Healthcare Disparities Amongst Mexicans

 Healthcare Disparities Amongst Mexicans and Mexican Americans

There has been a huge increase in healthcare systems not providing the same sources. As well as enough, or at all healthcare benefits for Mexican Americans and Immigrants as white Americans in the United States do. Low-income/poor individuals, people of color, and disabilities are the main targets for health disparities in the United States. Health disparity in definition are the differences in health outcomes that are linked to social, economic, and environmental disadvantages" (Saldana, 2023).

Why does this social issue matter to me?

This particular social issue matters to me because I have gone through similar experiences, with my mom, and my older sister as well. To add on, whenever I go to a doctor's appointment, most of the population are Mexicans who will experience little to no source of care or care utilization compared to the general non-Mexican who are white population. They will also experience delayed treatment or failure to receive treatment and access to any care" (Saldana, 2023). To make matters worse, differential treatment in healthcare providers is one of the main issues in healthcare systems which refers to how one’s treatment differs based on the healthcare system's beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes toward their patients (Saldana, 2023). Many Mexicans and immigrants are also unaware of the healthcare system and their own health due to a lack of resources in their community.

Differential treatment based on Mexican's...

1. Language barrier

2. Low-income status

3. Disability

4. Poor/Homeless living conditions

5. Immigrant/Non-citizen

6. Uneducated

7. No insurance

Members affected by healthcare disparity

Jocelyn Itzel Ramirez (34 years old): grew up traveling to Tijuana, Mexico from Los Angeles, California to receive proper healthcare benefits LA healthcare providers did not provide due to disparity and differential treatment. To this day, she now experiences differential treatment with her biracial children and only ever visits the doctors or ER for herself if it is an emergency.

Isabel Ivonne Burgos Ramirez (49 years old): had a work injury in which her right-hand index finger started to become crooked. No x-rays were done, no solution was told, and a rushed quick check-up was only done by healthcare providers. To this day, her finger became permanently crooked. A second incident also happened at work in which she was exposed to heavy toxic chemicals. Her work did not provide masks. As soon as she visited the ER after experiencing numbness on her entire face, doctors did not check up on her. Only asked her questions leading to them telling her based on her answers that she was ok and was sent back home.

Solutions to Healthcare Disparities

Healthcare disparities go beyond people receiving no medical attention, individuals also experiencing receiving no medication, etc. It affects people's mental, emotional, and physical health, leading individuals to find solutions themselves. Sometimes individuals go in living their lives while affected. healthcare disparities cause severe distress and create a society of individuals mistrusting the healthcare system. There have many cases of deaths in which people would rather not receive any medical attention because of money issues, discrimination, etc. For solutions, "it is important to research and understands healthcare disparities for future outcomes because it can help many immigrants and Mexican-Americans, families, and more" (Saldana, 2023). Raising awareness through education can also help address health equity. Improving resource coordination can be beneficial for individuals experiencing improper care due to health disparities and or providers.

Sources

Saldana, Elizabeth (2023). The Healthcare System: Mexican Immigrant Experiences. California State University Los Angeles