This is part 1 in a three-part series.
The "controlling mother," played by Pedro Pascal, takes us back to our childhood.
Latinos add so much color, flavor, and culture to our U.S. multicultural tapestry. We are the largest racial-ethnic group in the U.S., comprising 19.1 percent of the population. We are a diverse group of people with ties to more than 20 countries.
We identify as Mexicanos, Chicanas, Latinx, Newyoricans, Dominicanos, Colombianos, y mucho más. We love our food and music and thrive in the community. Our familia and comunidad are some of our greatest assets when it comes to taking care of our health.
Yet, as we navigate migration histories, colonization, and its impact on our wealth and health, we recognize we are not immune to systems of oppression showing up within ourselves, our homes, and our communities—these -isms include the bias against mental illnesses and mental health care.
Generally speaking, mental illnesses show up in our Latino community as much as they do in other U.S. populations, yet we are less likely to receive mental health treatment, less likely to use medications to treat our mental health needs, have less options when it comes to accessing mental health care (due to factors such as language barriers, cost of care, insurance status, etc) and rarely see ourselves represented in healthcare. All of these factors are compounded by the stigma against mental health care that is present across the U.S.
Generally speaking, mental illnesses show up in our Latino community as much as they do in other U.S. populations, yet we are less likely to receive mental health treatment, less likely to use medications to treat our mental health needs, have less options when it comes to accessing mental health care (due to factors such as language barriers, cost of care, insurance status, etc) and rarely see ourselves represented in healthcare. All of these factors are compounded by the stigma against mental health care that is present across the U.S.
Yet, because there are so few Latine mental health clinicians who can open up these conversations with our familias, stigma certainly plays a role in our ability to seek mental health support. We all know that "You don't know what you don't know," so if no one in your family is openly discussing feelings, communication skills, and what therapy is about, then you likely grew up knowing nothing about these tools.
But don't worry, Bad Bunny, Pedro Pascal, and Marcello Hernandez have our back.
But don't worry, Bad Bunny, Pedro Pascal, and Marcello Hernandez have our back.
It is no surprise that the arts can invite meaningful conversations about mental health. I've written about how movies like Encanto or music can support our ability to discuss and learn about mental health. But can Bad Bunny invite us to reflect on how our family relationships impact our mental health?
Their recent appearance on Saturday Night Live (SNL) has many Latinos talking about it. This short sketch includes themes of parental protection versus controlling behavior, the relationship between physical violence and expression of love, racism and the harmful standards of beauty resulting in the objectification of women, and many more layers that intersect to impact our collective mental health.
To help me dissect some of these layers, I spoke to some Latino leaders working hard to improve the mental health of our comunidad. I'll share the perspective of a Latino, Mexican-American health tech founder, Erik Cardenas, who is building Zocalo Health to offer primary care "For Latinos, By Latinos."
To help me dissect some of these layers, I spoke to some Latino leaders working hard to improve the mental health of our comunidad. I'll share the perspective of a Latino, Mexican-American health tech founder, Erik Cardenas, who is building Zocalo Health to offer primary care "For Latinos, By Latinos."
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