Picture
 Latino Community, Durham
 serv-nc  Mission  UNC Resources  Community  Who's Where?  Discussion  Projects
Picture

Site Guide

Picture

Page O’ Links

Executive Summary: This study on the Latino community of Durham is unique in that it brings together secondary data with information from personal interviews, focus groups, and a Durham Latino Health Survey conducted in January of 1998.  In September of 1997, four master’s degree students from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Public Health began to explore the life of this dynamic community to uncover salient health and quality of life issues, to identify community strengths and organizing efforts, and to make recommendations for health education and health service delivery.

Durham, like many parts of North Carolina, has a fast growing Latino population.  Local Hispanic groups estimate the population in 1996 was between 8,000 and 15,000, 57% - 77% higher than Census Bureau projections of 3,466 (Glascock, December 21, 1997).  This relatively new and young population brings a mix of rich cultural traditions, a strong sense of community organization, and a commitment to hard work to Durham County.  Our findings from over 30 interviews in both Spanish and English with community members, community leaders, and service providers, focus groups with Latina women, Latino youth, and Latino community organizers, and a survey completed by 128 Latino adults in Durham are highlighted below:

    ØIn the Durham Latino Health Survey 33% of respondents reported having problems with their teeth and 22% reported eye problems.  However, only 9% reported going for a dental exam and 8% for an eye exam since coming to Durham.

    ØOccupational health is a major concern, with most Latinos working in dangerous, unregulated, and insecure, non-unionized jobs.  Our survey findings show that 11% have had muscle pain and 11% have experienced a work-related accident or injury.

    ØThe relationship between acculturation and stress is very clear.  Seventeen percent of Latinos reported having nervios or a nervous condition.  Isolation, depression, stress, anxiety over bills and crime, worry over friends and family left behind, and worries about the effect of U.S. culture on children were cited as major mental health concerns by Durham Latinos.

    ØAlcohol abuse is a serious concern with 73% of Latinos on the survey reporting that alcohol has been a major problem for them at some time.  Alcohol abuse has been blamed for increasing Latinos' vulnerability to crime, as well as a growing number of car accidents involving Latinos.

    ØNineteen percent of Latinos have been in an automobile accident.

    ØTen percent of Latinos surveyed have been a victim of crime.

    ØThe impact of crime was apparent in the survey results, which showed that 35% of Latinos were worried about their safety, or the safety of their friends and family in Durham.

Service providers pointed to a number of social and lifestyle factors and under-utilization of preventive and screening services, especially by Latino men, that put this community at high risk for HIV/AIDS, STDs, tuberculosis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and perinatal difficulties.  The reported incidence of HIV/AIDS for Durham Latinos is low; however, when asked which health issues they would like more information about, roughly one-third of Latinos chose HIV/AIDS and another one-third chose STDs.  A number of risk factors are present in the Latino community including unsafe sexual practices (sex with prostitutes and sex without condoms) and a general lack of knowledge concerning HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention.  These risk factors similarly impact rates of other STDs in the community.

Positive traits such as hard work, loyalty, community reliance, faith, unity, and cultural expression found in the community are closely linked with the ability to organize and solve problems. These assets of the community are often manifested in existing social support networks and other problem-solving mechanisms within the community,  which can be drawn upon and strengthened in order to approach new problems or to address old problems in new and unique ways.  Further research on this topic would yield exceptionally valuable results for those working in health promotion with the Latino community. 

The diverse approaches to organizing and problem-solving currently underway in the Durham Latino community are truly remarkable given the multiple stressors under which most Latinos live and their recent arrival to the city.  El Centro Hispano is the product of collaboration between Catholic Social Ministries, AmeriCorps, and the Episcopal Church of Durham.  It is a place Latinos can go to for everything from help in making doctor appointments to making new friends.  A pioneer in providing a variety of basic services to Latinos in Durham, their programs include daily referrals and drop-in assistance, computer skills training, citizenship and English classes, and an active youth group and women's group. 

Casa Multicultural and El Centro Hispano provide support and, in many ways, play a health promotion role for the Latino community.  Casa Multicultural is tapping into the rich experience and skills Latinos bring with them from their home countries to develop grassroots leaders and organizing committees with a long-term vision.  As discussed in the Crime section, one of Casa Multicultural’s neighborhood committees successfully pressed for improved housing conditions and enhanced police protection.  By collaborating with El Centro Hispano, the Durham County Health Department's Project StraighTalk was able to expand their HIV/AIDS education/awareness program to reach Latinos.  This unique effort, entitled Proyecto L.I.F.E. (Latinos Unidos Futuro Eficaz - Latinos United for a Successful Future), involves door-to-door education on HIV and STDs, and condom distribution in Latino neighborhoods.  Proyecto L.I.F.E. demonstrates how creative and effective approaches evolve through cooperation and dialogue between agencies and the community.

The successes Latinos have had in community organizing are not yet apparent in elected government offices, where the Latino community is significantly under-represented in the Durham City and County governments.  There is no Latino representation on the City Council or the Board of County Commissioners, nor are there interpreter services so that Spanish-speakers can communicate their concerns.  Currently, only one critical Durham City Department, the Human Relations Commission, has representation from the Latino community.  This department has recently appointed two well-known Latina women community advocates as commissioners.

Many of the health issues raised by community members did not coincide with national health data available on Latinos.  This is due in part to the youth of Durham’s Latino population, and thus the fact that this population is relatively healthy.  However, this statement can be misleading since a majority of Latinos, particularly men, do not access health services until they face health problems that are serious or life-threatening.  Latina women are more likely to utilize health services due to prenatal care needs and for their infants and children; however service providers expressed concern over the inadequate utilization of prenatal and post-partum care by Latina women.  The underutilization of primary and preventive health care services is a critical issue to consider when providing services to this population.

Another difficulty in assessing the health of this community is that data on Durham Latinos are often skewed, inaccurate, incomplete, or unavailable.  At the state level, the data on morbidity are limited to “white” and “non-white” categories.  Demographic and socioeconomic data on Latinos in Durham is limited in part to the tremendous growth of the population since the 1990 Census and the fact that the census has several factors that limit its ability to report information on new immigrants.

 

[serv-nc] [Mission] [UNC Resources] [Community] [Who's Where?] [Discussion] [Projects]

Original Site Design - Keith M. Cochran