemistry, regulations, water sampling, hydraulics, distribution system components (pipes, valves, pumps, tanks, meters), equipment operation and maintenance, safety and administrative duties.
Another former student said, “I took your self-paced online Basic Water Treatment course last fall. Since then I got my D4 and T2 licenses as well as a promotion to chemist.”
Someone with a Massachusetts water operator distribution license can work in such positions as: • Water Construction & Repair Technician • Construction Foreman • Equipment Operation & Maintenance Specialist • Water Quality Technician • SCADA, GIS or Instrumentation Specialist • Water Systems Manager
Instructor Daniel Laprade, of the Massachusetts Water Works Association, has been working in the drinking water field for more than 35 years and has been an instructor for over 15 years.
Students who complete the water course can consider continuing their education in fields such as civil engineering, urban studies, software development, business administration and more.
He said demand for trained employees in the water drinking industry continues to grow as older workers retire.
To enroll online and find more information, visit stcc.edu/water. To enroll in person or for more information, please call (413) 755-4225 or email wdc@ stcc.edu.
“The pace allows for people new to the industry to take time to fully read and learn the material in addition to the videos of each module,” one former student said.
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El Sol Latino August 2020
Growing COVID-19 Hotspots in the U.S. South and West Will Likely Widen Disparities... continued from page 14 THE GASTÓN INSTITUTE is supporting projects at UMass Boston that are documenting the experiences of Latino students coping with COVID-19. One of the projects focuses on the experiences of Afro-Latinx students during the spring 2020 semester, quarantine period led by Dr. Aminah Pilgrim. Three projects focus on supporting students with community health led by Dr. Eduardo Siqueira, stress management workshops for Latinx students led by Natalie Arbid, Bryan Balvaneda, and workshops for UMB’s Latinx students as they navigate the pandemic in Fall 2020 and beyond led by Dr. Reyes Coll-Telechea, Albis Mejía, and Ana Frega. The creativity and resiliency of Latinx culture during COVID-19 will also be elevated. Dr. Ester Shapiro is leading the “Cajitas Project”, a culture/creative arts project for Latina/o/x studies classes, and Dr. Gonzalo Bacigalupe is leading a call for artists for the “Latinx Art & Covid-19: Memory & Identity project. All of these awards were made possible by a Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Innovation Grant and our partnership with Bunker Hill Community College to advance Latinx Student Success. The Gastón Institute is also co-sponsoring a series of webinars focused on COVID-19 and Latino Student Success. In partnership with the statewide Pursuit of Equity, Accountability, and Success (PEAS), the first webinar raised awareness about how COVID-19 was affecting the lives of Latinx families throughout the Commonwealth. The session had several panelists
including community leaders, students, and educators and can be watched here: https://umassboston.zoom.us/rec/play/65Mqdu_5_283HN3GtQSDA6B xW43pf6qs2iUWqfAJnk7hV3UGNVClMrYaYOM4tL8Mw5T_1VyG9P1JgXMR ?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=eyFSuX9JSVadZokdEXkjgg.1595965239 692.6134df275d44563d3246f5983090f33b&_x_zm_rhtaid=95 UMass Boston students enrolled in the Gastón Institute’s Latino Leadership Opportunity (LLOP) research seminar produced outstanding documentaries about their COVID-19 lives. https://vimeo.com/421586029?fbclid=IwAR0vLe QHNFCg2b27nQu-YbSv-V_KL07sUqC4P3WiklxOs89yKIc8mtyXSYs
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El Sol Latino August 2020
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Holyoke Health Center Celebrates 50 Years of Service to the Community HOLYOKE, MA | HOLYOKE HEALTH CENTER | July 17, 2020 - The Holyoke Health Center (HHC), located at 230 Maple Street in Holyoke, celebrates their 50th Anniversary this week. The Holyoke Health Center (HHC) was established during the war on poverty, and has dedicated their medical, dental and pharmacy services to improve the health of the community members living in downtown Holyoke and surrounding areas for the past 50 years. On Tuesday, July 21st at 10:00am, HHC will host an outdoor and socially distanced kick-off event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the health center. Opening as a component of the federally supported Model Cities Program, HHC outgrew its small building in the ‘Flats’ neighborhood of Holyoke, and developed a highly successful facility across from City Hall; this project being the single largest downtown development to occur in Holyoke. The current HHC facility is over 100,000 sq. ft., large enough to meet the needs of over 20,000 patients. The complex of 4 integrated buildings includes a large innovative community pharmacy staffed by 14 pharmacists, the area’s largest dental services program which includes adult, pediatric and orthodontic services, the Center for Recovery & Support that treats hundreds of patients with substance use disorders, a growing Eye Care program, and its flagship comprehensive medical program serving children, adolescents, adults and elderly patients. To meet the needs of patients in surrounding communities, HHC built additional locations in Chicopee to provide medical, dental and pharmacy services, and Westfield to provide additional dental services. HHC’s success has been in building teams of dedicated professionals within a staff of over 300 employees, many of whom grew up and still reside in the Holyoke community and have a unique awareness and connectivity to the issues faced by the community members and patients. Understanding the social determinants that led to many of the patients’ health problems has led to the development of numerous community programs created over the years at HHC that have contributed to better care and improved health outcomes.
Throughout the past 50 years, HHC has responded to health issues connected to low- income status, including the HIV/AIDS epidemic. HHC took the lead in responding to the epidemic in the community by conducting research, education, screening, and ultimately developing a highly successful medical team to treat the illness. During the 1980s, HIV/AIDS treatment was not widely available and HHC was one of the only health care providers in the area delivering HIV/AIDS care and providing treatment. Now, with the COVID-19 global pandemic, HHC is again taking the local lead in education, prevention and treatment, supporting contact tracing, providing drive through testing, and quickly establishing clinical approaches to contain and treat the virus, while it is spreading and rearranging the way our community lives and works. HHC has been at the forefront of creating a teaching facility to train the health care providers of tomorrow. Residency programs in Adult Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry, Pharmacy and a new Family Nurse Practitioner program are currently bringing 16 professionals from across the country to HHC each year. Many residents participating in our programs go on to join the permanent staff of HHC, ensuring that the services and programs developed over the past 50 years will continue to thrive and evolve. The mission of the Holyoke Health Center is to improve the health of our patients by providing quality health care and supporting comprehensive community based programs to create a healthy community. To learn more about the Holyoke Health Center, please visit www.hhcinc.org.
Medicare’s Race, Ethnic Data Often Undercounts Minority Populations, Study Finds RUTGERS, NJ | RUTGERS UNIVERSITY | July 7, 2020 - The information critical to a nationwide priority of reducing health care disparities among minorities is incomplete and inaccurate, according to a new Rutgers study.
and Alaskan Native beneficiaries of Medicare were misclassified. And in the majority of states, at least one-fourth of Asian American and Pacific Islander beneficiaries were misclassified.”
Published in Medical Care Research & Review and Medical Care, the study compared Medicare beneficiaries’ race and ethnicity data from the two most widely-used administrative data sources, to data sources that include beneficiaries’ self-reported race and ethnicity information and found that in 19 states the administrative data sources significantly undercount the proportion of people who are Hispanic. It discovered even more widespread undercounting of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and American Indian populations.
Medicare requires the collection of self-reported race and ethnicity data during standardized assessments in home health care and other care settings and should be used whenever possible by researchers who are documenting racial disparities and the impact of racism on healthcare use and outcomes, Jarrin said.
The study was led by Olga Jarrín Montaner, assistant professor at Rutgers School of Nursing and Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research and Irina Grafova, assistant professor at Rutgers School of Public Health. Since the United States’ population of older adults is not only just rapidly growing but also becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, collecting and using accurate data on this population’s race and ethnicity is needed to identify disparities in health care access and quality of care and is vital for identifying systemic barriers to improving minority health outcomes. “The inaccuracy of state-level data on Medicare beneficiaries’ race and ethnicity is staggering,” said Grafova. “We found that, in 19 states, about 20 percent of Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries were misclassified as belonging to another ethnic group. In 24 states, more than 80 percent of American
“The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid can incorporate our findings to improve the accuracy of racial and ethnic data used in the future to estimate minority health and health disparities within the U.S. Medicare population,” she said. “By creating more accurate estimates of the demographic profile of older adults, we can inform future public health and policy, and better understand the magnitude of disparities in population health outcomes, such as those we are currently seeing with COVID-19.” The co-authors of the study include Abner Nyandege and XingQi Dong of Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research; and Haiqun Lin, of Rutgers School of Nursing.
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El Sol Latino August 2020
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