By Felix Amaya
The effects of the pandemic have caused many difficulties in today’s world. This is especially true when it comes to the Latino population living in the United States because often, we are given the short end of the stick. Sadly, the hardships faced within the Hispanic community have negatively impacted them economically, physically, and socially.
It seems as if job and wage loss were almost inevitable during the worst stages of the coronavirus outbreak. Many people knew someone affected by this tragedy, as well as by the consequential financial and economic instability that followed. For instance, the Pew Research Center indicated that both documented and undocumented Latinos faced consequences. In their article, the research center states, “A relatively high share (58%) of Latino immigrants without U.S. citizenship and without a green card say they or someone in their household has lost a job or wages since February 2020, compared with 45% of naturalized U.S citizen immigrants who say this” (Noe-Bustamante). The fact that more than half of undocumented Latinos, and nearly half of documented Latinos, were in the pool of unemployment shows the pandemic’s vastly damaging effect on the community.
Another fact to note is that Latinx people are more susceptible to COVID-19. This is largely due to the fact that they work jobs that are deemed “essential” in our country. According to the Center for American Progress, “Hispanics and Latinos are 1.7 times more likely to contract COVID-19 than their non-Hispanic white counterparts, as well as 4.1 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 and 2.8 times more likely to die from COVID-19” (Zamarripa). Unfortunately, since members of the Latinx community have these essential jobs but are not given the essential pay that goes with it, they must work in unsafe locations where they are more vulnerable to contracting the virus.
Everyone living through the pandemic has been affected by it one way or another. We cannot, however, negate the reality that minorities have been more drastically affected than other privileged citizens. Even the CDC made this point clear, “The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the virus is disproportionately affecting Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States” (Suro). We must all contribute to fighting for a better future and hopeful tomorrow.
Works Cited
Noe-Bustamante, Luis, et al. “For U.S. Latinos, COVID-19 Has Taken a Personal and Financial Toll.” Race & Ethnicity, Pew Research Center, 16 July 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/race-ethnicity/2021/07/15/for-u-s-latinos-covid-19-has-taken-a-personal-and-financial-toll/.
Suro, Paola. “’It’s a Combination of Challenges and Risk Factors’: Covid Disproportionately Affecting Latinos.” 11Alive, 3 Nov. 2020, https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/covid-disproportionately-affecting-latinos/85-f5877518-65db-4029-af54-4102166a7f68.
Zamarripa , Ryan, and Lorena Roque. “Latinos Face Disproportionate Health and Economic Impacts from Covid-19.” Center for American Progress, Center for American Progress, 5 Mar. 2021, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2021/03/05/496733/latinos-face-disproportionate-health-economic-impacts-covid-19/.
