By Anne Fields, BA
While traveling to a new location for APHA could have been exciting, one of the aspects of APHA this year that proved to be special for my experience was its location in New Orleans. I found it invigorating to see so many fellow students and colleagues buzzing around, it was extremely convenient to be able to pack my lunch and avoid really long lines, and it brought me a particular pride to show off the city where I live, study, and work public health. The smoke-free second line even proved instagram worthy. #onlyinneworleans
As my first APHA experience, I was understandably a little nervous and overwhelmed by the experience. All the talk about networking made my introverted-self queasy. However, once I was there, and actually listening to amazing presentations by others passionate about the same issues as me, others doing similar work, with lots of insights and experiences to share, my fears quickly dissipated.
I am currently working on sexual health programming with the adolescent Latino population in the greater New Orleans area for the Louisiana Public Health Institute. Louisiana has recently experienced the largest percent change in unaccompanied minors fleeing gang violence in Central America. At APHA, I learned about a number of other programs in different states that have also experienced influxes, which have dramatically changed the landscape of their work.
This is a crisis that is completely confounding even the most equipped Latino-serving/immigrant organizations in our city. It is a topic that pulls deeply at my heart. It was enormously reassuring for me that in the very first session I attended, one of the presenters noted that these children we are all referring to as “unaccompanied minors,” are not. This term is a disservice and is preventing them from receiving the care they need. These children are actually refugees running from unspeakable violence in their home countries. While the President of the United States does not seem to yet understand this distinction, it was encouraging to hear from others that do. A few business cards and list of e-mails later, I have once again been reminded why I do what I do, why I love it, and why its always worth the fight.
Anne Fields is a second-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in August 2015. Her interests include adolescent health, sexual health, behavioral health integration, and immigrant populations. She also loves running, yoga, and cooking.
