Employment status and residential location : the structural disadvantages that challenge the health of low-income Latinos in Walla Walla, WA

There are public health insurance programs that intend to reduce health care disparities among various racial and ethnic groups, but these efforts often neglect to address the structural foundation that fuels these disparities. In focusing on an aspect of this issue that is relevant to Walla Walla, where there is a large Latino presence, I investigate the structural factors that challenge the health of low-income Latinos working and residing in Walla Walla. This thesis explores how employment status and residential location may challenge low-income Latinos’ ability to sustain their health and pursue health care services at local treatment centers.