Laura Espinoza

4/25/2023
HIST 3350
Oral History Project

According to the Migration Policy Institute, approximately 2.2 million Mexican

immigrants came to the United States in the 1980s.[1] To go along with that statistic, about 54%

of Mexican immigrants who came to the United States between 1980 and 2000 were naturalized

citizens as of 2017. [2] Considering that these people come along with their issues and set of

problems, just as all humans do. No issues and concerns in a negative light, but because they are

human, they come along with family discourse, medicinal issues, and relationship problems, just

as all humans do. Mexican immigrants face a unique problem: just like humans who need heaps

of medical care to live, they need the same medical care to live out the American dream they had

heard so much about. Nevertheless, things such as coded language, language barriers, and

mistrust in the system led to, in general, policies that kept Mexican immigrants from being able

to be in the light.

Coded language is a form of communication used to convey hidden or implied meanings.

[3] In the context of Mexican immigrants, coded language can take many forms, such as racial

slurs, stereotypes, and dog whistles. These types of language are often used to dehumanize and

marginalize Mexican immigrants, and they can contribute to a climate of fear and hostility.

Because of the specificity of the medical field, coded language can be more intricate and

dangerous. The reason it can be more dangerous is because of how complicated it is and how

difficult it can understand. Examples of coded language that may be used when referring to

Mexican Americans in the medical field include terms like "non-compliant," "difficult," or

"uncooperative." These terms can be used to describe patients who are hesitant to follow medical

advice or have different cultural beliefs about health and wellness. The coded language that
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Mexican immigrants identify can lead to mistrust in the system and lead them to places that are

often different from the answer when addressing their healthcare needs.

Additionally, healthcare providers may use language that reflects stereotypes or biases

about Mexican Americans, such as assuming they are uninsured or do not value preventive care.

For example, a healthcare provider might say, "They are just not taking care of themselves" when

referring to a Mexican American patient with a chronic health condition, without considering the

social determinants of health that may be contributing to the patient's health outcomes. It is

crucial for healthcare providers to be aware of those types of languages and to work to provide

equitable care to all patients, regardless of their cultural background. Alexandra Solis Valenzuela

experienced the harshness of the medical field when she was diagnosed with a tumor. Not

knowing the technical name of the cancer, Ali had a reoccurring tumor growth on the left side of

her face and ear. By the time her family relocated from Dodge City, Kansas, to San Angelo, the

tumor had regrown twice already. Her mother had to educate herself in the healthcare system.

However, the hospital they were attending was in San Antonio, Texas (the nearest big city to San

Angelo with a comprehensive medical system). In San Antonio, the population of the largest San

Antonio racial/ethnic groups is Hispanic (65.7%), followed by White (23.1%) and Black (6.0%).

[4] This was fortunate for their situation because of the language barrier that the Spanish and

English languages had created. By the time Ali reached age 10, the pediatrician and her family

had researched and found removed her entire ear. By the 9th grade, she had her own "custom-

built ear." Alexandra discussed that because her parents were immigrants and seemingly came

from another world, many things were connecting like they should of because of the language

barrier. However, because they were in San Antonio, most of the nurses and doctors explained

Ali's course of treatment to her parents to the best of their abilities. Ali touched on how none of
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her siblings went through anything like that. Despite not wanting to stereotype her ethnicity, she

spoke about how traditional Mexican parents often do not believe in hospitals. She talked about

how her parents had that mindset till this happened to her. They realized that she had a tumor,

which could not just go away on its own as a cold or flu would. This situation opened their minds

to seeking help. She also touched on how there was a monetary issue. Ali, luckily, was on

Medicare. [5] Having been born in the United States and being a child, Ali was eligible for

Medicare. However, she mentioned that her parents did not know Medicare was a thing and that

a lady they knew of in Grape Creek helped them, along with a lady who could be hired to help

them get Medicare for Ali. Ali is an excellent example of what it is like to be from an immigrant

family and benefit from the system. She was able to get comprehensive care. The surgeon

assigned to her case found the nerve that the tumor kept regrowing on and snipped. She resulted

in no more re-growth, and Ali eventually got her ear partially restructured.

Secondly, cultural distrust from within the system happens when things like coded

language and general racism occur. [6] As a result, Mexican Immigrants turn to curanderos.

Curanderos "is a traditional native healer or shaman found primarily in Latin America and also in

the United States." Curanderos are used primarily in rural, agricultural, and low-income areas,

which some would consider barrios. These curanderos often use practices steeped in practices

that revolve around herbs, teas, and other religious rituals. With the use of curanderos as

solutions, it has been shown in research that Mexican immigrants tend to put off seeking life

seeking medical treatment. Reporting suggests that folk healing is beneficial and concludes with

excellent results. [7]

In terms of policies created to cause disparities, The Immigration Control Act of 1996

restricted undocumented immigrants from healthcare and denied those who were legal
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immigrants. These restrictions included not receiving public benefits for five years post

becoming legal residents. [8] Along with other Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity

Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), which limited access to life-saving medical care except

for emergency medical services. On the other hand, there have been state policies, such as in

California and Massachusetts. In California Health for All Kids Act expanded state-funded Medi-

Cal. This policy ensures that regardless of immigrant status, children can receive healthcare. And

in Massachusetts, the state's Healthy Safe Net Program allows immigrants to reach necessary

healthcare without authorization. However, many state obstacles in place hinder immigrants. For

instance, the Arizona Senate Bill 1070 gave law enforcement the authority to check immigration

status. This action resulted in decreased seeking of medical care in fear of being ousted for illegal

immigrant status. Which resulted in a lack of preventive and prenatal care for young girls and

expecting mothers. [9]

Other ways Mexican immigrants are impeded in access to medical care are through

transportation and geographic inaccessibility. Transport is critical to good healthcare access

because most healthcare systems are in densely populated parts of the country. Approximately 8

percent of the rural population is Mexican immigrants, compared to 16.6 percent of the urban

population. [10] There is an enormous disproportion of ethnicities in rural areas; more than half

of the population is Hispanic (54.2%). Furthermore, approximately 60.5 percent of non-citizen

rural immigrants are from Mexico. [11] With this being said, it is clear that there are vast cracks

in the system. One of those cracks is that immigrants, specifically Latinos, face unreliable and

are faced with obstacles when it comes to transportation. Salud America conducted studies that

polled individuals in the San Francisco and Bay Area community. For instance, in both studies,

participants reported having to leave early for public [12]transit because they could not rely on it
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to get them to work on time. They noted that a trip that usually takes 20 minutes by car would

require the person to leave 2 hours earlier just for said transportation to get them to work on

time. Others reported that it was suspended without notice, running infrequently, not going where

passengers needed to go, or were unsafe. In the same article, it was reported that of Latino

immigrants, only 15% of those low-income had access to a car weekly, 16% had access only

certain days of the week, and the rest did not have access at all. These statistics alone make it

clear that the population of immigrants in low-income and low-funded areas has no choice but to

rely on a system that is already faulty.

Even with things that affect healthcare, such as social injustices such as racism and

bigotry, there are some bright lights at the end of the tunnel for some immigrants. There are

programs such as the Juntos por la Salud Mobile Health and Wellness Initiative, a part of

Ventanillas de Salud, a health initiative that translates to Health Windows. This program was

started to break the gap that is the health care gap. In 2016 the initial phase was launched with

five units in immigrant populous states: Illinois, Texas, California, Arizona, and New York. Then

a second phase with six additional mobile units was launched in Colorado, Nevada, Arizona,

Florida, And North Carolina. The JPLS provides an onslaught of services such as education on

health issues, nutrition, diabetes, obesity, children's health, mental health, and financial and legal

guidance. It was also adding preventive health care screenings. There are even efforts from the

Mexican government to aid immigrants here in the United States. It is said that because of the

proximity to the United States, the Institute of Mexican Abroad can help the diaspora that has

formed in the United States. All of these programs are geared toward helping immigrants

assimilate into the climate of the United States. One program put forth by the Mexican
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government is offered to 95% of all immigrants.1 Even with initiatives, there is much to develop

when bridging healthcare gaps. There is much education to commit to for everyone to have

healthcare. Just because of someone’s status, race, ethnicity, or religion, does not mean they

should be stripped of healthcare essential to a long, happy life.

[1] Terrazas, Aaron Terrazas Aaron. "Mexican Immigrants in the United States."

migrationpolicy.org, May 14, 2021. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/mexican-

immigrants-united-states-2008.

[2] Greenwood, Shannon. "Facts on U.S. Immigrants, 2018." Pew Research Center's Hispanic

Trends Project. Pew Research Center, December 1, 2022.

https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2020/08/20/facts-on-u-s-immigrants/.

[3] "Coded Language - University of Central Arkansas." Accessed April 25, 2023.

https://uca.edu/training/files/2019/09/Coded-Language.pdf.

1
“Protection through Integration: The Mexican Government’s Efforts to Aid ...” Accessed May 1, 2023.
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/IME_FINAL.pdf.
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[4] "Is San Antonio the Best Texas City for Your Business?" Texas Outline. Accessed April 25,

2023. https://www.texas-demographics.com/san-antonio-demographics.

[5] "Welcome to Medicare." Medicare. Accessed April 25, 2023. https://www.medicare.gov/.

[6] "Racism in Healthcare: Statistics and Examples." Medical News Today. MediLexicon

International. Accessed April 26, 2023. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/racism-in-

healthcare.

[7] Andersen, Ronald, Sandra Zelman Lewis, Aida L. Giachello, Lu Ann Aday, and Grace Chiu.

"Access to Medical Care among the Hispanic Population of the Southwestern United States."

Journal of Health and Social Behavior 22, no. 1 (1981): 78. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136370.

[8] Neuman, Gerald L. "Jurisdiction and the Rule of Law after the 1996 Immigration Act."

Harvard Law Review 113, no. 8 (2000): 1963–98. https://doi.org/10.2307/1342315.

[9] Toomey, Russell B., Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, David R. Williams, Elizabeth Harvey-

Mendoza, Laudan B. Jahromi, and Kimberly A. Updegraff. "Impact of Arizona's SB 1070

Immigration Law on Utilization of Health Care and Public Assistance among Mexican-Origin

Adolescent Mothers and Their Mother Figures." The University of Arizona. American Public

Health Association Inc., January 1, 1970. https://experts.arizona.edu/en/publications/impact-of-

arizonas-sb-1070-immigration-law-on-utilization-of-heal.

[10] "Demographic and Economic Characteristics of Immigrant and Native-Born Populations in

Rural and Urban Places." UNH, September 7, 2018. https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/rural-

immigrant-demographics.
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[11] "Demographic and Economic Characteristics of Immigrant and Native-Born Populations in

Rural and Urban Places." UNH, September 7, 2018. https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/rural-

immigrant-demographics.

[12] Ramirez, Amelie. "Research: Latinos Face Big Public Transportation Challenges." Salud

America, May 14, 2019. https://salud-america.org/research-latinos-face-big-public-

transportation-challenges/.