The article from Zócalo Public Square discussed the raitera system which is a group of retired workers from the community who give rides to residents in the community to medical appointments, the ER, or the grocery store in exchange for what they can offer. This solution is an effective option for all parties involved. One driver, Carmen, voiced how her job gave her a sense of purpose. The community members benefited because they were able to receive vital healthcare services without paying astronomical transportation fees. This raitera system would be the most successful in smaller communities. One of the integral pieces of the system was social capital. In order to be able to find someone for a ride, or to have the credibility to offer a ride, both parties need to have connections to utilize this service. In a larger immigrant gateway city, the system could be adopted to work in the context of smaller communities, but it depends on the proximity of the individuals and the separation from necessary healthcare services.

The story from The Colorado Sun discussed a policy change which now allows undocumented immigrants to receive dialysis through Medicaid. This was enabled by a change made at the state level labeling end-stage renal disease as an “emergency medical condition”. This solution involves state laws and therefore was a slower process to implement, but once in place it has a large impact. Similar policy changes need to be made to include other lifesaving treatments, so that undocumented immigrants are able to receive the care they need before it is too late. This solution would be difficult to implement in many settings because it requires large scale policy shifts. If the context of reception towards immigrants within the state is negative, a law like this will not pass, so the communities’ opinions about immigrants are key in implementing this.

The radio piece from NPR talked about a new system in New York that was bringing healthcare to immigrants in rural areas. The program attempted to use video conferences and in person visits to allowed immigrants to receive healthcare services without having to leave their homes. This option for virtual healthcare is one that should be utilized for many populations. It is a way to provide safe, secure healthcare for people in remote places of our nation. This solution is more likely to be accepted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the new shift towards tele-practice healthcare. With tele-practice healthcare being positively promoted at the moment, people are more likely to see the benefits that it can have beyond traditional uses which should make it more successful within the immigrant community.

Overall, each of these stories relates to the healthcare that immigrants in the US receive. They all address challenges that limit immigrants from receiving healthcare. Each story purposed unique solutions to barriers from receiving healthcare. Immigrants in the US are often times unable to receive quality health services which can affect all aspects of their lives. After reading these solutions, I feel optimistic about the trajectory of the healthcare system. Changes are being made at the large- and small-scale levels to improve the immigrant health experience.

After my mom went through my collection, she thought that articles focused on solutions makes you think more positively about the issue as opposed to negative aspects. My mom said she does not often read stories about solutions. Often news stories are based on the problem because it is more sensational than the solution. After talking to my mom, she said that it did shift her perspective on immigrants in the US. She thought that the story from Zócalo Public Square was interesting because it was a solution that arose from within the community. The articles made her think about the idea that immigrants sometimes had to choose between their life or hiding which is a difficult choice that no one should have to make. I was not surprised by her response and it wasn’t very different from my own opinions. This makes sense to me since my whole life, my mom has been a big influence on shaping my perspectives and opinions, so it makes sense to me that we have similar ideas about this topic. I thought that my mom’s idea about the media and the fact that it capitalizes on problems as opposed to solutions was very interesting. Problems are easier to sensationalize compared to the problems. I think that we should focus on solutions in many aspects of our life because problem solving is a key skill in any domain.