Somos Esenciales is a new project by Paul S. Flores and AccionLatina featuring Latinx essential workers who share their stories about COVID-19 with public health and government policy workers. The PAR research project is led by Adriana Camarena and volunteers from the Mission Food Hub in San Francisco, CA, includingPaul Flores. From the research we are learning that mental health struggles are an unintended result of the pandemic. PAR members decided to share suggestions for culturally relevant wellness practices and folklife activities with the entire community to improve mental health. They are currently sharing the findings, folklife practices and activities with the Latino Task Force SF, local organizations, government officials and other community members.
PAR members met in groups, then went into the community and asked others about their mental health practices. We also interviewed each other on camera. We shared how taking long walks on the beach, cooking, Danza Azteca, prayer, music, gardening, and driving a lowrider brings us peace and help ease stress.
PAR members learned of mental health practices available to them within their own culture and community. They wanted to find a way to share those with more people. Most importantly, we learned that the Mission Food Hub is a good site for folklife activities that promote mental health.
PAR members will continue meeting to discuss ways to promote folklife activities that improve mental health at the Mission Food Hub. We would like to share more personal stories about mental health challenges during COVID with more people and develop solutions promoting mental health with folklife practices.
“Somos Esenciales” PAR members wondered about their personal health, their emotional wellbeing, stress and relationships with loved ones and friends during COVID Pandemic. We wondered if we had a decline in mental health due to isolation and loss of income.
The Mission Food Hub is a volunteer run Latino resource center that emerged in April 2020 to provide food to Latinx residents who had lost jobs and income due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
PAR members were chosen among the 350 Mission Food Hub Volunteers. We met at the Food Hub warehouse where the food is stored and distributed to 9000 families a week.
Lead artist Paul S. Flores wanted to research the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with Latinx essential workers and share those findings in creative ways with City health leaders and Latinx community members.
We used folklife traditions to make connections with each other including traditional altars that honor our ancestors, and homemade recipes for masa. We spoke Spanish at all our activities and shared stories about our families and culture that made us feel better.
The Essential Researchers present their findings to the larger community of Mission Food Hub volunteers, as well as to Dr. Lisa Fortuna, Head of Psychiatry of the San Francisco Zuckerberg General Hospital and University of California in San Francisco.
During the presentation, the volunteers of the Mission Food Hub contributed their responses to a four-question live anonymous survey by writing their answers down on colored index cards, and depositing them in tissue “ballot” boxes.
The Essential Researchers pose after their presentation with Selina Morales (Southwest Folklife Alliance) and Dr. Lisa Fortuna, Head of Psychiatry at SFZGH/UCSF.
Taking a nature-in-the-city hike—i.e. going on a “paseo”—was the number one mental health practice requested by members of our community, both volunteers at the Mission Food Hub and friends and family of the Essential Researchers. We have now carried out two paseos, each 3 to 4 hours long.
