(Newswire.net — December 27, 2016) — It has long been known that the Haitian-American community is one of the largest ethnic groups in South Florida and unfortunately, one of the most underserved of all ethnicities. The Cuban-American ethnic population is well represented in every industry from healthcare to legal representation but somehow, Haitian-Americans have seemed to have fallen through the cracks which is a huge miscarriage of justice.
In recent years, many large healthcare institutions have sought to rectify the situation but in so doing, it was found that the cultural diversity first needs to be addressed. Here are some thoughts on what should and can be done to address the healthcare needs within the Haitian-American community in South Florida and beyond.
Some Quick Statistics
According to the 2008 Census, there were slightly more than half a million Haitian-American immigrants in the United States of which approximately half of those have been naturalized. There was a huge influx of immigrants after the earthquake in 2010 which probably brought this figure up dramatically, so it could be estimated that there are probably at least ¾ of a million people within our communities who are underserved in healthcare.
There is a real need within our communities to raise up professionals with a masters in health law from major law universities to enact policies that will better serve the needs of these people who came here looking for refuge, but somehow didn’t get the health services they so desperately needed. These are the voiceless of our nation.
Language Is a Very Real Barrier
Part of the problem could be that there is a very real language barrier that could keep Haitians from getting the aid they deserve. While so many communities are focused on making Spanish the second language of the United States, Haitian Creole is not commonly understood. Many people who speak French can communicate with them, but this is a dialect unto itself and thus in need of a translator many times. Bear in mind that many of these underserved immigrants are not as well educated as those who took English in schools, many probably went without formal education as well.
If You Are Seeking to Be a Part of the Solution
Many people are being called to step forward to rectify the situation within the Haitian-American community. If you are seeking to be a part of the solution, why not opt for an advanced healthcare law degree? In this way, you could either work as a paralegal in a law firm that works within the community to seek restitution in the court system or you could work with hospitals in setting policies that are within the scope of the law but diverted to this terribly underserved segment of our population. The point is, we reached out to our Haitian brothers and sisters in their time of need, brought them here and then left them on their own, to their own devices in a strange land speaking a strange language.
To be a part of the solution is to rectify a wrong. Reach out in compassion to ensure each and every person within the Haitian-American community gets the healthcare they rightly deserve. As a human, you can do no less.