In an essay published in the American Journal of Public Health, corresponding author, Alana LeBrón, PhD, associate professor of health, society, and behavior at the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, and co-authors at Latino Health Access who bring expertise in promotores models explore the role of promotores to empower and improve the health of U.S. Latiné communities.
Promotores were at the forefront of the COVID-19 response efforts and this model of community health outreach. Their work toward advancing health equity and self-determination has since garnered deserved attention. Promotores provide a crucial link between community members who are traditionally excluded from public health services and healthcare systems. Following a staff retreat of 47 promotores in collaboration with Latino Health Access, a promotor/CHW‒based public health organization with a 30-year history of engaging Latiné communities in Southern California, LeBrón and team lay out a vision for healthy Latiné communities by 2050.
- Affirm the diversity of Latiné communities: It is crucial to recognize that there is a multiplicity of identities within Latiné communities that reflect variations in the structural determinants of health and health outcomes.
- Acknowledgement of structural racism and immigration: It is necessary to acknowledge that policies, migration experiences, and racism and discrimination in the U.S. exert unique impacts on Latiné communities.
- Widen and deepen the definition of health: Looking beyond health outcomes, these deeper definitions of health involve intentional investment in building the fabric of local communities through connections and engagement.
- Life course approach fosters deep connection: Life course frameworks teach us to see the present health of an individual through the cumulative impact of earlier life exposures, resources, and events; the role of sensitive periods (e.g., early childhood, adolescence, moments in adulthood); and the impacts on health later in the life course.
- Systems change for thriving and belonging: Three key areas of focus to advance economic thriving and belonging for Latiné health: economic opportunities, dismantling exclusionary immigration policies and developing inclusionary immigration and immigrant policies, and creating inclusionary housing policies that promote individual and household stability.
“Our essay highlights the importance of research as a companion to our vision. By providing critical insights and reflections, research helps guide and refine the ongoing work of transforming communities into ecosystems that support Latiné health,” shares LeBrón who also has an appointment with the Department of Chicano/Latino Studies at the UC Irvine School of Social Sciences. “Ultimately, this approach aims to improve both clinical and public health outcomes by addressing the root causes of health inequities.”
