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Contents
Special
Focus: Mental Illness and the Latino Community
Moving beyond Mal de Ojo: Promoting Quality
Mental Health Outreach
Step-by-Step
Guide Tackles Pervasive Problem: Latina Depression
Agency's Dynamo a Force in the Latino Community
La
Columna Vertebral: Mental Health: Important for Everyone
Spanish Mental Health Resources on the Internet
And More...
Ama Tu Vida: Maryland County
Promotes Cancer Prevention
Facing
My Biggest Fear: Poor Educational Opportunities
Announcements
Contributors'
Guidelines
 Hispanic
Radio Network Programming
 Moving
beyond Mal de Ojo:
Promoting Quality Mental Health Outreach to Latinos
By Ellen Alderton, Project Officer, Self Reliance Foundation
With health threats
such as AIDS, cancer, or diabetes receiving substantial public attention,
few people realize that mental illnesses are actually much more common
than any of these other diseases. In the United States, one out of five
American adults will experience a diagnosable mental disorder each year.
Conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and
anxiety disorders can strike anyone at any time - regardless of age,
ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
The symptoms of
mental illness can be devastating not only for those afflicted, but
also for their family members and loved ones. Mental illnesses can strike
their victims with delusions, hallucinations, anxiety, panic attacks,
or hopelessness and despair - causing suffering and disrupting lives.
Indeed, according to the World Health Organization, four of the top
ten leading causes of disability worldwide are mental illnesses.
"I'll
keep it to myself."
Particularly in
the Hispanic community, the stigma and taboo surrounding mental illnesses
can prevent many people from seeking the professional treatment they
need. The U.S. Surgeon General reports that Latinos are far less likely
than other Americans to seek professional help for mental health problems
- only one in 11 Latino adults in need of mental health treatment actually
ever visits a healthcare professional. Cultural values such as "personalismo"
(self-sufficiency) and "familismo" (family centeredness)
can contribute to this reluctance to seek outside assistance.
Those people
who do attempt to consult with a professional must face a daunting array
of socioeconomic, cultural and language barriers as they try to negotiate
the mental healthcare system in this country. To begin with, U.S. Latinos
experience the highest uninsurance rates of all minority groups, and
fully 49% of Hispanic families have no regular doctor (compared to 25%
of non-Hispanic whites). As a result, half of all Latinos do not see
specialists but, rather, use a public clinic or a hospital as their
usual source of care, with a high reliance on emergency room visits.
 Once
a Latino patient does make contact with a healthcare provider, additional
hurdles immediately present themselves. The underrepresentation of Hispanic
healthcare professionals, for example, is a well documented phenomenon,
and the chances of a Latino patient actually connecting with a Latino
provider are small. Even in California, a state with a 30.4% Hispanic
population, less that 4.8% of the physicians are of Hispanic heritage.
The fact that over
14 million U.S. Latinos do not speak fluent English also makes visiting
a doctor most challenging. A recent poll by the Commonwealth Fund found
that 45% of Spanish-speaking Hispanics report communication problems
when interacting with their doctors. One-quarter of these individuals
also report that they have left a doctor's visit without even asking
questions that they had about their care. Fully half report difficulties
in understanding prescription information.
Cultural variables,
too, present numerous barriers to obtaining appropriate mental health
treatment. Not only are many Latinos adverse to seeking treatment, those
who do seek treatment are also very likely to drop out again, possibly
due to feelings of shame, a sense of resignation towards suffering,
discomfort with therapy, or cultural values of self reliance.
What
the doctors don't know
From the provider's
point of view, Anglo professionals are often unaware of the myriad cultural
and socioeconomic variables which can distinguish Hispanics from their
other patients. Epidemiological profiles of mental disorders in the
Hispanic community and the Caucasian community differ significantly:
Various segments of the U.S. Latino population tend to experience high
rates of depression, distress, PTSD, and substance abuse. Additionally,
Latinos are twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to have diabetes,
a disease associated with anxiety, irritability, nightmares and depression.
 Studies
also indicate that certain groups of Latinos, including Mexican Americans,
Puerto Ricans, and veterans, are significantly more likely than non-Hispanics
to experience somatic symptoms which mask psychiatric conditions. Latino
patients, furthermore, may understand and describe their symptoms according
to culturally-specific paradigms such as "mal de ojo"
(evil eye) or spiritual imbalances. Culture-bound symptoms such as "ataques
de nervios" (nervous attacks) are also widely documented. Little
wonder, then, that one-quarter of Latinos report concluding a healthcare
visit with the impression that their doctor has listened to them only
"somewhat" or "a little."
SRF
and HRN initiatives
Sadly, the Surgeon
General concludes that "despite the several models and growing
interest in cultural competence, much work needs to be done before cultural
competence will positively impact mental health service delivery for
Latinos and other ethnic groups." Through various public education
and outreach initiatives, the Self Reliance Foundation and Hispanic
Radio Network remain committed to connecting U.S. Latinos to the mental
health information and services that they need.
HRN's daily Fuente
de Salud (Fountain of Health) short-format radio program frequently
features mental health topics and is distributed across our network
of 160 stations. The weekly syndicated HRN newspaper column, La
Columna Vertebral (The Support Column), appears in 90 Spanish-language
newspapers across the country, and also features mental health topics.
 SRF's
National Hispanic Resource Helpline is available
40 hours per week to provide references and information to callers with
mental health concerns. This toll-free service connects callers across
the country with trained, bilingual information and referral specialists.
Our specialists can search our custom-developed national database of
community organizations which provide services to Latinos. Currently,
we are able to refer callers to over 1,000 local organizations providing
mental health services in Spanish.
This past spring,
SRF also convened a Conociendo Tu Salud Mental (Understanding
Your Mental Health) advisory committee of mental health providers, advocates,
and consumers including the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill,
the National Mental Health Association, the Latino Mental Behavioral
Health Institute, Latinos Unidos Siempre, and Contac del Oeste. With
oversight from this committee, we were pleased to develop four new radio
capsules on mental illness: one providing general information, one discussing
stigma, one on bipolar disorder and one on panic disorder. Two members
of this advisory committee, Dr. Belisa Lozano-Vranich and Ana Lazu,
have also contributed articles to this issue of Acceso Hispano
on Latinas and depression and Latino
mental health advocacy.
Finally,
SRF is pleased to announce that we have just launched a mental health
Web page as part of the Spanish-language Recursos
y Enlaces (Links and Resources) section of our Web site. Click
here to find Spanish-language information on mental illness and
links to the premier Hispanic-serving mental illness/mental health sites
on the Internet.
 Step-by-Step
Guide Tackles a Pervasive Problem: Latina Depression
By Jorge Petit, M.D. and Belisa Lozano-Vranich, Psy.D.
Statistics show
that Latinas may, in fact, be much more susceptible to depression than
other groups. But why is this?
Latinas, without
ever realizing it, conform to many cultural and traditional patterns
in dealing with life's issues. A person's belief system has a profound
effect on how she copes with life, and on what her expectations are
of herself and others. As a Latina, a woman may feel like an American,
but she might also take comfort in the traditions, customs, and beliefs
typical of Latino culture.
We all know that
a common Latino trait is the desire to maintain family privacy; therefore,
when Latinas are confronted with a problem like depression, they may
resist saying anything or getting help, because they don't want anyone
"getting into my business." Suffering needlessly, refusing
to get treatment, they wait for things to blow over - which very often
doesn't happen. This response is a culturally-based reaction; it is
steeped in the traditions of family privacy that our parents and grandparents
passed down to us. It is how they were taught to cope; likewise, it
has how they have taught us to cope.
For many Latinas,
depression is a lonely, life draining battle. Afraid of being considered
crazy or loca, Latinas go to great lengths to hide their need
for help. Oftentimes trying to convince themselves and those around
them that what they are feeling isn't so bad, and that they can handle
it on their own, Latinas make their situation worse by not confronting
their emotions head-on.
(Dr.
Petit is a psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai
Medical Center. Dr. Vranich, a member of the Self Reliance Foundation's
mental health advisory committee, received her doctorate in psychology
and has a private practice in New York City.)
With our new book,
The Seven Beliefs - A Step-by-Step Guide To Help Latinas Recognize
and Overcome Depression, we show Latinas that confronting and trying
to overcome depression is possible - for themselves and/or their loved-ones
- if they look at each aspect of their lives, step-by-step. We also
demonstrate how this process requires Latinas to reach deep within themselves,
and take hold of the cultural strengths that define them, so that they
may lead healthy and full lives.
The Seven Beliefs
begins with a call to "believe in yourself," which lays
the groundwork for all the other beliefs. The subsequent chapter asks
Latinas to "believe in the signs," and clarifies the difference
between feeling the after-effects of a rotten day versus the emotional
abyss generally associated with clinical depression. The book recognizes
the importance of inspiring hope and encouragement in chapters such
as "believe in change" and "believe in the future."
Other chapters show Latinas that they must believe in the health of
their body and spirit, and that a strong rooted sense of Hispanic cultural
tradition is a built-in support system, innate and enduring.
Ultimately, The
Seven Beliefs is a summary of our experiences as Latino doctors working
with Latina patients and their families over the years. We examine the
many reasons why Latinas refrain from getting help to fight depression;
we look at the many taboos still attached to anything having to do with
the discussion of mental health in the Latino community, and we discuss
how - within the parameters of wonderfully rich Latino cultures and
traditions - to successfully transcend these taboos, and honor one's
needs and health.
 Agency's
Dynamo a Force in the Latino Community
By
Dennis Anderson (Republished with permission from the Norwich Bulletin.)
When your path crosses
a dynamo like Ana Lazu you can consider yourself fortunate, and a little
bit dizzy. She can talk faster than an auctioneer. But Lazu's enthusiasm
is infectious. Her dedication is worth praise. Her spirituality inspiring.
And she is persuasive. When she asks for help on the behalf of those
she serves, it's hard to say no.
Tomorrow night,
the organization Lazu helped to create - Latinos Unidos Siempre (Latinos
United Always) - commemorates its first anniversary with a celebration
at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Norwich. Latinos Unidos Siempre
provides mental health education, outreach and advocacy services to
eastern Connecticut's Latino community.
"When
I first began my own struggle with anxiety and depression, I soon
discovered that there was a double stigma for Latinos with mental
health problems. First, there was the prejudice that anyone with mental
illness must face. But within the Hispanic community, there was also
the attitude that you don't talk about psychology; you may go to your
priest, family members or espiritista, but you would never
visit a doctor or take medication."
--
Ana Lazu, SRF Mental Health Advisory Committee Member
"The impact
of (Latinos Unidos Siempre's) efforts in improving engagement and positive
outcomes for this traditionally under-served population has been nothing
short of remarkable," said Thomas A. Kirk, commissioner of the
state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
Lazu, who serves
as the agency's executive director, works with volunteers out of a storefront
office at 28 Broadway in Norwich.
Before I got to
know Lazu, I had a meeting last year with the leadership at Centro de
la Comunidad in Norwich. Our conversation turned to the possibility
of the Norwich Bulletin providing some news in Spanish. They
said they knew someone who might be interested.
A day later, I got
a call from Lazu and we met for lunch. She got so excited about her
plans for helping the Latino community that at times she was bouncing
in her seat.
The agency she planned
to create became Latinos Unidos Siempre. Soon, she was writing a Sunday
column for The Bulletin in Spanish and English. The column and
Latinos Unidos have grown together. Once a month I get a call from someone
looking to reach Lazu. Some of the callers are desperate. Lazu
knows their troubles intimately.
A few years ago,
Lazu found her work in social services to be troubling. She became depressed.
She had panic attacks. The health care system was of some help but all
the services were in English. There was a cultural divide.
"One day I
asked God for help. This was do or die," Lazu remembered. "I
started doing research, calling the hospitals to see who had Latino
workers. I didn't get straight answers. I started to get empowered.
I was getting better and able to take control."
"I went on
a venture and became vocal and an advocate. I wanted to help others."
Today, she is making
a difference at the local and national level. She was recently appointed
to the 12-member board of the National Latino Behavior Health Association.
Her first board meeting was last month in Denver. Dr. Josie Romero,
the association's president, gave Lazu a mission. She is to report problems
experienced at the local level to the national organization.
"I came back
from the (Denver) meeting with a spiritual strength," she said.
"Where the changes can be made is at the national level."
But she also
knows her mission is here in Norwich.
 Ama
Tu Vida (Love Your Life):
Montgomery County, Maryland Promotes Cancer Prevention
In Montgomery County,
Maryland, home to a rapidly growing Latino population (80% increase
between 1990 and 2000), the Montgomery County Department of Health and
Human Services is working in partnership with two Latino-serving community-based
organizations in order to increase the use of colorectal, breast and
cervical cancer screening among low-income, uninsured Latinos.
The
Latino Health Initiative's Cancer Prevention and Control Program, a
cooperative venture with CASA of Maryland and Community Ministries of
Rockville, embraces a multifaceted outreach and education approach.
With its slogan, Ama Tu Vida, (love your life) the program
entails:
- community feedback
sessions to increase understanding of barriers to colorectal cancer
screening;
- a public education
campaign using mass media;
- recruitment,
training, deployment, and supervision of 30 community health "promotores"
(promoters);
- technical assistance
for capacity building among the community organizations; and
- linkages with
service providers.
Another facet of
the program is the collaboration with numerous partners such as George
Washington University Mobile Mammography Program to provide free breast
cancer screening and education services to low-income, uninsured women
living in the county. The goal of this collaboration is to make early
detection of breast cancer and breast health education readily available
to Latinas in Montgomery County.
(CASA
of Maryland is one of the thousands of Latino-serving organizations
in SRF's custom-developed provider database.)
The Latino Health
Initiative was designed based upon a county-wide needs assessment conducted
to identify major barriers affecting the health of Montgomery County
Latinos - particularly those who were low-income or lacked health insurance
(estimates range from 40% to 80% uninsured rates). Data indicated that
Latino residents had the highest percent of self-pay hospital admissions
of any other race/ethnic group.
The limited state
epidemiological available data also pointed to cancer and heart disease
as leading mortality factors for Maryland Latinos. Moreover, at a national
level, cervical cancer is about seven times more prevalent among foreign-born
Latinas than non-Latina whites, and Latinas have higher mortality rates
for this disease. Additionally, disproportionate cigarette abuse places
Latino adolescents at a higher risk developing certain cancers.
 Other
major barriers included a shortage of culturally and linguistically
competent health professionals and other staff, lack of resources for
referrals to specialty services, long waiting periods for services,
and lack of access to quality, inexpensive, continuous care. Information
collected during focus group discussions, key informant interviews,
and site visits indicated that geographic access was also a problem
for the many low-income Montgomery County Latinos who depend on public
transportation and often spend long hours on several buses to get to
and from service providers.
Due to limited Spanish-language
outreach efforts by service providers and unfamiliarity by recent immigrants
with the health care system, low-income Latinos were often unaware of
existing public and private health care services for the uninsured.
Additionally, many undocumented Latinos avoid seeking public health
services for fear of deportation. The assessment also identified that
low levels of prevention consciousness existed among recent immigrants
due to the lack of primary prevention focus on adults in many Latin
American countries and the lack of local primary prevention programs
aimed at Spanish-speaking Latino populations.
The Latino Health
Initiative Cancer Prevention and Control Program was made possible through
a grant provided in May 2001 by the State of Maryland Cigarette Restitution
Funds. For more information, please e-mail Paola Fernan-Zegarra at paola.fernan-zegarra@montgomerycountymd.gov
or call (240) 777-4173.
 Facing
My Biggest Fear: Improving Educational
Opportunities for My Children
By Marcela Garcini, Senior Parent Coordinator, Project CREO, Dallas
Today, I decide
to exercise my right to speak of behalf of what I believe. I decided
to share my personal experience. For the last three years I was converted
to be a Super Ninja Mom, fighting for what I believe is the right
thing to do for my children. My biggest fear was confronting the educational
system in this country. I was an immigrant with no clue about the
educational system in this great nation. My son was ready to start
his first year in school, and I was ready to prepare myself, trying
to help him to succeed.
I discovered that
there are many problems facing the Hispanic community, but our biggest
barrier is education. That's why I decided to become an active mom in
my community. I learned to raise my voice, but the result was that nobody
listened to my concerns.
I don't know why
my representatives, school board members, and other organizations that
work for the community were deaf to my concerns and needs. For them
everything was perfect, we didn't need any changes. They are always
concerned about money, raising teachers' salaries, but what about our
children, what about the ones that are being left behind? What about
our children's drop-out rates? Who is fighting for our children?
Believe me, I want
to see my Carlitos become a doctor, I want to see my little Arturo become
a lawyer, but I know that we have to learn how to play with in the system,
if I want them to succeed. I heard over and over again, "parents
are not involved in education." "Hispanics don't care about
their children's education." "Parents should be accountable
for their children's results." My response is: Wait! Like me, we
have thousands of mothers that want to see their children become productive
citizens in this country, the sad part is that no one seems to care.
No one is effectively responding to our challenges.
(The
Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (CREO) is one
of the thousands of Latino-serving organizations in SRF's custom-developed
provider database.)
I became part of
Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (CREO), the first
National Latino organization focused on our children's education and
on empowering Hispanic parents to understand their school choice options.
All children can succeed if they have the same opportunities. Let's
acknowledge the fact that Hispanic children don't receive the same quality
of education. If you have questions, just walk in our schools in "el
barrio."
Today, I'm very
excited to be part of Project CREO, a specific initiative of Hispanic
CREO. Our mission is to inform Hispanic parents about our rights in
education. No Child Left Behind (NCLB), brings to us a new level of
accountability. The most important part is that Project CREO is coordinated
by parents in their own local communities. The Project focuses on five
cities: Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Camden and Miami. We are tasked
with educating Hispanic parents about public school choice and the supplemental
services under NCLB in English and Spanish. This will start a new page
in our journey. Imagine, empowering parents to be educated on school
choice options and to be in charge and deciding about their children's
future. We believe that parents can decide, even if they don't speak
English. Let them learn and teach them about the system. Think about
the implications of empowering the largest minority communities in this
country. Don't complain about our poor participation, give us a hand
so we can work with the system.
Project CREO will
create a unified, educated, and organized voice, it will empower parents
to become an active part of the community, but you have to understand
how hard is for us because of our language, culture, and social structures.
Thank you Hispanic
CREO, for being there for us, for helping to create a united voice in
this country! I want to close by saying that we are here to change futures,
we are here as parents, we can no longer wait for others to fight for
us. We, Hispanic parents, in this country accept the challenge to do
whatever it takes to help our children to get the best quality of education.
We represent our children and no one can stop us, let's work for the
future of this country! Today I continue to fight because of my sons.
 Mental
Health: Important for Everyone
By
Diego Alvarez, Hispanic Radio Network
It's normal to feel
sad or even depressed at times - above all, for the many Latinos who
come to a new country and have to change their customs and culture in
order to adapt to a new life. What's not normal is to sink to a level
of deep despair, or to experience schizophrenic symptoms or other psychiatric
disturbances. Far from normal depression, these are signs of serious
illnesses which require medical treatment.
Martha Budde is
a Colombian psychologist who works for a mental health center in Oklahoma.
In her line of work, she's had the opportunity to help many Latinos
who've found themselves at a point where they need professional mental
health services.
"Some people
suffer from severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder
(formerly known as manic depression), and major depression. Among Hispanics,
depression is the most common disorder, which suggests a cultural basis
to this problem. When you change country, you leave behind family, friends
and support networks - the people you grew up with, the people you went
to school with. You leave behind your job and your social status. And
your language, the food, the customs - in sum, your whole culture,"
explains Martha.
Remember, not all
depressions require a specialist's attention, and, most of the time,
sadness is just a normal feeling, but, clinical depression is an actual
illness with identifiable symptoms. "Some symptoms include changes
in appetite, sleeplessness or sleeping too much, feelings of sadness,
low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, loss of enjoyment of activities
that formerly brought pleasure," explains Martha.
"Mental illnesses
are typically brought about by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Clinical
depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder are severe chemical
imbalances, and, as such, they respond to medication," explains
Martha. By contrast, if a person is experiencing marital problems, for
example, this doesn't mean that he has a permanent major mental illness
or a chemical imbalance.
Bipolar disorder,
which includes symptoms of depression, is another case of a mental illness
requiring treatment. Adolescents experiencing bipolar disorder may suffer
from constant mood swings, fluctuating between extreme highs (manias)
and low (depressions). These mood changes may alternate, or the person
may even feel both extremes at the same time.
Bipolar disorder
usually begins in adulthood. Although it's less common, it can also
occur in adolescence and, in some cases, in early childhood. In other
words, this illness can affect anyone - but if one or both parents have
bipolar disorder, there's a greater risk that their children will also
develop the disease.
The onset of bipolar
disorder can entail either depressive symptoms or manic symptoms, such
as feeling too happy, laughing uncontrollably, or being irritable, angry,
agitated and aggressive. Other manic symptoms may include inflated self-esteem,
excessive energy, the ability to go for days without sleep without feeling
tired, excessive talking, ongoing risky behavior - including abuse of
drugs and alcohol, aggressive driving, or sexual promiscuity.
Depressive symptoms
can include irritability, depression or persistent unhappiness, frequent
crying, thoughts of death or suicide, inability to enjoy the things
that used to bring pleasure, constant physical complaints such as headaches
and stomachaches, low levels of energy, fatigue, poor concentration,
and marked changes in normal eating or sleeping patterns.
Notice that some
of these symptoms can also mirror other problems of adolescence - drug
abuse, delinquency, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. Sometimes,
these are also the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Clearly, finding
the right diagnosis is hard, and can only happen after careful observations
over a long period of time. If your children are experiencing difficulties,
a detailed evaluation by a child psychiatrist can help to pin down exactly
what the problem is and, if necessary, to identify the appropriate treatment
plan.
Remember the basic
rule of thumb: If the symptoms are preventing you (or your loved one)
from leading a normal life - ie, if you can't make it to work, if you
sleep all day or don't sleep at all, if you hear or see things that
other people don't - then you probably need to get help.
For more information
about mental illnesses, get in touch with your help-line at 1-800-473-3003.
Announcements
 The
Foundation Center offers Spanish-language resources for grant-seekers:
Guía
para escribir propuestas (Guide to Proposal Writing); Curso
breve para escribir propuestas, an on-line proposal writing;
and Información
en español para organizaciones sin fines de lucro, a
resource list for nonprofits.
 Available
from National Mental Health Association, ¿Qué es la
depresión?, a bilingual resource for the Latino community
about the signs of depression and getting help. Place your order at
www.nmha.org/bookstore.
For a free copy, call (800) 969-6642 x7534.
 California
Project LEAN's Strong Bones, Healthy Family campaign educates Latinas
in how to prevent osteoporosis. To learn more about this and other Project
LEAN health programs, visit www.californiaprojectlean.org.
 Community
Pregnancy Centers offers free confidential services in California...
Pregnancy Testing. STD Clinic. Counseling. Prenatal care. Adoption referrals.
And many more services. Call (408) 272-5577 or visit our Web site at
http://www.mycpc.org.
 The
National Center for Farmworker Health seeks to enhance Migrant Health
Centers' capacity to provide access to care and eliminate health disparities
between farmworkers and the general population. More information at:
www.ncfh.org.
 Puente
Project provides mentoring and assistance to Latino youth in California
who wish to go to college and also reports on the educational equity
field nationwide. Their Web site: www.puente.net.
 NAMI
(National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) provides Web-based information
on mental illness and offers Spanish-language support groups at some
locations across the country. Go to www.nami.org
and click on "en español."
To
post an announcement in Acceso Hispano...
Acceso Hispano runs free bilingual announcements of
national or regional interest (for not-for-profit concerns). Announcements
may be up to 35 words (English) and however long the exact Spanish translation
is. We also include logos and Web site links. We prefer bilingual submissions,
but can translate if necessary. Deadline: 2 weeks before publication
date. Submit announcements to Editor@hrn.org.
Are
You Doing Good Work? Contributors' Guidelines
Acceso Hispano
is looking for articles about exemplary programs in the field of Latino
outreach. Your 450-900 word (1-2 page) article can discuss your organization
or project's mission, size and scope, deliverables, target audiences,
and lessons learned. Submit articles and photos Editor@hrn.org.
We reserve the right to make editorial changes.
Hispanic
Radio Network Programming
HRN
radio programming includes six, daily short-form programs and
a live, weekly call-in talk-show on immigrant affairs, Bienvenidos
a America.
Hi-Tech
News about the latest
advances in science and technology, educational opportunities in these
fields, and how Latinos can benefit from them.
Fuente
de Salud (Fountain of Health)
Access to healthcare
and health information are two of the most pressing problems facing
the Hispanic community today. Moreover, particularly among immigrant
populations, communities must face higher-than-average rates of diabetes,
obesity, and other health problems. We tackle these issues on Fuente
de Salud.
Camino
al Éxito (Road to Success)
Millions of Latinos
are drawn to this country with the promise of economic advancement,
but many times, despite our ethics of hard work and preserverence, Latino
immigrants do not benefit from the fruits of our labor. Camino
al Éxito offers financial advice for people wishing
to build a brighter future for themselves and their families.
Saber
Es Poder (Knowledge is Power)
When millions of
immigrants arrive in this country for the first time, they immediately
face a daunting legal labyrinth of red tape. Saber Es Poder provides
information and advice on the many rules and regulations that must be
followed to live and profit in this country.
Planeta
Azul (Blue Planet)
Despite clichés
to the contrary, many Latinos have a strong sense of the need to protect
and preserve the environment, derived from our indigenous heritages.
Planeta Azul provides information on programs and opportunities to participate
in the responsible stewardship of our planet.
Tradiciones
(Traditions)
Through Tradiciones,
we offer our listeners the opportunity to explore the musical and cultural
histories not only of different Latin American countries, but also of
the emerging new forms of art and expression in the United States.
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