NLIRH stands with undocumented immigrant youth

Two weeks ago our National Field Organizer Stephanie Alvarado had the opportunity to speak at the Undocumented and Unafraid Rally in Union Square. Her powerful words were condemning the actions of people who stigmatize undocumented youth. Yet there was optimism within the crowd, and a fervor that showed that these young folks were not about to give up. “While the DREAM Act may have died on Capitol Hill, our voices remain strong,” said Stephanie.

There were 19 students sharing their story. They told of how they did not let the hopelessness or fear stop them from accomplishing their goals. Being undocumented was a hurdle that they didn’t let stop them, but unfortunately not everyone is as lucky. The rally was important for talking about the thousands of students who drop out of school because they don’t see a future. Having an education is one of the most important things for Latinas. “Educational attainment is one way that Latinas can have access to information, resources and services that will help them make informed and autonomous decisions, enhancing their central role in their families and communities,” said Stephanie.

Partnering with the New York State Youth Leadership Council we have an opportunity to change statistics and empower Latino kids in our communities. It is amazing to see the bravery of the students have direct result in the policy agenda for New York State. A couple of days after the rally, State Senator Bill Perkins introduced the New York DREAM Act. To qualify for the benefits of DREAM such as financial aid, work authorization, and pathway to citizenship, the young person must have arrived to the United States before the age of 16, be under the age of 35, have resided in New York State for at least two years, have obtained a high school diploma or GED equivalent from an American institution and have good moral character.

I believe this is our chance to show the rest of America how powerful the young Latino voice can be. And contrary to states like Arizona, where harmful anti-immigrant laws have been dominating, we can pass a bill that will help immigrant youth and help our state. As Stephanie said, we stand with the DREAMERS and will continue fighting for Salud, Dignidad, y Justicia!

By Stephanie Rodriguez, Policy Intern

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NLIRH stands up for women’s health

By Rosario Quiroz, Community Mobilization Intern

Deputy Director Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas speaks at the Saturday Rally

Reproductive rights are under attack, with federal funding for family planning via Planned Parenthood at it’s center. We need to respond with urgency to this matter. About six thousand people definitely felt that urgency on Saturday afternoon in Foley Square, NYC, where we rallied to make sure that their voices are heard and that the message is clear–we’re not going to let our reproductive health care go down without a fight. Planned Parenthood and other clinics that receive Title X money make STD testing affordable and provides around 2.5 million women with contraceptives thus preventing many unplanned pregnancies. Planned Parenthood also provides over a million cervical cancer screenings and over 800,000 breast exams annually, detecting cancers at an early enough stage and keeping those cancers from claiming lives.

An attack on Planned Parenthood is, as President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Cecile Richards said, “a war on women’s health, and it must stop.” Planned Parenthood provides services to just under 5 million individuals; the debilitating effects that the proposed federal cuts would have on the 800 clinics nationwide are particularly dangerous for low and middle-income women and women of color, who oftentimes may not otherwise have access to the vital services that Planned Parenthood provides.

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NLIRH in the News: Supporting NYC Legislation Requiring Crisis Pregnancy Centers to Come Clean

Photo Credit: New York Times

 

On Tuesday, October 12, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health announced its support for a piece of legislation in New York City that would require crisis pregnancy centers, or limited-service pregnancy centers, to disclose on all signage and advertising that they do not provide contraception or abortion services, or referrals to either.  The legislation would also require the centers to disclose if they do not have a licensed medical provider on site, and would hold them to the same confidentiality standards as licensed medical centers.

Crisis pregnancy centers are often innocuously labeled: “Pregnant?  Need Help?”  What many of these signs do not say is that these centers have an explicit anti-choice agenda, and often spread misinformation about abortion, such as the outdated and clinically-disproved claim that abortion increases risk of breast cancer.  The bill follows an investigation by NARAL Pro-Choice New York, who released a report documenting the tactics of these centers.

NLIRH’s own Senior Policy Analyst, Verónica Bayetti Flores, was interviewed in Spanish by Telemundo regarding this story. Read the story here, or watch here.

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Building a Movement for Latina Reproductive Justice (VIDEO)

On May 20, 2010, the Ms. Foundation for Women honored NLIRH Executive Director Silvia Henriquez as one of three “2010 Women of Vision” awardees at its annual Gloria Awards. The “Women of Vision” award celebrates grassroots women activists and philanthropists whose achievements bring us closer to our vision of a just and inclusive democracy.  Feminist icon, Gloria Steinem presented the award to Silvia.  Take a look at a video, produced by the Ms. Foundation, that highlights some of the critical reproductive justice work NLIRH has accomplished under Silvia’s leadership.

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Executive Director Silvia Henriquez on GRITtv

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Keeping our Sisters and Brothers in Haiti in our Thoughts and Prayers

As the world already knows, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti yesterday afternoon near Port-au-Prince, the capital and largest city of the country. The earthquake, the strongest to hit Haiti in more than 200 years, devastated the 2 million people who live in and near the capital. According to some reports, the death toll could possibly run between 100,000 to 500,000…and untold numbers are still trapped. But, 80% of Haiti’s 9 million residents were already desperately poor, and after years of political instability, the country had no real construction standards to begin with. Tens of thousands of families lost their homes as buildings that were “flimsy and dangerous even under normal conditions” collapsed in the earthquake. As Edwidge Danticat, the award-winning Haitian-American author said, “Life is already so fragile in Haiti, and to have this on such a massive scale, it’s unimaginable how the country will be able to recover from this.”

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NLIRH Executive Director Silvia Henriquez Speaking at Stop Stupak Rally on Dec. 2nd

Check out this short video clip of NLIRH Executive Director Silvia Henriquez speaking at the Stop Stupak Rally in Washington, DC on December 2nd!

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Seeking asylum, transgender immigrant finds discrimination and abuse in US detention center

Esmeralda: A Transgender Detainee Speaks Out from Breakthrough on Vimeo.

For Esmeralda, being a transgender woman in Mexico was hard enough, but nothing could have prepared her for her experience after being placed in a US detention center. Seeking refuge from the discrimination she had encountered in her homeland, the last place she thought she would encounter the same discrimination was in the very place she was seeking help and compassion. During her time in a US detention center, she was forced to use the washroom in handcuffs, forced to live in isolation without time for recreation, and was forced to perform sexual activities with a male guard. After being treated unjustly for being transgender she started having suicidal thoughts and pleaded to be able to see someone who could help her. After a few months of being ignored and treated inhumanely, she decided to cancel her asylum request and return to Mexico, where life would be better than the harsh circumstances she was facing in the detention center.

Knowing the difficulties and discrimination she would face, Esmeralda found the courage to come back to the US and file for asylum once again. This time she was held in a detention center for men, and frequently feared for her life. However, she was soon granted asylum and now Esmeralda is an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse.

For many women seeking to come to the US in search of a better life for themselves and their family, Esemralda’s story is too familiar. Many women are forced to tolerate verbal and physical abuse and are denied medical attention and visitation rights. These women are sisters, daughters, and mothers forced to be treated inhumanely. We must demand justice for them and countless other who face this brutal reality. Join us in asking congress to restore fairness today!

By Krystal Chan, Development and Communications Intern

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What women’s health on the border looks like

A recent New Yorker article by Atul Gawande has been getting a lot of coverage lately–there are even rumors that Obama has made it required reading for his White House Staff. In the piece, Gawande shares an extensive evaluation of the medical system in McAllen, Texas. We at NLIRH know McAllen well, because it is where for over two years we have been working with the women in the video above, the amazing activists affiliated with La Voz Latina and Migrant Health Promotion.

He started by looking at numbers: “In 2006, Medicare spent fifteen thousand dollars per enrollee here, almost twice the national average.” Gawande asked long standing community doctors why the spending rates of Medicare are so high in this area of Texas. They told him: “There is overutilization here, pure and simple.” There is no evidence that the city provides better quality care than any other city, even with it’s up-to-date medical technology. Actually, the health outcomes are worse. Looking outside the community for help analyzing this “Cost Conundrum,” Gawande solicited Jonathan Skinner, a Dartmouth economist, to analyze why the cost of care was so high in McAllen. Skinner also concluded that is was “very simply, the across-the-board overuse of medicine.”

In his analysis of the medical delivery system in McAllen, Gawande did not address many of the concerns of the women we’ve worked with, some of whom are featured in the video above. We know a large portion of the people in this region are undocumented immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries. Even if they have documents, these immigrants do not qualify for federal programs like Medicare for the first five years they are here. So how do these immigrants get health care? Many reportedly cross the border to Mexico if needing medical attention, or some pay out-of-pocket for services in the area.

Gawande may not be talking about these women, but they are doing their own organizing to address the health care gaps in their communities. We’ve collaborated with them on reproductive justice organizing and advocacy, and it’s amazing to see what they are achieving despite all the barriers they face.

Contributed by Robin Mangini, Research Intern

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Mamita Mala: This is What Women Want

A great passionate speech from Latina blogger Mamita Mala, about the Latino vote.

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