♪ >>> HISPANICS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 50% OF NEBRASKA'’S POPULATION GROWTH IN THE LAST DECADE.

THEY ARE NEBRASKA'’S LARGEST MINORITY COMMUNITY.

YET, THEY CONTINUE TO BATTLE LONG-STANDING DISCRIMINATION AND HEALTH DISPARITIES, AND THOSE HAVE ONLY INCREASED WITH COVID-19.

WE'’LL LOOK CLOSER AT THE LATINO EXPERIENCE IN OUR STATE TONIGHT ON "“SPEAKING OF NEBRASKA.

"” ♪@>> THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THIS@SPECIAL EDITION OF .SPEAKING OF@NEBRASKA.

@I)M NET NEWS DIRECTOR DENNI@KELLOGG@TONIGHT, WE)RE FOCUSING OUR@ENTIRE PROGRAM ON THE LATIN@EXPERIENCE IN NEBRASKA, JUST AS@WE DID RECENTLY ON THE BLAC@EXPERIENCE IN OUR STATE.

@RAY AGUILAR, NEBRASKA)S FIRST@LATINO STATE SENATOR, HAS@RETURNED TO THE LEGISLATURE@AFTER A DECADE@WE ASKED HIM, FROM HI@PERSPECTIVE, ABOUT BEING TH@FIRST AND WHETHER HE')S SEEN LIFE@FOR LATINOS IMPROVING IN RECENT@YEARS@>> BASICALLY, IT'S SOMETHING @DON'T THINK ABOUT@I'M STILL PROUD OF THE FACT THAT@I WAS THE FIRST ONE IN THE@POSITION.

@BUT SINCE THAT TIME, LIFE'S GON@UNDER THE BRIDGE, AND I DON'@REALLY THINK ABOUT IT THAT MUCH@ANYMORE@I THINK -- I THINK WE ARE MAKING@PROGRESS IN THAT SENSE@THERE'S STILL SYSTEMATIC PROBLEMS IN THE FACT THAT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF NEW IMMIGRANTS COMING IN.

AND THAT BOTHERS A LOT OF PEOPLE.

AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S STILL A CONCERN, AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS -- AS IT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, AND KIND OF SLOW DOWN THE -- THE IMMIGRATION IF POSSIBLE, UNTIL THESE PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO ACCLIMATE AND -- AND POSSIBLY BECOME CITIZENS.

WELL, THE BIGGEST CHANGE HAS TO COME FROM WITHIN.

I MEAN, PEOPLE HAVE TO BE ACCEPTING, AS WELL AS THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION HAS TO WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND BE PART OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND BE PART OF OUR CITIZENSHIP.

♪ >> JOINING US NOW ARE DR. ATHENA RAMOS, AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER, AND DR. LAZARO SPINDOLA, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE'’S LATINO AMERICAN COMMISSION.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

HISTORICALLY, WE KNOW THE OMAHA STOCKYARDS AND PACKING PLANTS BROUGHT MANY LATIN AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS TO OMAHA IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.

LATINOS NOW MAKE UP MORE THAN 11% OF THE POPULATION IN NEBRASKA.

AS YOU LOOK BACK OVER THE LAST CENTURY, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE LATINO AND HISPANIC EXPERIENCE AND HOW HAS THAT CHANGED DURING THAT TIME?

IS IT IMPROVING, DO YOU THINK, DR. SPINDOLA?

WE'’LL START WITH YOU.

>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU NEED THE DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO CAME HERE PRIOR TO 2010 OR -- I'M SORRY, 1990, WHO WENT TO THOSE PACKING PLANTS, WHO WERE WORKING AT THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY, AND WHO HAD CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN WHO ARE NOW SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH GENERATION LATINOS, AND THOSE WHO CAME AFTER 1990 WHO WERE MUCH YOUNGER POPULATION.

THEY WERE BROUGHT MOSTLY BY THE MEAT PACKING PLANTS TO ALLEVIATE THE SHORTAGE OF HAND LABOR.

AND NOW THEIR CHILDREN ARE BECOMING MUCH BETTER ACCLIMATED TO THE AMERICAN DREAM, BUT THEY ARE STILL, YOU KNOW, HARD WORKING PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT REALLY HAD THE TIME TO ASSIMILATE THE COUNTRY OR THE SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.

>> DR. RAMOS, SAME QUESTION TO YOU.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE LATINO EXPERIENCE IN NEBRASKA AND IS IT IMPROVING?

>> WELL, I THINK IT'S CHANGING FOR SURE.

AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THESE CHANGES HAPPEN IN SMALLER COMMUNITIES WHERE MANY OF THESE MEAT PROCESSING FACILITIES ARE LOCATED.

WE'RE SEEING TOWNS THAT WERE TRADITIONALLY GERMAN OR POLISH OR CZECH NOW BECOMING MAJORITY MINORITY COMMUNITIES.

YOU TAKE FOR EXAMPLE THE CASE OF LEXINGTON, OR SCHUYLER, WHICH ARE NOW OVER 70% HISPANIC.

I THINK THERE'’S DEFINITELY BEEN A DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT HAPPENING PARTICULARLY IN THE RURAL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT OUR STATE, AND I THINK THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME EXAMPLES OF ORGANIZING THAT IS GOING ON WHERE YOU'RE SEEING LATINOS COME THROUGH THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE MAYBE BEEN IMMIGRANTS TO THE COMMUNITY AND NOW STEPPING INTO LEADERSHIP ROLES.

SCHUYLER IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE, A CASE IN POINT, WHERE YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAME AS IMMIGRANTS AND WHO ARE NOW ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND SO THEY'RE STARTING TO TAKE ON MORE OF THOSE LEADERSHIP ROLES WITHIN COMMUNITIES.

SO I THINK WE ARE SEEING A SHIFT.

WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A CHANGE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> AND I THINK THERE IS MORE TO COME.

>> OF COURSE, OVER THE LAST YEAR WE'VE ALL DEALT WITH A COUPLE OF MAJOR TOPICS, RACIAL INJUSTICE AND ALSO, OBVIOUSLY, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

WE'’VE HEARD CALLS TO ADDRESS RACIAL INJUSTICE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

WE'VE ALSO HEARD THAT FROM THE LATINO COMMUNITY, AS WELL.

BUT THAT MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED AS MUCH ATTENTION.

DR. SPINDOLA, HOW DOES THE LATINO AND BLACK COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE WORK TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES WITH A FIGHT FOR RACIAL INJUSTICE -- AGAINST RACIAL INJUSTICE?

>> WELL, WE BOTH HAVE A SIMILAR GOAL, IN OTHER WORDS, TO ACHIEVE EQUITY AND JUSTICE FOR OUR PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES.

IN THE CASE OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, THEY HAVE A MUCH LONGER HISTORY OF INJUSTICE AND MUCH MORE SEVERE ONE, BUT THEY'’RE ALSO MUCH BETTER POLITICALLY ORGANIZED.

THE LATINO COMMUNITY IS NOT AS WELL POLITICALLY ORGANIZED IN THAT SENSE, BUT NOW AS ATHENA MENTIONED, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE STEPPING UP TO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, AND TRYING TO AT LEAST GO UP TO THE LEVEL WHERE THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY IS.

>> DR. RAMOS, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE OTHER HALF OF THAT EQUATION AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND HOW HISPANICS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED.

LET'S BEGIN WITH VACCINATIONS.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE NUMBER OF HISPANICS FULLY VACCINATED NATIONWIDE, IT'S BELOW THE PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL HISPANIC POPULATION.

DO YOU THINK IT'S A CASE OF THIS COMMUNITY BEING HESITANT ABOUT THE VACCINE OR DO YOU THINK IT HAS TO DO MORE WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF THE VACCINE IN THESE COMMUNITIES?

>> I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF MANY FACTORS, NOT JUST THE TWO THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED.

I THINK THERE ARE DEFINITELY STRUCTURAL ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW VACCINE IS DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT STATES, ACROSS STATES, AND THROUGHOUT COMMUNITIES, WHO IS PRIORITIZED AND WHO IS NOT.

THERE HAS BEEN A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES WHERE RHETORIC THAT HAS MADE ITS WAY INTO THE MEDIA HAS HAD AN INFLUENCE ON PEOPLE'S DECISIONS, FOR EXAMPLE EARLIER IN THE YEAR I'M SURE YOU REMEMBER THE GOVERNOR HAD MADE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT PRIORITIZING LEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND CITIZENS, AND NOT MAKING IT AVAILABLE -- NOT MAKING THE VACCINE AVAILABLE FOR UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE.

THAT TYPE OF RHETORIC ALSO SENDS FEAR THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND MAKES PEOPLE LESS LIKELY TO ACCESS THOSE VACCINES BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OF THE CONSEQUENCES THAT MIGHT COME TO THEM OR TO THEIR FAMILIES FOR ACCESSING IT.

SO THERE IS SOME STRUCTURAL ISSUES.

THERE IS ALSO SOME SOCIOCULTURAL ISSUES IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HEALTH BELIEFS AND IS THE VACCINE -- WAS IT DEVELOPED WITH ENOUGH TIME, WAS THERE ENOUGH SCIENCE BEHIND IT?

THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE FEARFUL, THINKING THAT IT WAS DEVELOPED TOO QUICKLY.

THERE IS A LOT OF MYTHS OUT THERE ABOUT THE VACCINE.

A LOT OF MISINFORMATION.

AND SOME OF THAT IS PLAYING INTO PEOPLE'S DECISIONS ON WHETHER OR NOT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE VACCINE.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE IS LOGISTICAL ISSUES.

OF WHO IS GETTING THE VACCINE, WHEN IS IT AVAILABLE, WHO -- YOU KNOW WHO HAS TIME TO TAKE OFF TO GO GET IT IF IT'S NOT BEING AVAILABLE AT THE WORK SITE?

THERE'’S MULTIPLE FACTORS.

THIS A COMPLEX QUESTION.

AND SO TO THROW IT ALL IN A BUCKET OF VACCINE HESITANCY, I WOULDN'T DO THAT.

I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK MORE AT THE WAY WE HAVE MADE THE VACCINE AVAILABLE STRUCTURALLY AND LOGISTICALLY, AND THEN ALSO THINK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE SOCIOCULTURAL INFLUENCES.

>> YEAH, AND THERE IS ALSO A DEMOGRAPHIC ISSUE HERE.

LATINOS OVER 50% -- 50 YEARS OF AGE ARE MUCH MORE WILLING TO HAVE THE VACCINE PROVIDED SOMEONE THEY TRUST, LIKE THEIR MEDICAL PROVIDER TELLS THEM THAT THEY NEED TO DO SO.

THOSE UNDER 50 YEARS OF AGE ARE LESS OR MORE HESITANT AS ATHENA MENTIONED, PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN MORE EXPOSED TO ALL THE MISINFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN GOING OUT IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA.

SO AND, OF COURSE, IF THE PRIORITY IS THE ELDER POPULATION, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THE LATINO POPULATION IS RELATIVELY YOUNG.

SO THEY HAVEN'T YET GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE THEY ARE BEING OFFERED THE VACCINE.

>> IS THERE SOMETHING WE'RE NOT DOING THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING TO REACH THIS COMMUNITY?

>> WITH EDUCATION, INFORMATION, NOT JUST YOU KNOW GOVERNMENT FLYERS OR TV SHOWS OR SOMETHING.

WE SHOULD BE REACHING OUT TO THE PEOPLE, TO THE NATURAL LEADERS OF THESE COMMUNITIES, THE PEOPLE THAT THE PEOPLE TRUST, AND PERSUADE THEM TO REACH OUT TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS AND THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE VACCINE, BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER PROBLEM.

WE HAVE TENDED THE DOWNPLAY THE SIDE EFFECTS OF VACCINE WHICH SOMETIMES CAN BE QUITE DISAGREEABLE.

BUT PEOPLE WANT THE TRUTH.

SO, IF YOU TELL SOMEBODY THE VACCINE WILL DO NOTHING TO YOU AND THEN THEY HAVE A SEVERE REACTION TO THE VACCINE LIKE PAIN OR FEVER OR HEADACHES, THEN THEY WILL BELIEVE THEY WILL THINK YOU'RE LYING TO THEM AND THE SECOND DOSE BECOMES PROBLEMATIC.

>> DR. RAMOS YOU HAVE DONE RESEARCH, I BELIEVE, ON HEALTH DISPARITIES WITH MINORITY COMMUNITIES AND WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT HOW IMMIGRANTS INTEGRATE INTO THE HEALTH COMMUNITY AND WHAT KIND OF DISPARITIES THEY FACE WHEN THEY GET THERE?

>> SURE.

OUR COMMUNITY HAS LESS ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN GENERAL.

WE HAVE LESS ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE.

IN FACT, WE'RE ABOUT THREE TIMES LESS LIKELY TO HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE COMPARED TO THE GENERAL POPULATION.

THERE ARE ENORMOUS HEALTH DISPARITIES.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY, OUR LATINO COMMUNITY HAS GOING FOR US IS SOMETHING THAT WE CALL "“THE HEALTHY IMMIGRANT PARADOX.

"” SO, AS WE'’VE TALKED ABOUT, OUR COMMUNITY TENDS TO BE YOUNGER.

AND SO SOMETIMES WE DON'T FACE THE SAME CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY IS YOUNGER.

BUT OVER TIME, WE'RE SEEING THAT THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY -- OF THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY STARTS TO COME INTO LINE WITH THAT OF THE NATIVE COMMUNITY.

SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE SEEING.

IN TERMS OF INTEGRATION THOUGH, I THINK WE AS A NEBRASKA COMMUNITY NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF BEING WELCOMING AND BEING PROACTIVE AND REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT WELCOMING PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITIES AND CREATING SYSTEMS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP PEOPLE DO THAT, INSTEAD OF DENYING THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE COMING, OR YOU KNOW, TRYING TO PUSH PEOPLE AWAY.

THE FACT IS WE NEED PEOPLE IN OUR STATE, WE HAVE LOTS OF JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, COMPANIES ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO COME HERE TO WORK.

AND WE SHOULD BE CREATING, YOU KNOW, THE STRUCTURE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN COMMUNITIES TO HELP PEOPLE BE SUCCESSFUL.

THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.

WE WANT PEOPLE IN OUR STATE WHO CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AND SO WHY NOT WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE MORE MULTILINGUAL INFRASTRUCTURE?

WHY NOT FIGURE OUT WAYS TO PROVIDE HEALTH EDUCATION TO COMMUNITIES?

WHY NOT WORK WITH ALL THOSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND BRING THEM INTO THE FOLD INSTEAD OF CALLING ON ORGANIZATIONS RIGHT WHEN WE NEED THEM, WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER ALL THE TIME.

THESE ARE THINGS WE SHOULD BE DOING.

>> THIS IS SO TRUE WHAT ATHENA JUST SAID, THAT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE ORIGINAL IMMIGRATION WAVE TO NEBRASKA, WHICH CAME FROM EASTERN EUROPE, WHEN YOU GO TO SCHUYLER, YOU SEE THE BEGINNING OF THE 1900S THERE WERE TWO NEWSPAPERS IN SCHUYLER AND THEY WERE BOTH IN CZECH.

YOU GO TO THE MADISON MUSEUM IN NORFOLK, AND YOU WILL FIND OUT THE OFFICE OF THE VERY FIRST DOCTOR IN NORFOLK WHO WAS A GERMAN, BECAUSE THE GERMAN SETTLERS IN NORFOLK WANTED A DOCTOR WHO SPOKE THEIR LANGUAGE.

SO THIS IS NOTHING NEW.

AND THIS IS NOTHING SOPHISTICATED OR BROUGHT OUT OF I DON'T KNOW WHERE.

THIS IS A NATURAL WAY FOR PEOPLE TO THINK.

NOW, WE HAD WORLD WAR I HERE, WHERE THE ENEMY WAS ACTUALLY EASTERN EUROPE.

THE AUSTRO-PRUSSIAN EMPIRE.

AND THEN THERE WERE THOSE BANS AGAINST SPEAKING GERMAN OR CZECH, OR ANY OTHER LANGUAGE AND THAT FORCED THE CHILDREN OF THESE IMMIGRANTS TO LEARN ENGLISH AND TO THINK IN ENGLISH AND TO BEHAVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AS THE DOMINANT POPULATION.

BUT THAT HASN'T HAPPENED.

SO WE'RE NOT IN WAR WITH LATIN AMERICA.

>> I'’M GOING TO FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING THAT'’S COME UP ALREADY IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT YOU'’VE MENTIONED YOUR COMMUNITY IS YOUNGER.

AND 2012 RESEARCH FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA FOUND THAT HISPANICS ARE A MUCH YOUNGER POPULATION.

IN THE OMAHA METRO AREA SPECIFICALLY, THE MEDIAN AGE WAS 23.

FOR WHITES, IT WAS TWICE THAT, AS HIGH AT 40.

WHAT BRINGS ABOUT THAT AGE DISPARITY?

HOW DO YOU INTERPRET IT?

>> WELL, THERE IS LOTS OF REASONS FOR THAT.

ONE IS THAT PEOPLE WILL SAY WELL, PEOPLE WHO IMMIGRATE FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY TEND TO BE YOUNGER, THEY TEND TO BE HEALTHIER BECAUSE THEY CAN MAKE THAT JOURNEY, THEY CAN COME AND START A WHOLE NEW LIFE IN A WHOLE NEW PLACE WITH A WHOLE NEW CULTURE AND LANGUAGE AND SO FORTH.

SO THAT'S ONE EXPLANATION THAT THERE IS.

THERE IS ALSO A HIGHER FERTILITY RATE AMONG OUR COMMUNITY, SO ON AVERAGE OUR FAMILIES TEND TO BE A LITTLE BIT LARGER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

SO THAT ALSO LENDS ITSELF TO THE DIFFERENCE IN THE AGE DEMOGRAPHIC.

>> DR. SPINDOLA, STAYING WITH A LITTLE BIT OF TOPIC ABOUT HEALTH DISPARITIES, YOU'RE A SURGEON BEFORE IMMIGRATING TO THE UNITED STATES.

>> YES.

>> AND YOU HAVE BEEN IN PUBLIC HEALTH A LONG TIME.

YOU'RE A MEDICAL EXPERT.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE HEALTH DISPARITIES OVERALL IN NEBRASKA?

>> MOSTLY RELATED TO MONEY.

THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN HEALTH IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU MAKE, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU HAVE, WHICH WILL GIVE YOU ACCESS TO THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE QUALITY OF CARE.

THAT HAPPENS IN THE UNITED STATES.

MOST OF THE LATINO IMMIGRANTS COME FROM COUNTRIES THAT --ABOUT 30 COUNTRIES, WHICH HAVE WHAT WE CALL A NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

AND THAT DOESN'T EXIST HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, SO THEY ARE FACING THE HIGH COST OF THE AMERICAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM PROCEDURES.

SO, MOSTLY HAS TO DO WITH THAT.

IT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH THE LACK OF HEALTH INSURANCE, AS ATHENA MENTIONED, AND THEN THERE IS ALSO A LACK OF HEALTH INFORMATION IN AN APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE, SIMPLE ENOUGH LANGUAGE.

I MEAN, WHENEVER YOU RECEIVE THE -- HERE IN THE UNITED STATES WE LOVE RECEIVING INFORMATION, BUT THEN THAT INFORMATION TENDS TO BECOME MORE AND MORE TECHNICAL.

IF YOU CONSIDER THE FACT THAT MOST OF THE NEWLY ARRIVED LATINO IMMIGRANTS NEVER REALLY FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL, THE MORE TECHNICAL YOU GET, THE FARTHER YOU GET AWAY FROM THEM.

THEY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT NOW THERE IS A BIG PUSH TO MAKE APPROPRIATE HEALTHCARE LITERACY FOR INDIVIDUALS LIKE THAT.

NOT ONLY HISPANICS BUT ALSO ASIANS OR PEOPLE FROM THE MIDDLE EAST, ET CETERA.

>> AND EVEN FOR ENGLISH SPEAKERS, TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR HEALTH EDUCATION MATERIALS ARE AT AN APPROPRIATE LITERACY LEVEL.

I THINK THAT'S A COMMON PROBLEM ACROSS ALL PEOPLE.

>> THERE WAS A STUDY CONDUCTED AT THE BOSTON HOSPITAL, AT THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO, WHERE THEY TRIED TO GAUGE HOW MUCH INFORMATION GIVEN BY THE DOCTOR WAS RETAINED BY THE PATIENT.

AND IT TURNED OUT ONLY ABOUT 25% OF THE INFORMATION WAS RETAINED BY ENGLISH SPEAKERS.

>> I WAS GOING TO ASK, IS THAT SPANISH SPEAKERS?

THAT WAS ENGLISH SPEAKERS.

>> THAT WAS ENGLISH SPEAKERS.

>> WE KNOW THE PANDEMIC HAS EXACERBATED HEALTH DISPARITIES FOR MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN PARTICULAR AND ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DATA ON THE PANDEMIC, HISPANICS APPEAR TO BE TESTING POSITIVE AND BEING HOSPITALIZED AT A GREATER RATE THAN THE PERCENTAGE THEY MAKE UP IN THE POPULATION.

THERE IS HOWEVER SOME UNKNOWNS WITH A LACK OF REPORTING ON ETHNICITY AND THE DHHS DATA.

DR. RAMOS, HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC, DO YOU FEEL, IMPACTED HISPANICS COMPARED WITH WHITES AND WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR?

>> WELL, I THINK IT'S HAD A TREMENDOUS IMPACT, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES, THE HEALTH OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PANDEMIC, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL OUTCOMES RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC, WHICH HAVE RESULTED IN PEOPLE LOSING THEIR JOBS, GETTING THEIR HOURS CUT, HAVING TO FIND WAYS TO CARE FOR THEIR FAMILIES, AND TRYING TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.

WE'VE ALL HAD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, BUT I THINK OFTENTIMES IN OUR COMMUNITIES PEOPLE ARE WORKING IN WHAT WE CALL NOW ESSENTIAL JOBS, JOBS THAT FOR THE MOST PART WE NEVER THOUGHT OF AS ESSENTIAL BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, UNFORTUNATELY.

AND SO THESE FOLKS DIDN'T HAVE THE OPTION TO WORK FROM HOME.

AND SO THEY HAD TO GO INTO WORK.

BUT THAT DIDN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED, THE DAYCARES HAVE BEEN CLOSED, THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEIR PARTNER LOST THEIR JOB.

AND SO, TRYING TO MAKE ALL OF THAT WORK HAS BEEN REALLY, REALLY, I THINK, DIFFICULT FOR A LOT OF FAMILIES.

AND THEY FACE SOME SERIOUS CHALLENGES IN DOING SO.

IF WE TAKE FOR EXAMPLE IN THE MEAT PACKING INDUSTRY HERE IN NEBRASKA, WE'’VE HAD OVER 7,200 CASES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE WHO ARE WORKING IN THESE PLANTS WHICH HAS RESULTED IN 27 DEATHS AMONG MEAT PACKING WORKERS IN OUR STATE.

WE KNOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WORKING IN MEAT PROCESSING FACILITIES IN NEBRASKA ARE HISPANIC AND LATINO, SOMETIMES IMMIGRANTS, FROM LATIN AMERICA.

BUT OF HISPANIC LATINO DECENT.

>> DR. SPINDOLA, LET'’S TAKE THAT TOPIC A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IF WE CAN.

OBVIOUSLY, THE MEAT PACKING PLANTS HAVE BEEN A BIG PART OF THIS ISSUE WITH THE PANDEMIC.

THE LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR IN JULY REPORTED ALMOST 60% OF THE STATE'S COVID CASES WERE HISPANIC.

ONLY 11% OF THE POPULATION, OF COURSE, IS HISPANIC.

EARLY ON, MEAT PACKING PLANTS WERE HOTSPOTS FOR THE VIRUS.

NOW THOSE IN THE MEAT PACKING PLANTS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING VACCINATED, BUT SHOULD THOSE WORKERS HAVE BEEN PRIORITIZED SOONER?

HOW DO YOU THINK OVERALL THE VACCINATION PROCESS HAS WORKED FOR THIS COMMUNITY?

>> OF COURSE, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRIORITIZED SOONER.

I MEAN, AT THE BEGINNING, THE MEAT PACKING PLANTS WERE RELATIVELY SLOW IN IMPLEMENTING THE NECESSARY PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO KEEP THE WORKERS FROM BEING AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19 VIRUS, BUT THEN THEY TOOK SOME MEASURES.

BUT YET, THEY ARE STILL HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS.

SO THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN -- THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD A PRIORITY IN THAT SENSE.

>> AND THERE WAS SOME BACK AND FORTH IN TERMS OF THE PRIORITIZATION OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS.

SO THERE WAS A NATIONAL STRATEGY, A CONSENSUS STRATEGY THAT WAS PUT FORTH THAT HAD PUT ESSENTIAL WORKERS INTO LIKE A CATEGORY 2.

THE CDC CAME BACK AND SAID NO WE'LL MOVE THEM BACK TO 1 B, WHICH WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER PRIORITY, WHICH WAS GOOD.

BUT THEN YOU SAW THAT THERE WAS SOME CHANGES IN WHO WAS CONSIDERED IN 1 B, IT WAS SUPPOSED -- ORIGINALLY, IT WAS 75 AND OLDER.

THEY ROLLED IT BACK TO 65 AND OLDER.

SOME STATES SAID WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS POPULATION FIRST, THIS POPULATION FIRST, BECAUSE WITHIN EACH ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES IS LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO FIT INTO THOSE CATEGORIES OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS, AGED WHATEVER, AND OLDER, AND CHRONIC CONDITIONS, SO FORTH.

AND SO YOU'’VE SEEN A LOT OF STATES THAT HAVE VERY DIFFERENT PRIORITIES AND EVEN IN NEBRASKA I THINK THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF FLUCTUATION OF, WHERE DO I FIT?

AND EACH COUNTY HAS TAKEN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT APPROACH.

>> AND, OF COURSE, LEGISLATURE IS CONSIDERING LB241 WHICH IS A BILL THAT WOULD ENACT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN MEAT PACKING PLANTS.

THAT'S BEEN PRIORITIZED.

SO WE'LL SEE WHERE THAT ONE ENDS UP.

I WANT TO STEP BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT, THOUGH AND TALK ABOUT THE GROWING LATINO POPULATION IN OUR STATE.

IN NEARLY THE LAST DECADE, HISPANICS OR LATINOS MADE UP NEARLY HALF OF THE STATE'S POPULATION GROWTH, SO I GUESS THE OBVIOUS QUESTION IS WHY DO YOU THINK THE LATINO POPULATION IS GROWING AT SUCH A HIGH RATE?

WHAT'S ATTRACTIVE ABOUT NEBRASKA?

DR. RAMOS?

>> WELL, I THINK THERE IS A COUPLE OF REASONS WHY THE POPULATION IS GROWING.

OF COURSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FROM OTHER PLACES WHO ARE IMMIGRATING TO NEBRASKA.

BUT A LOT OF THE GROWTH THAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR STATE RIGHT NOW IS THE NATURAL GROWTH OF FAMILIES, OF FAMILIES WHO MAY HAVE COME IN THE 1990S WITH THE PACKING PLANTS, WHO HAVE -- WHO STARTED THEIR LIVES HERE, HAD THEIR FAMILIES HERE, THEIR KIDS HAVE GROWN UP HERE AND THEY CONTINUE TO STAY HERE.

THEY'’VE MADE THE CHOICE TO STAY IN NEBRASKA AND START THEIR OWN FAMILIES HERE.

SO I THINK A LOT OF IT IS REALLY THAT NATURAL GROWTH THAT IS HAPPENING.

>> AND THERE ARE JOB OPPORTUNITIES HERE.

LATINOS COME TO THE UNITED STATES LOOKING FOR A BETTER LIFE, FOR THEM AND FOR THEIR CHILDREN, AND NEBRASKA HAS A GOOD LIFE, RIGHT?

OR AT LEAST IT USED TO.

SO NOW LATELY, WE HAVE BEEN SEEING A LOT OF IMMIGRANTS OF CUBAN ORIGIN THAT ARE COMING DOWN FROM FLORIDA, LOOKING FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

>> ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT A NATIONAL ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO DACA OR THE DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS, ANOTHER MUCH DEBATED FEDERAL POLICY.

IT ALLOWS CHILDREN BROUGHT TO U.S.

UNLAWFULLY TO STAY FOR TWO YEARS AND BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR WORK PERMITS.

FRIDA AGUILERA IS A JUNIOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT LINCOLN AND A DACA RECIPIENT.

SHE CAME TO THE U.S. FROM MEXICO WHEN SHE WAS SIX YEARS OLD.

>> IT'’S BEEN QUITE A JOURNEY.

AT LEAST NOW I CAN BREATHE SOMEWHAT, BUT THERE IS STILL, YOU KNOW, SOME SPACE OF UNCERTAINTY.

YEAH, IT'’S BEEN PRETTY STRESSFUL, TO SAY THE LEAST, JUST NOT KNOWING WHERE MY FUTURE IS GONNA'’ HEAD.

AT LEAST NOW, WITH A DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATION, THERE'’S SOME MOBILITY WITHIN THERE.

STILL, YOU KNOW, MY FUTURE ISN'’T IN MY OWN HANDS, WHICH IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND VERY STRESSFUL.

>> DR. SPINDOLA, HOW HAVE THESE YOUNG ADULTS BEEN IMPACTED THROUGH THE DACA PROCESS?

>> HOW HAVE WHAT?

>> HOW HAVE THEY BEEN IMPACTED?

HOW HAS IT AFFECTED THEIR LIVES?

>> WELL, ALL THE LIVES THEY HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER THE FEAR THEY WOULD BE DEPORTED TO A COUNTRY WHERE THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN BORN BUT THAT THEY DON'T KNOW.

MANY OF THEM DON'T EVEN SPEAK THE LANGUAGE VERY WELL AND THEY ACTUALLY ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE SOCIETY IN THOSE COUNTRIES, BUT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN DETAINED AT ANY MOMENT AND DEPORTED.

BY ALLOWING THEM A PATH TO LEGAL PRESENCE IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU WOULD DO AWAY WITH THAT FEAR AND, BELIEVE ME, IF YOU LIVE ALL YOUR LIFE WITH A FEAR THAT YOU ARE -- DO NOT BELONG THERE, THAT YOU WILL BE KICKED OUT OF A PLACE, YOU REALLY DON'T FEEL ATTACHED TO THAT PLACE.

WHAT KIND OF LOYALTY CAN YOU DEVELOP FOR A NATION THAT DOESN'T WANT YOU THERE?

>> DR. RAMOS, PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THE DEMOCRATS ON CAPITOL HILL ARE CALLING FOR A EIGHT YEAR PATH TO CITIZENSHIP AND FOR MOST OF THE 11 MILLION UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY IN EXPANDING WORKER VISAS, AS WELL.

WHAT DO YOU THINK FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS THE ANSWER TO -- AND I KNOW THAT'S A VERY SIMPLIFIED QUESTION, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR DECADES, BUT HOW DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE APPROACHING IMMIGRATION?

>> WELL, I THINK WE DO NEED TO HAVE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO IMMIGRATION REFORM.

I THINK THIS IDEA OF DOING ONE LITTLE PIECE HERE OF DACA, OR OF THE TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS, THE TPS, OR DOING SOMETHING WITH THE H2A PROGRAM WHICH IS THE GUEST WORKERS WHO ARE FARM WORKERS, DOING LITTLE PIECES WITHOUT A MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH I THINK IS REALLY DIFFICULT AND DETRIMENTAL TO THE OVERALL WELL-BEING OF THE COMMUNITY.

AND TO THE POLITICAL PROCESS.

I MEAN, IT TAKES A LOT OF POLITICAL WILL TO GET THINGS TO CHANGE, AND I THINK IF WE WERE TO ACTUALLY TACKLE IT ONCE, YOU KNOW, DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AT IT, HOPEFULLY WE COULD RESOLVE A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THIS PIECEMEAL APPROACH.

>> RIGHT.

WE NEED TO STOP THINKING ABOUT YOU KNOW -- MY GREAT-GRANDPARENTS CAME HERE ILLEGALLY.

I MEAN, LEGALLY.

WELL, WHAT LEGALLY?

HOW LEGALLY?

WHAT LAWS WERE THERE WHEN THE FIRST IMMIGRATION LAW WRITTEN WAS THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT THAT WAS IN THE -- 1800S.

AND FROM THEN ON, WE HAVE BEEN SEEING INCREASINGLY -- LAWS ARE INCREASINGLY HIGH BARRIERS TO PEOPLE WHO IMMIGRATE.

AND SOMETIMES, DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTRY, LIKE WHEN WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II, THOSE BARRIERS ARE LOWER AND WORKERS ARE ALLOWED TO COME IN MASSIVELY.

AND THEN, AFTER NATURAL EMERGENCY ENDS THEY ARE DEPORTED MASSIVELY, TOO.

AS ATHENA SAID, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT SETS THE RULES OF THE GAME IN PLACE.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE RULES THAT CHANGE I WOULD NOT SAY ON A YEARLY BASIS, BUT ON A CONSTANT BASIS.

>> WE JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT OVER A MINUTE LEFT.

I JUST WANT TO GET THE IMPRESSION FROM BOTH OF YOU BRIEFLY.

WHERE ARE WE GOING AS FAR AS THE LATINO COMMUNITY IS CONCERNED?

DO YOU FEEL OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WHERE THIS COMMUNITY IS HEADED, DR. RAMOS?

>> YES, I DEFINITELY FEEL OPTIMISTIC.

I'M VERY PROUD OF MY ROOTS, AND OF MY COMMUNITY.

AND I'M EXCITED TO WORK WITH MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO TRY TO MAKE NEBRASKA A BETTER STATE FOR EVERYBODY.

>> I'M MORE OPTIMISTIC THE LATINO COMMUNITY IS A VIBRANT, CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY.

WE HAD A STUDY THAT SHOWED THAT LATINO-OWNED BUSINESSES IN NEBRASKA GROWN BY 86% IN 5 YEARS WHERE ALL THE OTHER ETHNICITIES COMBINED HAD GROWN BY ONLY 2.4%.

SO YEAH, WE ARE AN INFLUX OF ENERGY INTO THIS STATE, AND WE WANT THE STATE TO BE BETTER AND TO PROSPER.

>> DR. RAMOS, LAST WORD, WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THIS LATINO COMMUNITY FACES?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

YOU CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD ON THAT ONE.

( LAUGHING ) YOU KNOW, THAT'S A REALLY HARD QUESTION TO ANSWER.

I'M NOT -- I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT I CAN TELL YOU THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE.

THERE IS A LOT OF PRESSING ISSUES.

I THINK WE'’VE GOT TO WORK ON ISSUES RELATED TO EDUCATION, TO HEALTHCARE, TO LANGUAGE ACCESS, AND TO BUILDING POLITICAL POWER AND GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS, VOTING, REGISTERING TO VOTE AND BEING ENGAGED CIVICALLY.

>> DR. ATHENA RAMOS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER, THANK YOU AND DR. LAZARO SPINDOLA FROM THE LATINO AMERICA COMMISSION THANK YOU VERY MUCH BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING WITH US.

>> THIS INTERVIEW AND TONIGHT'’S PROGRAM ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.

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