Out of the 60.6 million Hispanics/Latinxs in the US, 19% (11.5 million) live in Texas. Furthermore, 2 in 5 (39.7%) of the 29 million Texas residents identify as Hispanic/Latinx. The ethnic/racial and cultural composition within the Hispanic/Latinx population has become increasingly diverse across Texas, with an increasing number of Hispanics/Latinxs coming from Central and South American countries.
Texas Juntos y Juntas / Together seeks to address health inequities among Hispanic Texans. Our work highlights the social determinants of health, such as income, education, and access to healthcare, that contribute to these inequities. The Texas Juntos and Juntas underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and policies to bridge the gaps, including community engagement, increasing healthcare accessibility, and promoting preventive care. Our initiatives stress the importance of collaboration between government, healthcare providers, and community organizations.
Over the last three years, we have forged partnerships with many CBOs, public health entities, and academic institutions across Texas. In particular, we have partnered with eight organizations providing services to Hispanics in major areas across Texas with a high number of Hispanics: AIDS Outreach Center/Fort Worth, ASHWell/Austin, Borderland Rainbow/El Paso, City of Laredo Public Health Department /Laredo, Fundación Latinoamericana de Acción Social/Houston, Project CHAMPS/Lubbock, San Antonio AIDS Foundation/San Antonio, and Valley AIDS Council/Rio Grande Valley.
Our projects include (a) state-wide and regional health and socioeconomic profiles for Hispanic Texas, (b) community-led research projects on behavioral health stigma and literacy and the integration of HIV and aging services, and (c) community mobilization and advocacy to develop regional and state-wide policy recommendations to improve the public health infrastructure.