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Philly Latinas organize and educate after reversal of Roe

“We want pregnant persons of color and migrant women to be part of the conversation,” said Erika Guadalupe Núñez of Juntos, one of several Latina leaders who spoke to The Inquirer after the Supreme Court decision.

An abortion-rights activist with the message above her eyebrows that reads in Spanish "My body, my decision" attends a rally in Bogota, Colombia, which in February of this year made abortion until the 24th week of pregnancy legal in that country. But many Latina immigrants in the U.S. come from countries where abortion has traditionally been illegal, and so deserve educational outreach about choices available to them here, say Philly Latina leaders.
An abortion-rights activist with the message above her eyebrows that reads in Spanish "My body, my decision" attends a rally in Bogota, Colombia, which in February of this year made abortion until the 24th week of pregnancy legal in that country. But many Latina immigrants in the U.S. come from countries where abortion has traditionally been illegal, and so deserve educational outreach about choices available to them here, say Philly Latina leaders.Read moreFernando Vergara / AP

After last week’s Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Latino leaders in Philadelphia set out to organize residents and community members with education sessions and meet-ups about health care and reproductive rights.

Arianne Bracho, executive director of Philadelphia’s Centro Integral de la Mujer Madre Tierra, said the decision brings abortion and reproductive rights to the forefront of community organizing, as another health-care issue for leaders to address with urgency. She said the need for unbiased education and awareness is fundamental to guaranteeing a “conscious community involvement” in the social and political movements to come.

Although a “Green Wave” movement has recently secured abortion rights in several Latin American countries, and networks of Mexican feminist collectives are now working to help secure abortion pills for their counterparts across the U.S. border, Bracho believes that education about choices is vital for Latino communities in Philadelphia.

Bringing awareness to the community about family planning, reproductive resources, the importance of having options and the right to choose is key.

Arianne Bracho

“Most of our people come from countries where the only reference we have is one where abortions are illegal and unsafe,” she said. “So, bringing awareness to the community about family planning, reproductive resources, the importance of having options and the right to choose is key.”

According to an Axios-Ipsos Latino poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo, conducted days before the Supreme Court overturned Roe, there is a deep divide about abortion among U.S. Latinos. Half of U.S. Latinos say abortion should be legal, while a fourth say it should be illegal at all times under any circumstance. The poll also indicates that U.S.-born Latinos are more likely to support abortion rights than Latino immigrants to the country.

According to the 2020 Pennsylvania Annual Abortion report, there were 32,123 abortions performed in Pennsylvania that year. Only 10.9% of all abortions were performed on individuals of Hispanic origin compared with white individuals, who accounted for nearly half of all procedures performed in the state that year.

Passerby at the intersection of Lehigh Avenue and Fifth Street seemed disengaged by news of the ruling Monday evening. But the Latinx immigrant nonprofit Juntos called an urgent community meeting on Monday to address concerns on reproductive rights in the United States The meeting took place online via Zoom and in person at Juntos’ office in South Philly on Monday morning. About 35 residents and leaders were in attendance for the 90-minute session held in Spanish.

The narrative around reproductive justice has been centered around white people’s experiences.

Erika Guadalupe Núñez

Erika Guadalupe Núñez, executive director for Juntos, said the organization saw a need to educate on the fundamental terms and topics surrounding the Supreme Court decision, to empower Latino migrants to be part of the national conversation around abortion.

“The narrative around reproductive justice has been centered around white people’s experiences, and we want pregnant persons of color and migrant women to be part of the conversation and drive that conversation,” Núñez said.

Although this was the first time that Juntos organized an urgent meeting about reproductive justice, as an openly abortion-rights organization they frequently address matters like the right to privacy and women’s autonomy, access to health care, and criminalization. Núñez said that participants were most concerned about the implications of not having safe access to an abortion.

Some Latino leaders expressed concerns over the confusion and unsafe health-care conditions that the overturning of Roe v. Wade would create for marginalized and immigrant communities.

Signe Espinoza, executive director for Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, described Friday as “a horrendous day” for the implications of the Supreme Court decision on Latino communities and other marginalized groups that have long faced hurdles to accessing abortion services due to systemic barriers and discrimination.

» READ MORE: Reflections on `Roe v. Wade': Two Philly women on why abortion was the right choice for them | Opinion

“Wealthy individuals and those with resources and power will always be able to access abortion. But, the number of people who have difficulties finding child care, taking time off work, and navigating the costs of transportation and lodging associated with traveling to access care will skyrocket,” Espinoza said.

Looking forward, Bracho said that Latino communities, especially women, may become susceptible and vulnerable to political polarization and being misled if not well-informed about the issue.

“The elections are coming up, again,” Bracho said, “and we need our women to know that some will create narratives about our bodies, and our rights to decide over our bodies, as a campaign strategy and we have to be ready for that.”

Acknowledgment
The work produced by the Communities & Engagement desk at The Inquirer is supported by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project's donors.