Organizations join forces in Milwaukee's Latino community to combat coronavirus

In May, the 16th Street Community Health Clinic realized it was a hot spot for the coronavirus.  

During that time at the south side clinic, Dr. Elizabeth Pyne said they were seeing roughly 40% of their coronavirus tests being positive and the majority of those positive patients were Latino.  

“The last couple of weeks (the positive rate) trickled down and now about 24% of our tests are positive,” Pyne said. “Which is still high.” 

As of Friday, Latinos, roughly 6.6% of the state's population, account for more than 9,400, or nearly 30%, of positive cases in the state. 

In Milwaukee County, Latinos have an infection rate of about 474.2 per 100,000 compared to Blacks at 397.4 and whites at 297.5.

During the early weeks of the pandemic, the clinic reached out to different community organizations, such as the United Community Center and the Medical College of Wisconsin, to help disseminate information on prevention, particularly in Spanish.  

Dr. Zeno Franco, associate professor of family and community medicine and member of the Center for Healthy Communities & Research at the medical college, said he heard from several people early in the pandemic that orders weren’t being translated into Spanish quickly enough or even at all.  

“They don’t have the same level of access to information,” Franco said of some of the Latino residents in Milwaukee. “With that lack of information and visibility, the conspiracy theories can spin out of control.” 

The campaign Cuidate MKE (Stay Safe Milwaukee) was formed by local organizations to help spread packets of information, along with masks, on how to stay safe from the coronavirus and what to do if someone is feeling sick. 

“We partnered with (16th Street Community Health Clinic) to be able to reach as many families that we have,” said Laura Gutierrez, executive director for the UCC. “They have the information; we can use our platforms and our staff to be able to continue to promote the importance of taking the safety precautions necessary.” 

The outreach in the Latino community to provide people with accurate and up to date information on the coronavirus pandemic is ongoing as Latinos in Milwaukee County continue to make up about 35% of the positive cases – more than 4,500 – in the county.

One reason for that high number, Gutierrez said, is due to the number of Hispanics in essential work fields such as food production.  

“When you’re an essential worker and you don’t have the flexibility of working remotely from home, you’re going to see more exposure,” Gutierrez said. “For us, it’s about how do we promote being COVID safe? Because we can’t say that we’re COVID free.” 

Early in the pandemic, Gutierrez said the UCC hosted informational Facebook Live sessions to try to answer questions on the virus, school and housing.    

“I think they understood the basics. I don’t think they might have been aware of data of how it was affecting them within the community until they realized someone they knew had it,” Gutierrez said. “When it hits close to home, then it’s like, ‘Oh my goodness, it is possible that it can happen to me.’” 

Some of the UCC’s most popular programming revolved around its senior center and adult day care. Because of the pandemic, those programs shifted to a more virtual environment, with such activities as Facebook Live Zumba classes, and lunch delivery programs to those who rely on the center for camaraderie and services.  

“We started that in May and we’ve already delivered over 4,000 meals to our seniors,” Gutierrez said. “Obviously they would like us to open but we’re continuing with phone call check-ins and meal delivery.” 

While staff has increased its cleaning of the building, using hand sanitizer and taking other precautions, the UCC also is continuing its early learning service for young children for families who don’t have alternative options.  

But even if people are armed with information, getting them to come forward and get tested can be difficult.  

“There’s a lot of concern in the Hispanic community,” Franco said. “There are families with mixed documentation status, people that are undocumented, and I think especially for those groups they’re often afraid to come forward and seek care. That creates a deeper public health concern right now.” 

During the first two months of the pandemic, those with temporary legal status under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which protects those who came to the United States as children from deportation and allows them to work legally, wrestled with the prospect of their future in the country being over.  

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against the Trump administration and maintained the DACA program. But it’s possible the administration could try to end the program using a different argument.  

“The pandemic has meant that many DACA recipients have lost their jobs,” said Jonathan Petts, attorney and co-founder of the nonprofit group Immigrants Like Us. “Many were working in low-income jobs to begin with that were retail-based.” 

Alejandra Gonzalez, a DACA recipient and organizer with Voces de la Frontera, a Milwaukee immigrant rights organization, considers herself lucky — she has been able to work during the pandemic.  

Voces has helped some residents with financial support through a coronavirus fund it created.  

Gonzalez has helped deliver those funds and food to households of other DACA recipients struggling during the pandemic, some of whom have had a family member contract the virus.  

“These are high school students that don’t have cars, can’t drive and the adults in their life are bedridden,” Gonzalez said. “I know people who have lost family members and loved ones because of the pandemic.”