By Laura Ramirez
25 Sep 2023, 06:00 AM EDT
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time when we celebrate and commemorate the stories, cultures and contributions of those whose ancestors came from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, and how we have shaped American culture for the better. But as largely Latino communities migrate to our country in search of a better future, it becomes increasingly difficult to celebrate Hispanic cultures without confronting the many injustices that endanger the physical health and mental well-being of our families and communities. when we arrived in the United States.
As a first-generation immigrant, I am deeply aware of these injustices. I was born and raised in a small, rural town in Puebla, Mexico and immigrated to New York with my parents when I was 10 years old. Growing up in a small town in Mexico, I recognized from a very early age the many ways that the women in my family did not have control over their bodies or their lives, due to not having access to necessary health care. Without even realizing it, it was during those years that I discovered my passion for sexual and reproductive health care, which as an adult has led me to commit to the reproductive justice movement, focused on quality comprehensive care that responds to the needs of my Latino communities.
Throughout this year, we have watched politicians dehumanize hundreds of immigrants by using us as political pawns in their anti-immigrant crusade to the point of provoking a crisis. This is a classic case of how racialized people are too often deprived of our right to bodily autonomy and our freedom to make informed and healthy decisions about our own lives. This Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity for all of us to examine immigrant rights through the lens of reproductive justice: the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and raise the children we we have in safe and sustainable communities. Immigrant families seeking asylum inherently seek reproductive justice. When politicians tokenize asylum seekers, viewing them as accessories rather than people, they are simultaneously denying them reproductive justice and renewing a cycle of white supremacy that has long harmed both Latino and all immigrant communities. in this country.
The denial of reproductive justice for Latino communities has ripple effects that make our engagement with the immigration crisis that much more urgent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Latinas suffer disproportionately higher rates of cervical cancer compared to white women, and of the 1.2 million people (approximately the population of New Hampshire) with HIV in this country, 23% are Hispanic/Latino and 26% of Hispanic/Latina transgender women have HIV. Social determinants, such as language barriers or immigration status, often limit our communities’ access to cervical cancer screening, STI testing and treatment, HIV testing, HPV vaccines, as well as the full range of life-saving contraceptive options. Since the spring of last year, 100,000 asylum seekers have come to New York seeking help, but local politicians’ demands serve more as political posturing than realistic solutions to the current crisis.
When the reality facing Latino and immigrant communities is so dire, it can be difficult to celebrate the beautiful parts of our cultures while we live under reproductive coercion and oppression. In times like this, it is imperative that we improve the types of movements, legislation, and grassroots efforts that directly address these issues. We can take inspiration from immigration advocates like Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy, who addressed this crisis with the urgency it deserves and earlier this summer, declared a state of emergency and called on the federal government to make it easier for asylum seekers to obtaining work permits. Like New York, Massachusetts is one of several states facing an influx of immigrants, but it is the only state with a comprehensive right to housing law, a law that also exists here in New York, but remains being changed as more immigrants arrive in our state.
As someone who is deeply involved in my Latino community, I am proud to work at an organization like Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, where I can fight for health equity for my community through grassroots programs and initiatives. Programs such as Raíz, which is dedicated to breaking down barriers to access to health care in the Latino community, or Promotores de Salud, a program inspired by adult education programs in Mexico and Central America, which provides bilingual education and information on reproductive health. to Latino homes and community gathering places.
This Hispanic Heritage Month we demand reproductive justice and health equity for Latino immigrants and community members at all levels of government; we need our local leaders to commit to fighting for social justice, racial justice, reproductive justice, LGBTQ justice, and above all, immigrant justice by passing the bill Coverage for Everyonewhich would expand New York State’s essential health plan to include people under age 65 who are ineligible for insurance due to their immigration status.
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s involvement with the Latino community is seen not only through our numerous grassroots initiatives, but also through ongoing, long-term efforts to expand equitable access to sexual health care and education. and reproductive, a commitment to defend the fundamental human rights of Latino people, and community partnerships and coalitions with New York-based organizations working toward the same goals. Below you can find a list of partner organizations that are working to support and improve issues currently affecting our Latino and immigrant communities:
City resources and support services
Latina Institute
Brooklyn Public Library
Bronx Re-Birth
NYC Immigration Coalition
Central Family Life Center
Laura Ramírez is Community Engagement Manager, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York