The US-Mexico border region is bending under the pressure of thousands of impoverished, traumatized asylum-seekers waiting for months in Tijuana to have their asylum cases heard in US courts. Fortunately, several locals in Tijuana have devoted their time, money, energy, and lives to providing for these refugees by converting their homes and churches into massively over-crowded shelters. As a volunteer translator for the Refugee Health Alliance in Tijuana for the past seven months, I have interacted with hundreds of refugees, deportees, and migrants housed in six different shelters. Although these shelters are run by different individuals in distinct parts of the city, they are all overcrowded, poorly-ventilated spaces packed with tents and bunk beds. The lack of privacy, cold concrete floors, and close proximity to strangers harms all occupants' health and emotional well-being. I can't imagine living in those spaces at any age, but I particularly feel for the older adults of the shelters.
Originally, I was interested in how the physical built environment of shelters may be exacerbating the preexisting health issues of older migrants. "Quick" fixes such as donating sleeping pads and personal hygiene supplies, or constructing divided rooms based on age and gender, have the potential to immensely improve refugees' quality of life. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, shelters were immediately (and wisely) closed off to visitors. Accordingly, I analyzed my notes from previous shelter visitations, interviewed shelter directors remotely, spoke with relief organization members, and researched preexisting services to explore the needs of older refugees in Tijuana. Somewhat surprisingly, I found NO service organizations in Tijuana dedicated to providing for older refugees. Due to the chronic health issues, PTSD, and desperation of older refugees, humanitarian groups should be paying much more attention to this group of elders.
Ultimately, I learned that the biggest needs of older refugees are: access to medications, food security, and affordable housing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations such as the Refugee Health Alliance and the Al Otro Lado legal group are identifying at-risk older adults and paying for hotel rooms to isolate elders for the remainder of quarantine. Many caring people on both sides of the border want to help refugees, but lack information about the best ways to do so. Writing an Op-Ed has inspired me to consider how academic research can best be disseminated throughout communities to produce real change. I look forward to spending the rest of this year studying the health, food security, and legal rights of these refugees at our southern border. From now on, I will pay particular attention to the overlooked elders in our midst.
Originally, I was interested in how the physical built environment of shelters may be exacerbating the preexisting health issues of older migrants. "Quick" fixes such as donating sleeping pads and personal hygiene supplies, or constructing divided rooms based on age and gender, have the potential to immensely improve refugees' quality of life. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, shelters were immediately (and wisely) closed off to visitors. Accordingly, I analyzed my notes from previous shelter visitations, interviewed shelter directors remotely, spoke with relief organization members, and researched preexisting services to explore the needs of older refugees in Tijuana. Somewhat surprisingly, I found NO service organizations in Tijuana dedicated to providing for older refugees. Due to the chronic health issues, PTSD, and desperation of older refugees, humanitarian groups should be paying much more attention to this group of elders.
Ultimately, I learned that the biggest needs of older refugees are: access to medications, food security, and affordable housing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations such as the Refugee Health Alliance and the Al Otro Lado legal group are identifying at-risk older adults and paying for hotel rooms to isolate elders for the remainder of quarantine. Many caring people on both sides of the border want to help refugees, but lack information about the best ways to do so. Writing an Op-Ed has inspired me to consider how academic research can best be disseminated throughout communities to produce real change. I look forward to spending the rest of this year studying the health, food security, and legal rights of these refugees at our southern border. From now on, I will pay particular attention to the overlooked elders in our midst.