Latinx and Hispanic Health Resources

Welcome to the Latinx and Hispanic Health Resource Guide

Bellack Library wants to make sure that, as health professions students, you have access to reputable resources to help provide the best care to your future patients, colleagues, and yourself.

There is a vast diversity in the Latinx & Hispanic community, including numerous ethnicities, cultures, and ancestries. Like most groups, this is not a monolithic group and incorporates people from more than 20 countries in the Western Hemisphere. Cultural differences may include languages (though predominantly Spanish, Portuguese, and Indigenous languages), traditions, foods, and health practices.

Intersectionality

Within the Latinx/Hispanic community, there is likely some intersectionality, which interacts in complex ways that influence access to healthcare, education, and social services. A few of the major areas of intersectionality include:

• Although often grouped under the umbrella term "Latinx" or "Hispanic," individuals may identify as Indigenous, Afro-Latinx, mestizo, or of European descent, each with their own experiences of discrimination and privilege. Afro-Latinx individuals, for example, may face both anti-Black racism and discrimination as Latinx individuals, leading to compounded health and social inequities.
• Immigration status may be an area of concern as well; those that are undocumented may avoid seeking care out of fear of being deported, while those on temporary visas may have limited health coverage.
• Language barriers play a significant role in healthcare access. While many in the Latinx community speak Spanish, there are also some who may speak Portuguese or an Indigenous language, which can lead to challenges in communicating with healthcare providers.

Why is it important to acknowledge intersectionality?

Because by acknowledging these various factors, healthcare providers are able to provide more custom-tailored care and resources, understand their patient’s health experiences, and allows them to work towards dismantling systemic barriers.

Prominent Health Inequities

Some of the more prominent health inequities faced by these communities include:

• Chronic disease (such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity)
• Infectious Diseases (such as HIV/AIDS)
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Rates
• Parental and Children’s Health

This guide contains resources to help you make educated decisions regarding a variety of topics that influence the health of the wide range of Latinx and Hispanic communities in the United States. The guide is broken up into 4 main sections: an introduction to the topic, resources for Latinx and Hispanic students and practitioners, resources for caring for Latinx and Hispanic patients, and helpful research tools.

In this guide, you will find:

• Books in our Community Health Collection located in IHP's Bellack Library (Building 38 4th Floor).
• Informative videos.
• Links to organizations.
• And more!

Please explore the resources in this guide and reach out to us through Ask a Librarian if you have any questions or would like further assistance.

Video Introductions

Leisure Reading from Boston Public Library

We know leisure or recreational reading is important for students. We know that reading can help reduce psychological distress in college students (Levine et al., 2022; Viqar et al., 2018; Watson, 2015). But we also know that time constraints can be a problem that makes it hard to take time to read. For those of you who have time (or maybe you’re on break?), Boston Public Library offers free library eCards for MA residents (and for those living in MA while attending school in-state or who work for a MA employer). These free eCards allow you to access their online resources (which includes large collection of eBooks/AudioBooks/and more from OverDrive and Hoopla).

While we’re here, we wanted to also point out that BPL have a ton of relevant staff-curated reading lists that may be of interest to you: