Cautious Optimism: DACA Recipients as Medical Workers

Photo Credit: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Photo Source: The Guardian

Cautious Optimism: DACA Recipients as Medical Workers During the Age of COVID-19

by Rolando Rubalcava (English)

Living as a DACA recipient requires a kind of versatility that is only asked of our most vulnerable. Your citizenship is at the whims of congressional debate, your employment status is constantly at risk, and some days, just leaving the house puts you at risk of getting spotted by law enforcement. Now imagine that risk of leaving home multiplied as a plague ravages this country, and your job is to treat those infected. According to Center for American Progress, there are roughly 29,000 DACA medical workers. As they await a decision at the federal level, they are also saving the lives of those hospitalized during a pandemic. DACA recipients fill almost every position in the medical field, including nurses, administrators, paramedics, and doctors. Uncertainty for DACA medical workers is on multiple fronts, waiting for courts at the federal level to make a decision that helps reach their citizenship, while treating people and trying to minimize your exposure to this novel virus, in hopes that your employment isn’t terminated, since they don’t qualify for unemployment benefits. In a video for the Washington Post, Jose Aguiluz and Jesus Contreras describe their experiences as both DACA Recipients and medical workers combating COVID-19. Contreras states, “We’re just kinda holding our breath- not only for COVID, but actually holding our breath for the program itself”. It’s a really difficult position for them, yet the pandemic still goes on, and they are still showing up for work. They mask up, scrub down, and brace for the next shift.

As they wait to hear about court decisions at the federal level, DACA medical workers

continue to brave the worst of the pandemic. A brutal winter made the last several months some of the deadliest in US history. The death count surpasses the 400,000 mark, with no sign of letting up. Inside hospitals, there is grief, sadness, and doctor burnout. Jessica Muñoz, a resident at the OSU Wexner Medical Center, shares her experiences, discussing working at a hospital during COIVD. “There’s a lot of experiencing loss of patients…and learning about loss. You’re kinda learning as you go”. Working at a medical center now only highlights the gravity of what is happening, as the efforts to prevent further spread only increase. Visitors are no longer allowed, the removal of PPE is now a ritual for prepping for the day, all while the research on the virus is constantly updated, almost in a kind of flux. The stress only highlights the need for resources for DACA recipients, but medical workers of color as well. A new class of medical students will arrive, yet with doctor burnout and lack of resources for newly minted medical workers of color, it feels almost impossible to succeed. “There’s not a lot of people that look like me”, Muñoz states. An increase of doctor burnout means a decrease of mentors, reducing the fraction of physicians of color to almost non-existent. The tragedy is not the pandemic itself, but the compounding of issues, exacerbating already-existent crises. “I care what’s happening with DACA workers, with kids in cages”, says Muñoz, further highlighting how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting communities of color. Infection rates are higher where there is a lack of access in many communities of color, and jobs that are at high-risk for infection are mostly filled by migrant workers. The death count only climbs, making the situation feel almost hopeless.

Almost.

There is so much to be saddened, or angry, or even cynical about at these stages, both the pandemic and waiting for something to change, yet DACA workers continue to work, continue to show up, masked and with sterilized hands, ready to help. Why? What makes them continue this work when so many voices tell you you’re not wanted in this country? Jose Aguiluz, after being furloughed as a registered nurse, describes his experiences by saying “After being unemployed, I decided to volunteer in my community and provide my nursing services in this time of crisis…it’s a way to payback what the state of Maryland has provided to me”. During what may be the worst health crisis in US history, DACA medical workers are putting themselves in harm’s way to help others, all while in a state of legal limbo. Aguiluz later says, “My patients don’t care that I’m not a citizen. They just care that I’m a confident healthcare provider”. We could all learn a lesson about humility and duty from them.

The versatility DACA recipients have learned will be needed now more than ever. Laws are constantly shifting, and legislation during the pandemic is more reactionary than helpful, as well as highlighting the disparities in health care access to migrant workers. In the state of Florida, state proof of residency is needed to have the vaccine administered, leaving farm workers on guest visas left out. Yet other countries are moving in the opposite direction. France has decided to grant fast-track access to migrant healthcare workers. This is happening in a different country, yet this may be what is needed to signal a change in the way we treat DACA medical workers. At the time of writing this, two breakthroughs have happened: a vaccine is now available to help stop further spread of the virus, and a new administration has been sworn in, and one of their first moves was signing an executive order reinstating the DACA program. Solely getting a vaccine or hoping for reform from a new administration does not guarantee a change overnight, yet this may be what DACA recipients need during a pandemic. They are still working, still masked, still waiting to hear what will happen to them. This is what cautious optimism looks like.

Photo Source: Latina Mentory Academy “The Latina Mentoring Academy is a Sisterhood”

Interview with Lair Marin-Marcum

by Jessica Rivera (HESA)

Recently, I was able to chat on the phone with Lair Marin-Marcum, President/CEO of the Latina Mentoring Academy. The Latina Mentoring Academy is a non-profit organization aimed at promoting the development of Latinas in central Ohio.

JR: Can you tell me a little about yourself?

L.M-M: I am part Spanish and Mexican, and grew up between Spain and the U.S. For a while, we lived in Puerto Rico and then moved to the twin cities in Minnesota. There I completed most of my schooling and during the summers I would go to Mexico and Spain. After graduating from high school, I attended college in Madrid where I studied economics and music. My first job after graduation was at Virgin records, but I moved to Ohio after meeting my husband. When I got here, I studied the markets in Columbus to help me figure out where to apply for a job. I was hired at Nationwide insurance in a role that connected Hispanic employees with higher level executives. At that time, there wasn’t much of a Latino community in Columbus. After some time in that role, I became the Nationwide liaison for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. I then saw a position for an office manager with the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission. I got that position and after two years I was promoted to the Community Liaison position.

Can you tell me about the Latina Mentoring

Academy and how you got involved?

During my time in the Community Liaison role, members of the board wanted to start a mentorship initiative that focused on Latinas. About 12 years ago, Latinas were the fastest growing population for opening small businesses. We asked Latinas what they wanted to learn more about, and they weren’t interested in learning about entrepreneur development but instead wanted to learn more about leadership. During my second year working with the Latina Mentoring Academy, I became Chair of the group. By the third year, we began to have more trainings, some focused on entrepreneurship but most on leadership skills. We collaborate with corporate sponsors to help provide training resources. Some of the topics that are a part of our training include resume building, interviewing, negotiation skills, high power speaking skills and more. Participants of the Mentoring Academy attend 8 to 10 sessions from June through October. The program concludes with participants giving a capstone presentation on how they want to give back to the organization or the community. It is a very empowering activity. We have corporate directors come in to judge the presentations and we also invite the community to participate. At the end of the program, there is a graduation and debriefing. So far, we have graduated about 150 mentees. We equip them with professional and personal life skills to be successful.

How has the Latina Mentoring Academy navigated the COVID-19 pandemic?

This year we had to move our retreat online and unfortunately, we could not host our mentee-mentor mixer in person. This is usually a big event, where we invite big leaders from the community. We usually have Mayor Ginther or members of the city council at our events, but this year that was not possible. Another challenge during the pandemic has been social distancing. As humans and especially as Latinos, we like to get together and have face to face contact, since for many Latinos, a physical connection is important to our culture. The Latina Mentoring Academy is a sisterhood and not being able to see each other in person is really difficult. It was hard to deliver materials for the retreat and not be able to hug each other. There was also challenges for mentors in our program. Mentoring is one of the most unselfish things a person can do. Many of the women who are mentors are usually working long hours during the week and are exhausted of being on Zoom. Volunteering during this time is very difficult. In addition to those issues, there were several participants who were learning all these technologies for the first time. Balancing a job on top of volunteering and other responsibilities during this time, while taking care of mental health is a lot.

One of the challenges that many young professionals face is knowing how to negotiate job salaries. What advice do you have for students getting ready to enter their first jobs?

It’s important to do your research when you are applying for a job. Make sure you know how much other people in your position are making. Once you have a number, you know how much you can negotiate. Negotiating a salary also depends on your experience and what you are worth. Never say yes to any first salary offer! Ask for some time to think about the offer. Latinas make the least when you look at the salaries of various groups. We need to make our worth known. When you’re making a decision like this, make sure you have a sounding board to guide you. Also think of the skills and qualities that you can leverage. For example, being bilingual is a great skill to leverage since diversity is an increasingly valuable asset for most work settings. Use the diversity you bring to the table to help you negotiate the salary you deserve.

To find out more about the Latina Mentoring Academy, visit their website at: https://bit. ly/3cjnZpc

Teaching Juan Luis Guerra

in Mansfield, OH

by Ana Gisela Diaz (Spanish)

The landscape took my breath away. Literally. Not because of its beauty, but because of its whiteness. It made me hyperventilate. I was a stranger to cold and snow. I recently migrated from the island which has fallen to pieces: Puerto Rico, the forgotten place with the funky political status and the rowdy people. I did not have an idea of the misfortunes yet to come. I was driving through 70 North right from Ohio. I was going to teach basic Spanish to college students in the heart of America. It was money and I needed money being one of the many underemployed, middle-aged people caught in the shift of the new economy.

Photo Credit: Fred Squillante/Columbus Dispatch Photo Source: The Columbus Dispatch

I hated driving, and I hated the interstate, and I hated snow. That winter was the worst Ohio had seen in 20 years. That didn’t endear the place to me. The drive from Columbus to Mansfield is approximately two hours of nothing but land, road skeletal trees. They seemed like menacing giants against me, about to attack at any moment. I felt like I was driving through some alien landscape; perhaps the moon. I felt lonelier than ever, so I inserted my favorite CD and started listening to Juan Luis Guerra. I had to and I loved to. I was going to give to my class a brief cultural panorama of the Dominican Republic, and of course I must talk about Juan Luis Guerra.

When I was in Puerto Rico, I never listened to Latin music. It was all American pop and rock. I wanted to belong to what I thought was the greatest nation on Earth. Now, I crave a language and a music that are the source of my numerous embarrassing daily exchanges. It was truly in Columbus, Ohio that I discovered Juan Luis Guerra.

It was in Columbus that I first heard Bachata Rosa, Si tu no bailas conmigo y Ojalá que llueva café, the merengue of the hungry, that at the same time, shamed me and made me want to dance. That is Juan Luis Guerra: happiness and sadness, sweetness and bitterness. I also discovered Cultura Proféctica, Fiel a la Vega, Calle 13, and Maná. Music I used to think didn’t belong in my world.

As I drove, listening to Bachata Rosa, I could smell the salty air of the beach in the middle of this ocean of snow. I could feel the warm breeze on my face. Unfortunately, I realized I was going 85 in a 70 speed limit zone. I reduced my speed and tried to calm myself by breathing deeply. There should be a law against listening to Juan Luis Guerra while driving. Something like: “Avoid romantic bachatas while driving in the interstate. Danger ahead”.

I looked for something to wake me up, and I stared listening to La Bilirrubina. Merengue is blood music. The beat goes to your heart as quickly as your circulation allows. In half a second, I was driving and dancing at the same time. I looked at my rearview mirror and no cars were behind me or in front for that matter. I started to beat the steering wheel and sing, my small white car dancing to the beat. I shouldn’t have this reaction to merengue. I am not from the Dominican Republic. Puerto Rican, Dominican. Really? We are all the same. Little lost islands, trying to survive a relentless tropical sun and the anger of the sea. Beautiful places that can’t hide the ugliness of poverty and the traces of colonialism.

Finally, I arrived to the Mansfield Campus of The Ohio State University. It was a really small and unassuming place. I got there to the tune of Bendita tu Luz. I love that song. I was singing loud and badly. But I felt OK. I made my way through snow and icy patches, scared to death of falling. I made it to my classroom, empty and cold, and prepared to thrill my audience.

I relived my day again on my way back, through 70-South and away from Mansfield. The blank faces staring at me; the snickering at the back of the room; but above all, the total lack of interest of my students. It did not surprise me. When you love something, you think everybody loves it, too. How could I explain to these young people that despite its poverty and unhappiness, there is something incredibly beautiful about the Dominican Republic? I believe that beauty comes through the voice of Juan Luis Guerra. It’s music that gets into your soul and simply won’t let go. I realized you had to be from the Caribbean to touch its words and caress them with your own voice.

As I drove back, I sang about starry skies dancing with the sea, about little yellow flowers lost in a young girl’s hair, seeing myself crossing the Niagara in a bicycle, and thought about life. I was happy to be me. I didn’t know who I was until I left Puerto Rico. I must admit I felt a little sorry for my Mansfield students. I can move through different worlds. I love and respect different cultures, different languages, different ways of life. I know that is a blessing.

Class of 2020-2021 Latinx Graduation

Photo Credit: Ohio State News

Associates

Angell-Perez, Haven, Associate of Arts Callahan, Owen, Associate of Arts Garcia, Mateo, Associate of Arts Glenn, Isabelle, Associate of Arts Goenaga Lask, Kelly, Associate of Arts Goodman, Rachel, Associate of Arts Islas, Ashelyne, Associate of Arts Munoz, Bryson, Associate of Arts Pennington, Brooklyn, Associate of Arts Ramos-Ochoa, Areli, Associate of Arts Rodriguez, Kyleigh, Associate of Arts Rogers, Venus, Associate of Arts Solis, Samantha, Associate of Arts Velasco, Brianna, Associate of Arts

Bachelors

Abreu, Asha, Envir Pol Angelo, Joseph, History Bagley, Camila, Public Health Balko, Stephen, Accounting Bebinger, William, Actuarial Science Bockrath, Reed, Communication Braun, Michael, Comp Sc & Eng Briones, Stephanie, Communication Burk, Veronica, Civil Eng Burwinkel, Erika, Communication Campbell, Andrew, Weld Eng Canzone, Dominic, Sport Ind Cartagena, Victoria, Marketing Casale, Katherine, Psychology Castro, Julian, Eng Phys Cerda, Socorro, Med Anthro Charnigo, Nichole, Criminology Combs, Skye, Communication Cruz, Luz, Biology Dailey, Gabrielle, Accounting De La Vega, Diego, Political Sc DeOliveira, Eduardo, Health Scs Diaz, Javier, Economics Diaz, Javier, Political Sc Doig, Andrea, Oper Mgmt Esparza, Olivia, Social Work Estrada, Alexander, Geographic Informatn Sciences Flores, Kelby, Oper Mgmt Fuller, Seth, Sport Ind Gallegos, Matthew, Political Sc Garcia, Veronica, Psychology

Gervacio Camacho, Mayra, Neuroscience Gonzales, Elizabeth, Biology Gonzales, Richard, Envir Pol Gonzalez Brana, Sergio, Mat Sc & Eng Gonzalez, Emmanuel, Communication Gonzalez, Madalynn, Health Scs Gonzalez, Martin, Chem Eng Good, Jacob, Finance Granger, Jessica, WGSST Hernandez, Paula, Psychology Jackson, Brady, Construction Jackson-Ketchup, Joshua, Communication Jefferies, David, City & Reg Plan Juarez, Edwin, City & Reg Plan Kenner, Skyler, Psychology Lambermont, Marisol, Health Scs Langlois, Celena, Food, Agri & Biological Eng Lense, Noah, Comp Sc & Eng Lewis, Ava, Evol & Ecol Liberto, Craig, Finance Lisevick, Taylor, Biology Luevano, Julia, Psychology Martinez, Logan, Finance Mastenbrook, Walter, Economics McDermott, Connor, Sport Ind McIntyre, Julia, Psychology Mendoza, Eduardo, Accounting Meyers, Laurel, Anthropology Michael, Jonathan, Mech Eng Moore, Josef, Child & Youth Svs Morales, Alexander, Comp Sc & Eng Moscoso, Douglas, Ind & Sys Eng Moser, Raeana, Health Scs Munoz, Mackenzie, Anthropology Murphy, Connor, Info Sys Museitif, Mohammed, Public Health Negrete, Nicholas, Comp Sc & Eng Ortiz, Justin, Fashion & Retail O’Toole, Cailly, Sport Ind Peregrina, Alejandro, Studio Art Periel, Luis, Biology Periel, Luis, Psychology Perney, Alexis, Exer Sc Quintero, Lauren, Finance Reopell, Laura, Marketing Rice, Kassandra, Theatre Risser, Ian, Biomed Eng Rodriguez, Kristin, Neuroscience Rodriguez, Maria, Microbiology Rodriguez, Nathan, Biology Rodriguez-Giusti, Danella, Art Rodriguez-Giusti, Danella, Psychology Roldan, Guillermo, Economics Ruelas, Nathan, Finance Runyon, Victoria, Mid Child Ed Sanchez, Jarrod, Forr Fish & Wild Spring, Marcus, Weld Eng Stanco, Rachel, Animal Sc Talanca, Alec, Finance Tamayo, Olga, Chem Eng Thal, Alec, Human Res Turk, Alexa, Hosp Mgt Underhill, Canyon, Weld Eng Velasquez, Joshua, Weld Eng Velasquez, Kayla, Sociology Weinstein, Paul, Finance Wells, Adam, Oper Mgmt Williams, Jada, Env Sci Works, Brandon, Communication Zamarripa, Maria, Accounting Zapata, Gabriella, Psychology

Master

Gabourel, Kimberlee, Clinical & Preclin Res Parsons, Jonathan, MBA Rosas, Lucia, MBA Marrero Garcia, Hilary, Math Sciences Davidson, Elizabeth, Slavic & East Europe Espinoza Guzman, Lizeth, Teaching and Learning Lujan, Alan, Economics Watts, Judy, Communication Garcia, Carlos, Business Garey, Susan, Business Kutscher, Yasmin, Business Mercado, Elvin, Business Rodriguez, Alvaro, Business Sastre, Manuel, Business Williams, Danius, Business Rodriguez Santos, Karen, Law Vandecarr, Theresa, Public Health Altamirano, George, Aerospace Eng Avila, Jeshua, Chemistry Cardenas, Cody, Evol Ecol & Org Bio Fisher- Garibay, Shelby, Envir & Nat Res

Doctor

Castillo, Andrew, Mathematics Combita Heredia, Jose, Evol Ecol & Org Bio Dalla Lana da Silva, Felipe, Plant Path Lado Henaise, Paula, Evol Ecol & Org Bio Lerma, Marie, WGSST Martinez, Michael, Comp & Vet Med Moya Calderon, Christian, Elec & Comp Eng Ramirez Nieto, Katerine, Agr, Env & Devp Econ Gabourel, Kimberlee, Translat Pharm Garcia, Alberto, Physics Gomez Flores, Mario, Mathematics Hendey, Briahna, Envir & Nat Res Jacob, Bryant, Biochemistry Jimenez-Harrison, Daniela, Neuroscience Kennedy, Sofia, Translat Pharm Lucado, Alfonso, Elec & Comp Eng Marroquin, Cynthia, Evol Ecol & Org Bio Mata Mata, Severino, Dentistry Melendez, Alex, Physics Navarro, Kristen, Molecular Genetics Ortiz, David, Comp Sc & Eng Prieto, Sarah, Psychology Rima, Xilal, Chem Eng Rodriguez Garcia, Priscila, Mol Genetics Salcedo, Andres, Astronomy Tiscareno, German, Physics Valero David, Guillermo, Plant Path

Rodriguez Pena, Rosa, Evol Ecol & Org Bio Sarni, Samantha, Biochem

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