Per the coiner of the term, Kimberlé Crenshaw, "intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects." The different identities of a person play together in a way that majorly influence how that person accesses healthcare, education, and social services.
It is important to take into account all the parts that make up the whole human so that you can provide more humanistic, custom-tailored care and resources which will begin to help dismantle systemic barriers.
The Latin (also referred to as Latinx, Latine, Latin@, Latino, Hispanic, Spanish, etc.) community is vast—it is the majority of the Western Hemisphere and an umbrella term for those living in countries that were formerly colonized by Romance-language countries: Spain, Portugal, and France. Here are some areas of intersectionality impacting the community:
Pew Research Center has a hub for exploring the diverse views and experiences of Latin people in the United States via surveys and demographic snapshots.
Topics Affecting the Latin Community
PubMed Search Filters
Interpreter Associations & Resources
Books on Culture & Medicine
Map of the U.S. showing the top 10 states/territories with the largest percentage of Latin people according to the Census Bureau.
Below are common chronic conditions found to disproportionately affect the Hispanic community within the United States (mostly when compared to the Caucasian population). There are also some links to studies evaluating interventions currently attempting to bridge the gaps.
Throughout all age groups, Hispanics were found to be more likely to be overweight or obese than the non-Hispanic white population (per OMH). Individuals who are overweight or obese are at a heightened risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and incresed LDL cholesterol—significant contributors to heart disease and stroke.
In NYC, the prevalence of adults who have ever had asthma is lower among Mexicans compared with non-Latinos, while in Puerto Ricans, it is three times as high per the Health of Latinos in New York City report
As glaucoma is tied to high blood pressure, the Hispanic/Latino community is at a higher risk of glaucoma compared to the non-Hispanic white population as a result. Non-Hispanic black people are four times more likely to develop glaucoma overall, with Hispanic numbers still lower as demonstrated by the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study. The Hispanic population is also less likely to seek diagnosis where 75% of Latinos with glaucoma were previously undiagnosed, keenly, among uninsured patients.
Per the CDC HIV Surveillance Report, Latinos were four times more likely to have either HIV infections or AIDS compared to non-Hispanic Caucasian males in 2022 and Latinas were 19 times more likely to have AIDS in 2022 compared to Caucasian females.
Per the CDC National Diabetes Surveillance System, in 2020, Hispanics were 60% more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician and 1.5 times more likely to die from diabetes.
Mental health is still stigmatized in many communities. In 2023, it was found that Hispanic adults were 60% less likely to have received mental health treatment than non-Hispanic white adults per SAMHSA.
Below you will find research articles related specifically to mental health among Latin people in the US (migrants and descendents). If you have trouble accessing any of the articles, please input the DOI or PMID into our Article Finder to access with your NY Tech affiliation.
Per surveys conducted by Pew Research Center, Hispanic Americans are slightly less likely to have a primary care physician, less likely than people of other racial or ethnic backgrounds to have health insurance, and report having worse health outcomes as a result of the nature of their work.
Here is a search string for PubMed that should help you search for US-based Latin people broadly. Edit for specific Latin groups you would want. Look through the tabs for other ethnicities or racial groups and check back in the future for other groups not included yet.
(("Hispanic OR Latino"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Chicano"[TIAB] OR "Mexican Americans"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Cuban American"[TIAB:~1] OR "Cuban Americans"[TIAB:~1] OR Hispanic[TIAB] OR Hispanics[TIAB] OR Latina[TIAB] OR Latinas[TIAB] OR Latino[TIAB] OR Latinos[TIAB] OR Latinx[TIAB] OR "Mexican American"[TIAB:~1] OR "Mexican Americans"[TIAB:~1] OR "Puerto Rican"[TIAB:~1] OR "Puerto Ricans"[TIAB:~1] OR "Spanish origin"[TIAB:~1] OR "Spanish origins"[TIAB:~1] OR "Spanish speaking"[TIAB:~1]) NOT ((africa[MESH] OR asia[MESH] OR australia[MESH] OR canada[MESH] OR central america[mesh] OR europe[MESH] OR Mexico[MESH] OR south america[MESH]) NOT (north america[MeSH:noexp] OR united states[MESH])) NOT "non-Hispanic")
Adapted from: University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library System
This search string for PubMed is for no specific racial or ethnic group specified. Edit as needed.
("Ethnicity"[MeSH] OR Minority Groups[MeSH] OR "Race Factors"[MeSH] OR "Racial Groups"[MeSH] OR ethnology[sh] OR "children of color"[TIAB] OR "children of colour"[TIAB] OR "communities of color"[TIAB] OR "communities of colour"[TIAB] OR "community of color"[TIAB] OR "faculty of color"[TIAB] OR "faculty of color"[TIAB] OR "faculty of color"[TIAB] OR "faculty of colour"[TIAB] OR "skin of color"[TIAB] OR "skin of colour"[TIAB] OR "men of color"[TIAB] OR "men of colour"[TIAB] OR "patient of color"[TIAB] OR "patient of colour"[TIAB] OR "patients of color"[TIAB] OR "patients of colour"[TIAB] OR "people of color"[TIAB] OR "people of colour"[TIAB] OR "person of color"[TIAB] OR "person of colour"[TIAB] OR "persons of color"[TIAB] OR "persons of colour"[TIAB] OR "women of color"[TIAB] OR "women of colour"[TIAB] OR ethnic[TIAB] OR ethnical[TIAB] OR ethnically[TIAB] OR ethnicities[TIAB] OR ethnicism[TIAB] OR ethnicities[TIAB] OR ethnicity[TIAB] OR ethnics[TIAB] OR ethnicized[TIAB] OR ethnicsetting[TIAB] OR minorities[TIAB] OR minority[TIAB] OR race[TIAB] OR races[TIAB] OR racial[TIAB] OR racially[TIAB])
Adapted from: University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library System
Here is a PubMed search string that searches for the native population of the United States. There are many ways to refer to this population, I have adapted this search string from University of Pittsburgh and added tribes native to NY and Arkansas that returned results.
("Alaskan Natives"[MeSH:noexp] OR AIAN[TIAB] OR "Alaska Native"[TIAB:~1] OR "Alaska Natives"[TIAB:~1] OR "Alaskan Native"[TIAB:~1] OR "Alaskan Natives"[TIAB:~1] OR ((Apache[TIAB] OR Cherokee[TIAB] OR Choctaw[TIAB] OR Hopi[TIAB] OR Navajo[TIAB] OR Pueblo[TIAB] OR Sioux[TIAB] OR Quapaw[TIAB] OR Zuni[TIAB] OR Seneca[TIAB] OR Mohawk[TIAB] OR Cayuga[TIAB]) AND (nation[TIAB] OR reservation[TIAB] OR tribe[TIAB] OR tribal[TIAB])) OR Eskimo[TIAB] OR "indigenous american"[TIAB:~1] OR "Native American"[TIAB:~1] OR "Native Americans"[TIAB:~1] OR "Native Hawaiian"[TIAB:~1] OR "Native Hawaiians"[TIAB:~1] OR (("American Indian or Alaska Native"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Indians, North American"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Indigenous Peoples"[MeSH:noexp] OR "First Nation"[TIAB:~1] OR indigenous[TIAB] OR "Native Youth"[TIAB:~1]) NOT ((africa[MESH] OR asia[MESH] OR australia[MESH] OR canada[MESH] OR central america[mesh] OR europe[MESH] OR Mexico[MESH] OR south america[MESH]) NOT (north america[MeSH:noexp] OR united states[MESH]))))
Adapted from: University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library System
This search string is specifically for black people based in the United states. This does ultimately include recent migrants from Africa within the context of the United States.
("Black or African American"[Mesh:NoExp] OR Minority Groups[Mesh:NoExp] OR Racial Groups[Mesh:NoExp] OR "African American"[TIAB:~1] OR "African Americans"[TIAB:~1] OR "African ancestry"[TIAB:~1] OR "Black American"[TIAB:~1] OR "Black Americans"[TIAB:~1] OR Blacks[TIAB] OR minorities[TIAB] OR minority[TIAB] OR "people color"[TIAB:~1] OR race[TIAB] OR racial[TIAB]) NOT ((africa[MESH] OR asia[MESH] OR australia[MESH] OR canada[MESH] OR central america[mesh] OR europe[MESH] OR Mexico[MESH] OR south america[MESH]) NOT (north america[MeSH:noexp] OR united states[MESH]))
What is meant by coded? "Urban" and "inner city" were often used as coded terms for black people within the Untied States. Before the term African American was used, the polite term was "colored" or "Negro". In South African research, you will still see the term "colored" or "coloured". Language is constantly evolving and, while it may be uncomfortable and even feel offensive, these terms may be necessary when conducting thorough searches that include the historical literature.
"Urban Health Services"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Urban Health"[MeSH:noexp] OR "Urban Population"[MeSH:noexp] OR colored[TIAB] OR "inner cities"[TIAB:~1] OR "inner city"[TIAB:~1] OR Negro*[TIAB] OR urban[TIAB]
Note: Context will determine if all or only some of the above terms are used
The use of language interpreters in clinical settings has been shown to positvely impact patient outcomes though more research still should be done. While ad hoc interpreters (usually in the form of a family member) are also helpful, when possible, choose a professional medical interpreter as they are less prone to linguistic errors for severe cases.
Here is a list of interpreter organizations that you can familiarize yourself with if down the line you wish to join one or receive their services:
While these books in the collection touch on diverse experiences of patients and how that may impact their healthcare, keep in mind the years these were published. If in reading any of the following books, you come across some troubling or damaging information, please notify the librarians and we will review your inquiry.
Troublesome Science
by
Black Health
by
Transcultural Health Care
by
Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing Care
by
Community and Public Health Nursing
by
Population Health, Epidemiology, and Public Health: Management Skills for Creating Healthy Communities, Second Edition
by
Seeing Patients: a Surgeon's Story of Race and Medical Bias
by
In addition to credit given for various images, parts of this guide were adapted from work/guides by:
Massachusetts General Hospital, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
Used with permission or in accordance with Creative Commons Licensing.
