The Impacts of COVID-19

    While COVID-19 is the virus that is hitting hard everywhere right now, it looks different for Latinx and Indigenous people as compared to whites. The disparity is disturbing as Dr. Galvez speaks about in the article based on her experience with testing for the virus. Dr. Tricia Rose speaks on structural racism and provides explanation on what it is, what it stems from, and what it looks like. COVID-19 is an example of how structural racism creates injustice in the Latinx and Indigenous communities.


    I think it’s important to first lay out what Dr. Tricia Rose presents because this is important in understanding how it then affects the communities based on their race and class in terms of the virus. While delivering her speech, Dr. Rose provides us with the following definition of structural racism:

“The normalization and legitimization of an array of dynamics—historical, cultural, institutional, and interpersonal—that routinely advantage whites while producing cumulative and chronic adverse outcomes for people of color” (Rose).

Where is structural racism seen the most? In the following five areas that Dr. Rose lists.

                        o Criminal Justice-black people have a higher rate of incarceration and longer sentences than whites
                        o Housing-lack of affordable housing, segregation
                        o Education- segregation
                        o Wealth/Jobs- high rate of unemployment
                        o Mass Media-race issues in the news

    Dr. Rose makes it clear that these are not the only problem areas but they are ones that show up the most involving structural racism. Included in her presentation is the story of Trayvon Martin and how structural racism is seen in that case.





How structural racism shapes COVID-19 outcomes for Latinx and Indigenous people

    How is the above information connected to the NY Times article and the Washington Post article? Well, structural racism determines how the virus affects the population in different ways. Specifically for the Latinx and Indigenous people, we learn that the outcomes are very poor compared to whites. The virus is impacting Latinos and African-Americans at a higher rate because of the broken system we live in. Let’s look at some of the ways in which this is seen as discussed by Dr. Galvez in the article.

The issue (NY Times)- Housing is an issue for these communities in terms of COVID-19 because they cannot separate from each other if “they live in close quarters, often multiple families to a house or with several farmworkers crowded into a barracks-style room, where social distancing and self-isolation are impossible” (Jordan and Oppel). If one gets sick, how are they supposed to quarantine and distance from others? It is impossible and therefore, the virus will continue to spread.

Why (Dr. Rose)- Housing is segregated to put the poorest in one area and “section” them off from the more wealthy people. The housing is unaffordable in the higher income areas and therefore, lower income families are forced to congregate in one area of town in housing that may have tight living quarters. They have no choice but to live there and this is how structural racism affects the ability to quarantine and social distance.

The issue (NY Times)- Jobs are another factor because according to the article, Latinos work in “low-paying service jobs that require them to work through the pandemic, interacting with the public. A large number also lack access to healthcare, which contributes to higher rates of diabetes and other conditions that can worsen infections” (Jordan and Oppel). Throughout this pandemic, those who are essential have not stopped working. They are at a higher risk of contracting the virus and then spreading it amongst their family. The lack of healthcare also makes it difficult to seek medical treatment therefore people are struggling through the virus and for many, it’s fatal.

Why (Dr. Rose)- Job disparities between people of color and whites has been an ongoing issue for years. This can also be related to the housing situation because money is tight and since housing is segregated, those who do not have a car have limited opportunity to travel outside of town to get a better job. This leaves the low-wage jobs open which are ones that likely stayed open during the pandemic.

Check out this video on the pandemic which includes information on town close by, Boston. Boston Medical Center doctors discuss the pandemic and its effects on communities of color.


    The virus is also hitting the Navajo Nation which has been hit by many epidemics over the years. I am linking this article here that goes into a bit more detail on the struggles of the Navajo Nation during this pandemic. Climate change has affected the Indian country and has killed their crops in which they rely on as the main food source. This means that they were lacking the nutrients needed to stay healthy and fight off viruses. The Navajo Nation also has a water shortage as the Washington Post article states and this can result in many difficulties such as cleanliness and hydration. Structural racism is evident in this community as well. The outcome of the pandemic has been traumatic for Latinx and Indigenous people.