Nelly Salgado de Snyder, a professor and researcher at the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico, will speak at Portland State this Thursday about the issue of psychological and social determinants of health among Mexican immigrants in the United States.
Snyder is well-published and is a member of several prestigious organizations, including the Mexican Academy of Scientific Research and the American Psychological Association.
Snyder’s presentation will approach the subject of health determinants among Mexican immigrants by discussing four closely connected topics: the psychological and social determinants of health themselves, information of note about Mexico and it’s standing in the world, Mexican migration and the subsequent pending agenda regarding it.
Significant determinants to be addressed by Snyder are education, employment, race, ethnicity and gender.
“[These] social determinants have strong psychological effects,” Snyder said.
Of the last three—race, ethnicity and gender—Snyder continued, “Even though they are biological they have very important social implications…They will determine how far someone gets in life.”
Various aspects of migration will be discussed, from its impact on communities left behind to migration itself, and finally the resultant immigrants in the U.S.
According to Synder, it is important to understand migration as a whole if one is to better its end-result in any way.
“If we want to understand what the immigrant experience is like we have to go back to the origin,” she said, adding that Mexico’s world position in matters of population, health and economics is relevant.
Snyder further believes that if the entire process of migration is to be affected, the process from its inception similarly needs to be addressed.
“What we need to have [is] programs, policies, research agendas and action in both [Mexico and the U.S.],” Snyder stated. “We need to change these determinants.”
The research contributing to her findings was both quantitative and qualitative, according to Snyder. She also pointed out that “it is impossible to truly understand” Mexican immigrants’ situation without both numbers and statistics (quantitative), as well as the more human element (qualitative).
“Mexican immigrants are not numbers, they are people,” she said. “I am going to give Mexican immigrants a face.”
The lecture will begin Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in the Native American Student and Community Center. There will be an opportunity to ask questions following the lecture.
Those wishing to attend should RSVP at http://salgadodesnyderlecture.eventbrite.com/.