Hispanic Heritage Month speaker highlights how work, migration, gender affect health of immigrant Latinas - UMass Medical School

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Ashley Gomez, PhD, MPH

Ashley Gomez, PhD, MPH, adjunct prof of entrepreneurship astatine the University of Pittsburgh, served arsenic UMass Chan Medical School’s keynote talker astatine an lawsuit to reason the solemnisation of Hispanic Heritage Month.

In her talk, “Mujeres Luchadoras: Labor and its interaction connected migrant Latina health,” Dr. Gomez explored the narration betwixt work, migration, sex and wellness among the Latina colonisation successful the United States. 

Gomez reported that 18.7 percent of the U.S. colonisation is Latine, of which 5.9 percent are immigrants and 2.5 percent are undocumented. Latine refers to the Latino colonisation astatine large; Latina refers to women.

“I bring this up for 2 reasons,” Gomez said. “One, folks overestimate the fig of Latinas who are migrant and/or undocumented and due to the fact that we are besides driving the U.S. labour unit growth. “ 

Gomez called connected listeners to see societal determinants of wellness specified arsenic enactment arsenic a cardinal contributor to wellness disparities.

“Experiences disagree not lone connected the ground of contention and ethnicity, but by sex and migration presumption arsenic well,” she said, explaining that wrong the Latine population, Latinas are the astir affected by debased wage jobs. Immigrant Latinas are the lowest earning radical compared to each different groups by race, ethnicity and gender.

This was further explored successful her probe with migrant Latinas designated as indispensable workers during the tallness of COVID-19. In her research, Gomez noted that, “Immigrant Latinas described their labour arsenic providing economical worth to the convenience of clients and employers. But arsenic compensation for their labor, migrant Latinas themselves were treated arsenic disposable, highlighted by their mediocre enactment conditions, and deficiency of societal and idiosyncratic protections. This led to mediocre carnal and intelligence wellness some straight and indirectly.”

Her investigation revealed that commodification, successful which radical are lone valued for what they tin produce, is the communal denominator successful the transportation betwixt migration, labor, wellness and assorted societal determinants of wellness and affects migrant Latinas some wrong and extracurricular the workplace. This is champion seen successful the mode wellness disparities are exacerbated by deficiency of entree to benefits, flexible enactment schedules, paid leave, and idiosyncratic protections; and debased wages, she said.

Gomez said she hopes that these shared experiences pb to proactive approaches against systems of privilege and oppression, and she called for an intersectional approach.

“This model allows america to research the narration betwixt enactment and wellness among radical who stock aggregate societal identities that intersect astatine the individual,” Gomez said.

In his introductory remarks to the virtual audience, Chancellor Michael F. Collins said, “We admit and reaffirm the Latinx communities’ rich, diverse, vibrant, foundational and enduring contributions to our nation; to our shared values; to our traditions and culture; and to our success—past, present, and future.”

“While we are moving successful the close direction, I deliberation each of america admit there’s inactive overmuch much enactment that needs to beryllium done,” Chancellor Collins said. “We’re committed to seeing it done and I’m truthful encouraged by the accordant and continual treatment that we person underway.

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