Will Race Determine the Race?

And black has become a beautiful color--not because it is loved

but because it is feared.

-Author James Baldwin--The Fire Next Time

Will race play a role in this presidential election?  According to a recent survey by Stanford University, with the Associated Press and Yahoo, Sen. Obama's support would be about six percentage points higher if he were white.  That is pretty significant knowing that the upcoming election could be incredibly close.  We know that racism is institutional and structural.  It is embedded in our everyday lives whether we want to admit it or not.  Look at corporate America for instance:  Less than 1% of corporate executives in the private sector are Latino.  Even further, less than 2% of corporate board members are Latino.  You look at our educational institutions and the stark differences in achievement between whites and non-whites.  Poverty rates and health disparities between whites and non-whites provide further evidence that the playing field in America is not close to being level or equitable.  

What is even scarier is that racism now manifests itself as a reflexive fear of the unknown--an unconscious bias based on how we have been conditioned socially.  So, when you hear Gov. Sarah Palin on the campaign trail referring to Sen. Obama as someone that is "not one of us," essentially what she is doing is eliciting a collective fear of the unknown.  Is it overt racism? Certainly not.  However, it's even more dangerous because it is veiled in campaign rhetoric aimed at scaring you to death about the Democratic candidate--skin color included.  

We saw this earlier in the election when strategists were trying to connect Sen. Obama--primarily because of his name--to Muslim extremists, even though he has continually professed his belief in Christianity.  Just this week, Sen. Obama appeared on a New York county ballot as "Osama." A simple key stroke mistake perhaps? Well, the presidential ballot is not overly weighted with candidates.  So, I don't think proofreading would be that difficult.  Maybe, its just me.....

The idealist in all of us would like to think that we would be voting in November based on the issues:  The candidates' plans to rescue our failing economy; providing health care for all; strengthening entitlements for baby boomers; ending the war in Iraq; and bringing diplomacy to heal the global wounds of the current administration.  Let's just hope that skin color is not one of the issues we are basing our decisions on.

  

   

A Surge in Public Health Interest

Are college students today becoming more interested in health related careers?  According to an article in the Washington Post today the answer would be yes.  College campuses across the country are increasing their offerings in public and global health to meet the surging student demand.  My first reaction was; is this an opportunistic response to the growing demand for health care professionals both nationally and abroad?   Do young people recognize the immediate opportunities that are out there for them in health related careers once they graduate?  In most of the U.S. urban markets, including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, the demand is so stark that students typically have job offers well before they even graduate.  To my surprise, the article refreshingly points to a youth movement that is "communitarian" and action oriented.  Young people want to make a difference in their communities and in the broader global community. Focusing on global health issues is their strategy to do it.  

Then I got to thinking about the growing demand for bilingual health care professionals.  It is well documented that the Hispanic population in the U.S. is growing exponentially--which invariably leads to a growing bilingual, bicultural population.  One of the best health care career pathways to address the growing need for bilingual health care professionals resides at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).  The NCLR Health Care Career Pathways Initiative works with its Affiliates to link the nation’s future labor force with dynamic industries by creating innovative and replicable partnership models that prepare, retain, and advance Latino workers in quality careers. Through the NCLR Health Care Career Pathways Initiative, NCLR funds and strengthens existing Affiliate programs by incorporating strategies that support the upward mobility and skills acquisition of Latinos in the health care industry. 

The best example of this comprehensive approach to developing Latino health care professionals is the Carreras en Salud model in Chicago.  This award winning program is administered by Instituto del Progreso Latino, an established organization that has been doing tremendous work on Chicago's south side for many years.  The program is a braided initiative that weaves social supports, like case management and job development with integrated educational support to bridge the gap between limited English proficient individuals and high-paying Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) positions.

Since its implementation in early 2005, over 700 students have enrolled in Carreras en Salud – 85 bilingual and bicultural mostly Latina students completed the program and attained their LPN. Graduates have doubled their salaries, earning on average $40,000 per year. 

A great example of personal and economic empowerment during Hispanic Heritage month.

    

Hispanic Student Population Doubles

According to a recent report by the Pew Hispanic Center, the number of Hispanic students in America's public schools has more than doubled from 1990 to 2006, accounting for 60% of the total enrollment growth over that period.  There are currently an estimated 10 million Hispanic students in public kindergarten, middle school and high schools in the U.S.  Hispanics account for 1 in 5 students in U.S. schools.

Unfortunately, more than a quarter (28%) of Hispanic students attending public school in the U.S. live in poverty, as compared to 16% of non-Hispanic students.  However, with a growing Hispanic population in U.S. schools, multicultural values and traditions will continue to shape public education in the U.S.  With a growing need for bilingual professionals, Hispanic students--where 7 in 10 students speak Spanish at home--become a valuable asset in a vibrant global economy. 

There are advocates on both sides of the aisle of the assimilation/acculturation argument. However, with a rapidly growing Hispanic population in the U.S., our schools, healthcare institutions, businesses and invariably marketers will have to adapt to more of a bicultural population that influences our local culture with traditions, music, food and language from their homeland.

Country First?

The John McCain sales pitch was loud and clear last night as the Republicans opened their National Convention .  The predictable McCain "the war hero" characterization was repeated over and over again throughout the speeches by Sen. Joe Lieberman and former presidential candidate Fred Thompson.  I must admit, Thompson did a very good job of telling McCain's story.  However, he also underscored one very important point--being a war hero doesn't particularly mean you are ready to run a country.  

Now, let's turn to the convention's rallying cry--"Country First."  If the Republicans had put "Country First" 8 years ago, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.  Country First-foreign only dependency.  We continue to jones for foreign oil, while the Republicans fail to prioritize cleaner energy solutions, like wind, geothermal and solar.  Country First-national security.  We continue to exhaust much needed resources to support a war in Iraq that we should have never engaged in.  Billions go to Iraq each day to support the war, putting our country further and further in debt, while Iraq reports approximately 90 billion in surplus.   Country First-health care.  We have record numbers during the Bush Administration of children and families that are uninsured or underinsured in our country.  Country First--Poverty.  The economic prosperity for Americans, not in the upper 5% percentile is at an all-time low.  What is the Republican Party's plan--more tax breaks for large corporations. 

Sounds an awful lot like "Country First" to me.  The question is:  "What Country Are They Talking About?"