COVID-19 Pandemic Amplifies Hardships for Minorities at UWM

Financial instability and mental health concerns brought by the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected the minority communities of UW-Milwaukee, as articulated in a seminar on Thursday conducted by the Zilber School of Public Health.

A live Teams meeting was held for panel members from staff and student organizations to discuss the needs of students during the pandemic as well as the resources made available to them through the school. All panelists unanimously agreed that students belonging to racial, ethnic and other minority groups have been hit with an onslaught of unique challenges to their school and home lives.

Mai Yer Ying, the director of the Inclusive Excellence Center, spoke of the financial and housing insecurity that has arisen for students of ethnic minority groups. In particular, she noted that recipients of DACA see their fate hanging in the balance, as federal rules now dictate they must renew their status annually rather than biannually, with an additional increase to their fee. Ying highlighted the fact that 8,000 students on UWM’s campus are the first generation in their families to attend college, but job loss on campus and in the service industry due to COVID-19 has led to an increase in financial strain.

“Many of our students are very independent and have multiple roles in their family,” said Ying. “They’re a student, daughter or son, and also serve as the main translators for their family, which adds another level of stress to everything else.”

She also shed light on the issue of food shortage that stems from the lack of culturally-specific items found in food pantries or supply services. She said items like cheese, eggs, frozen meat and bread that are commonly distributed are not typically consumed by the families she sees, and that the pandemic has created higher prices for the foods they regularly eat. As an example, Ying said the Director of the Hunger Task Force whom she regularly works with has found difficulties in getting jasmine rice, a daily staple for many, to multicultural communities.

“We know our patrons who visit the food pantry have increased by nearly 400%,” said Ying. “Working with the Hunger Task Force to do monthly food distributions is a great start but we have had to jump through hoops, as there are barriers preventing us from giving food out to students fast.”

First generation and second year MPH student Gaëlle Sehi agreed that her anxiety and stress has been exacerbated in part by the lack of food that reminds her of her home culture from the Ivory Coast.

“When I eat items from my home, I get this feeling of happiness and feel better,” said Sehi. “Because everything was shut down, and I’m not able to find those items anymore, it’s very hard to keep a normal diet.”

As an international student, Sehi’s feelings of homesickness and isolation have only grown since COVID-19. Her plans to visit home were canceled, so she hasn’t seen her parents in person in two years. In addition to the stress surrounding her graduate degree, she is worried about how her parents are faring with the virus.

“It’s hard to focus on my work and the life I have here when I know my family is living a different life,” said Sehi.

Michael Gonzalez, a PhD candidate and treasurer for the Public Health Graduate Student Association, says health equity across campus should reflect the ongoing social and racial justice efforts in the country. He highlights specifically that communities of color on the north and south sides have been neglected, and that the city should pay attention to how they give mental health resources and access to marginalized people.

“The LGBTQ community and people of color need to break the internal and external stigma of reaching out for resources,” said Gonzalez. “It’s okay to say ‘I’m struggling,’ ‘I’m not in the right headspace’ or ‘I don’t have time for this right now’ as a form of self care versus self interest.”

Carrie Fleider, the director of UWM Counseling Services, believes it is up to UWM to provide a safe space and caring community for people who feel marginalized and underrepresented. She says UCS is preparing for an anticipated increase in the rates of utilization and the demand for mental health services as the pandemic continues.

“This is not just a health issue,” said Fleider, “but a social justice issue.”

To Ying, it is important that the Inclusion Center continues to advocate for basic needs to be met and stay up to date with UWM resources in order to keep students informed. The best they can do, said Ying, is to try to show empathy and make sure minority student voices are heard at the higher level.

“I don’t have the perfect answer,” said Ying, “but it’s good to just have some human decency right now and always be open-minded.”