Latinos in Deep South report
Population data from “The State of Latinos in the Deep South”

A new report from the Latino Commission on AIDS seeks to better understand the Latino population in the South and develop strategies for meeting their health care challenges, according to a press release from the commission.

Titled The State of Latinos in the Deep South: Being Visible by Piercing the Stigma Veil, the report notes that as the Latino population has grown in the South, so has the HIV epidemic. What’s more, economic instability and strict immigration laws in the region have created additional challenges for Latinos.

Key findings from the report include:
  • Since the 1990 Census, a full generation of young Latinos has come of age in the South.

  • Latinos in the South, though settled, are at times invisible.

  • Latinos in the Deep South are not a monolith.

  • There is a desire and need for Latino leadership in all spheres of life.

  • Overarching health concerns for Latinos in the Deep South are mental health, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and dental care.

  • Latinos in the Deep South are appreciative of the quality of life they lead in the South, despite the social and institutional challenges.

  • Although Latinos often share challenges historically experienced by the African-American community, there is a bit of a disconnect between African-Americans and Latinos.
The report also includes several recommendations, such as: prioritizing a response to institutionalized stigma, increasing health care access and availability, promoting economic and community development, building a pool of Latino leaders, and intensifying community mobilization efforts.

Click here to download the report.