The New Mexico Health Equity Partnership (HEP), an initiative at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, is committed to supporting community driven solutions to improve health. We work with a network of partners to build movement to ensure every New Mexican can lead a healthy life, live in neighborhoods where our children and families can thrive, and have a say in the decisions that impact their communities and lives. In this newsletter, we share important work being done by the HEP network to build bridges and power across communities, educate decision makers on issues that matter to communities, and inform policy decisions. We invite you to read our 2017 Impact Report, and get involved by participating in an upcoming event,  joining HEP as a network member, or donating to support the partnership’s efforts here. 

In July 2017, Native Americans and Latino immigrants came together at a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) training focused on two different policy topics. At the training, both communities realized that they both face struggles and it is important to share their narratives with each other and be united to achieve their goals. By sharing stories, Latino immigrants learned that Native Americans have been mistaken as undocumented immigrants and faced deportation until they showed their documents. Native Americans learned that Latino immigrants’ health is impacted by water contamination related to fracking. Participants viewed the HIA training as an opportunity to build community and people power. At the training, participants not only met families who were in similar situations to them, but they met people from other cultures who had shared experiences – for this they were grateful. One participant said, “Today, I built relationships with our Native American brothers and I realized how much we have in common”.  Another person said, “I met other families who are in the same situation I am and I am grateful. You are my family.” Since the training, the two groups have been working to heal the historical wounds from racism in their region and uproot conscious and unconscious bias. They have supported each other to present at the City of Farmington Minority Roundtable and convened a Racial Justice workshop on December 16 with 32 people. Further, they are planning a Racial Justice/Food Sovereignty Conference in 2018 and working to address criminal justice and bias-based policing issues.
 

The New Mexico Asian Family Center and Global 505
What does health mean to immigrant and refugee populations?

(originally printed in the Green Fire Times
February 2018 Issue)

The New Mexico Asian Family Center (NMAFC) is a nonprofit organization based in Albuquerque that provides cultural programs and services for the area’s pan-Asian community. In 2015, NMAFC founded the Global 505 network to bring together Asian, African, and Latino immigrant and refugee movements to increase their engagement and collective voice. The network’s partners include Together 4 Brothers, Catholic Charities, Refugee Well-Being Project, Women’s Global Pathways, and Juntos: Our Air, Our Water. 

With technical support from the New Mexico Health Equity Partnership (an initiative at the Santa Fe Community Foundation), Global 505 in partnership with communities comprised hundreds of distinct ethnicities, languages, cultures and histories undertook a Health Impact Assessment. The HIA was funded by the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, The New Mexico Health Equity Partnership at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. 

Knowing that food is a critical piece of community building, these groups broke bread together at Global 505’s events. A chef from a different region was hired for each gathering to provide food that is significant to a particular culture. Because it was not possible to rely on a dominant language, another non-profit, Artful Life, with the assistance of interpreters, facilitated these sessions, using art as a medium for communication. Because family is universally highly valued, activities such as collages, drawing and creative expression were designed for a multigenerational audience. Grandparents, parents, siblings and children participated with the belief that everyone had something to contribute. 

At the heart of these gatherings, a seemingly simple question was asked: What does health mean to you? It became clear that the families see health as multifaceted and holistic in nature, and that their health has been impacted by events they have experienced—violence, racism, discrimination, isolation, unhealthy coping mechanisms, culture, poverty and war, to name a few. When asked what systemic changes they believed would most improve health outcomes for them, they identified: access to transportation, education and job training programs. It became evident that the common linkage between these areas, regardless of country of origin, is the access component, and that discrimination around language is the most prominent barrier. 

Supporting an Asian population with a high degree of limited English proficiency, Global 505 has worked on language access on individual, community and systems levels for a number of years through NMAFC. The network helped get two memorials passed in the state House and Senate, recognizing the importance of language access. Title VI under the Civil Rights Act protects against language discrimination. However, that has not prevented immigrant and refugee communities, more often than not, from being turned away for services from many entities, due to a language barrier. 

Delving deeper into what we learned from our breaking bread gatherings, we found that something was still missing. We came to realize that our communities, in addition to language access, were, more importantly, requesting cultural access. A portion of these communities is illiterate in both English and their native language due to a lack and/or disruption of formal education through refugee camps and other experiences. In addition, so many American concepts are difficult, if not impossible to translate. The design of our gatherings was also paramount to our re-examination—yes, we had interpreters present for support, but more importantly, we shaped spaces that were culturally accessible through food, valuing family and creating processes where engagement could occur and be understood, regardless of language.  

When, with our community, we really imagined an Albuquerque that was accessible to all immigrants and refugees, we didn’t envision signs in 10+ languages; though, honestly, that would be helpful. What we imagined were visuals throughout the city—pictures and art reflective of the diversity and resiliency of our communities. We imagined a shift in not only how information is distributed, but also a shift in culture. Some examples: a bus route featuring photos of easily identifiable landmarks; a school with videos showing different processes for parents; job training programs with childcare, which respect and hold family at the core; community recommendations not in a traditional report form, but through a medium such as a comic book featuring characters that look and feel like us. 

With the support of 40+ community members from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, the Philippines, Vietnam, Afghanistan, South Africa, Mexico, Iran and Iraq, the recommendations of our Health Impact Assessment were clear: New Mexico as a state needs to support language access as a bare minimum; but what families really need to thrive and succeed is to restructure public, business and educational systems so that they are culturally accessible.

Submitted by - Kay Bounkeva, Executive Director of the New Mexico Asian Family Center in Albuquerque. For more information on NMAFC or Global 505, visit www.nmafc.org and www.global505.com

On January 29, 2018, Anna Rondon and Emerson Toledo of McKinley Collaborative for Health Equity and Chris Hudson of McKinley Community Health Alliance had an introductory meeting with the Navajo Nation Council's Health, Education, Human Services Committee and shared their HIA report on wage theft. Chairperson, Jonathan Hale expressed support for the report and its recommendations to prevent wage theft and protect workers’ rights in the thirteen border towns surrounding the Navajo Nation.

Submitted by - Anna Marie Rondon - Executive Director, New Mexico Social Justice and Equity Institute

New Mexico needs to support community members most directed impacted by health inequities to educate decision makers on issues that are important to them. HEP is excited to be working with community partners to make this happen. We are honored to have partnered with Chainbreaker and other community partners on the Edge of Equity series in January and February. The panel series was designed to lift up local community leaders voices to discuss the housing and equity crisis in Santa Fe. Santa Fe’s high cost of living is forcing many people to move further to the outskirts of the city, often to areas that lack essential services and amenities. This can lead to car dependence, contributing to climate change and perpetuating a cycle of poverty. As Santa Fe continues along this path, communities are becoming increasingly segregated and divided, leaving many Santa Feans feeling they must choose between disinvestment and displacement. The series opened up with a panel on Health Without Displacement, which touched on findings described in Chainbreaker’s Health Impact Assessment. This panel was followed by discussions on: Education Without Displacement and Art Without Displacement. The final panel was a conversation on community investment. 

Additionally, in January 2017, HEP participated in a variety of important days at the Roundhouse. We look forward to the year ahead as communities across New Mexico continue to build power and make their voices heard. (please visit and like the NMHEP Facebook page to view more pictures)

Doña Ana Communities United coordinates a timebank with over 200 members in Las Cruces, Doña Ana County, and Ciudad Juárez, México. Timebanking is an alternative economic practice that allows community members to exchange services with one another using their time as currency. Members 'earn' time credits by providing their skills to the community and 'spend' credits by receiving services from other community members. All members' time is valued equally, no matter what services they provide or receive. Timebanks help meet individual needs and create relationships between members, building social cohesion one exchange at time. You can view a short video about the timebank here. If you have any questions about the timebank, please contact Meredith at or call 575-323-0730. You may view a video of the timebank here.

Submitted by - Meredith Severtson, DACU Outreach Coordinator

Santa Fe Community Foundation - The HEP’s institutional home, the Santa Fe Community Foundation (SFCF), is committed to supporting nonprofits in achieving their missions with excellence. The SFCF’s Philanthropy HUB has been designed as a learning and gathering place for the philanthropic sector. The HUB's programs strive to: 1) deepen philanthropic practice; 2) build nonprofit capacity; 3) provide support for professional advisers; and 4) provide platforms for learning about social issues in community. Upcoming trainings and presentations include: 

If you are a HEP network member and you have an upcoming training, workshop, or other capacity building opportunity open to community members and organizations, please send information about it to David Gaussoin and the HEP team can include it an upcoming newsletter.

 

Standing Fierce for Five!
Women at the Heart of Gender Justice in New Mexico

With Special Guest:
Maria Hinojosa
Host and Executive Producer of NPR’s Latino USA
President and Founder of The Futuro Media Group

Tuesday, February 27, 2018
5:30pm – 7:30pm at SITE Santa Fe

This event is free, but space is limited. Click here  to RSVP. 

The New Mexico Direct Caregivers Coalition will be holding FREE trainings in Albuquerque during the upcoming months. If you or anyone you know would like to attend, all are invited.

All trainings are FREE and can be utilized for yearly continuing education hours for many agencies. CHW CEUs are approved by DOH-OCHW. If taken together, Customized Training for Caregivers and Business Institute: Leadership Training for Caregivers also qualify caregivers to apply for a position through the “Heart is Home” Cooperative. Spots are filling up and close 3 weeks before each training, so please sign-up soon! Registration and documentation is required. Register today or learn more by calling or emailing Brittany at (505) 867-6046.

Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 1827, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-1827

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