Minnesota is home to about 275,000 Hispanics/Latinos. About three quarters of Hispanics/Latinos were born in Mexico, while 60% percent were born in the U.S. Hispanics/Latinos in Minnesota are mainly located within or southern of the Twin Cities. About 30% of Hispanics/Latinos are in poverty due to low annual incomes.
Language:
Majority of the Hispanics/Latinos population in Minnesota are able to speak Spanish. Hispanics/Latinos that are older are usually fluent spanish speakers, compared to the younger Hispanics/Latinos.
Medical Care:
Only about 50% of Hispanics/Latinos currently have healthcare. About a third of Hispanics/Latinos that have healthcare have public health insurance.
Many Hispanics/Latinos have to deal with health complications. About two thirds of Hispanics/Latinos are obese. Some may also face problems with diabetes, cancer, dementia, and other medical complications.
Medical Barriers:
Some medical Barriers Hispanics/Latinos face are the lack of effective health insurance. This may cause Hispanics/Latinos to not seek medical help due to the cost of appointments and procedures. Some Hispanics/Latinos may also not seek medical help as they can get herbs or over-the-counter medicine without it having to be prescribed. Hispanics/Latinos also may face language barriers and complications around their immigrant status.
Social Hierarchy:
In a Hispanic/Latino household, they believe in the power of men to guide their family in a good direction (although sometimes this may not be the case). They also believe that the women of the house should have to make compromises to support their family as they should be loving and nurturing towards them. Hispanics/Latinos also strongly believe that family is very important even if they may not be biologically related to them.
Diet:
Hispanics/Latinos have been increasing their intakes of fast food, leading to health complications. Many Hispanics/Latinos may also intake a high amount of alcohol that may lead to more health complications.
Many traditional Hispanic/Latino meals consist of; tortillas, beans, rice, fish, pork, poultry, and more. Hispanics/Latinos also try to incorporate many fruits and vegetables in their diets, which helps provide necessary nutrition.
About one third of Hispanic/Latino households are suffering from food insecurity. This sometimes leads the adults in the household to sacrifice their meals for their children.
