Widening Understanding of Health Disparities in LatinX Communities

Publication Date: Sep 23, 2021

Emilia Marrero-Greene MEd, M(ASCP)^CM, MT(AAB), associate professor for MLT/MLS Programs at Keiser University in Orlando, Florida, is a second-generation Puerto Rican-American. She was raised with a rich cultural heritage and appreciation for her LatinX roots, and is excited that her culture is being more fully embraced in the United States. She shares her thoughts on how healthcare providers can deepen understanding of the LatinX community, and more, below.

How much farther do we need to go to achieve more progress for the LatinX community, and how can we accomplish that?
We must begin to celebrate ALL of the contributions of the LatinX community to society. Everyone loves our food, entertainers and sports figures, but not many people know of our contributions to the military, politics, science, education and technology. Our contributions in these areas are numerous and impressive, and yet most Americans would have to complete a Google search to come up with any names of notable LatinX scientists or politicians. Ellen Ochoa (the first Hispanic woman to go to space) should be taught about in schools in the same way that Sally Ride is. I would also like to see more promotion of STEM careers for our communities. LatinX children deserve the same opportunities in education that all Americans are given.

What are the health myths in the LatinX culture and how do they play out in terms of access to care?
Like many underserved groups in the United States, the LatinX community falls victim to many health-related falsehoods. LatinX Americans get sick in the same way that our non-LatinX counterparts do. The leading causes of death are the same for both populations. The notion that we bring in rare diseases from our home countries is dangerous and insulting. In fact, most of the LatinX population of the U.S. were actually born here, so we are not bringing diseases across the border with us. However, race, education and socioeconomic conditions do influence our overall health. Take inadequate access to preventative health measures and combine it with language barriers and/or discriminating government policies and you have the perfect formula for the health disparities that often plague our communities.

How can health professionals widen their understanding about LatinX communities?
Fortunately, our communities have education on their side. So many LatinX men and women are flocking to careers in health care themselves. It’s an exciting time for the LatinX community when it comes to laboratory science, nursing, pharmacology and other health-related fields. We can share what we have learned with the older generations, and impart knowledge to help them navigate their own health successfully. What other health professionals can do to widen their understanding is to continue to support community outreach programs that enhance access to healthy practices, vaccination education and other disease prevention measures. We must continue to be mindful of our differences, both the ones that might hinder our health, and the ones that we can call on to enrich our society.

To learn what other Latinx leaders from the pathology and laboratory medicine community have to say about what it means to be Latinx in health care, click here.

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