Abstract
An oral history of America Bracho, community activist and founder/executive director of Latino Health Access. The purpose of this interview is to gather information regarding women in grassroots, activist movements in Southern California. This interview is part of an oral history project the Women, Politics, and Activism Since Suffrage Project. Specifically, this interview talks about Bracho’s childhood in Cumaná, Venezuela; describes growing up with activist parents; explains why she became a physician and worked in rural towns; how her experience in rural Venezuela influenced the future model of Latino Health Access to use promotores (community workers); talks about her childhood and professional role models; describes how a childhood polio fundraiser inspired her to become a community activist; explains why it’s important to use children as promotores; compares cultural gender expectations with those of her family; describes coming to the U.S. in 1971 and experiencing racial discrimination; explains why her family went back to Venezuela; talks about fulfilling her dream working as a physician in rural Venezuela; speaks about her involvement creating a regional bioanalysis lab; describes how her dad inspired her to affect change; talks about the political climate of Venezuela and the importance of political party over academic or professional training; speaks about her work with the Detroit, Michigan, AIDS community and her efforts to expand the official definition of AIDS to include women; explains why it was important to make literature available to the Spanish speaking population; recalls why she moved to Orange County Southern California to start the radio program, Familia y Su Salud (Family and its Health); describes her preconceptions about Southern California and her initial impressions; tells why she settled in Anaheim Hills; talks about the positive affect her radio show had on listeners; documents the first Latino health needs assessment in Orange County; speaks about creating Latino Health Access (LHA), role of the promotores, and why they chose to target diabetes as a local health crisis; describes the positive results from LHA including: creating a local park, influencing political policy through the Santa Ana City Council, and hosting tamalada fundraisers; explains how press coverage (HBO and TEDMED) raised national awareness of LHA; challenges LHA faces including: fundraising; shares how she balances her professional and personal lives; talks about how she sees her life post-LHA; explains why she considers herself an activist; speaks about the importance of being wholly present in life and dangers of dividing life by gender and cultural roles (i.e. woman, wife, doctor, sister, activist); defines feminism; talks about how she stays motivated professionally; and finally, shares what she’s most proud of in her life. Bulk Dates: 1994-2016
