DOCUMENT RESUME ED 303 294 RC 016 926 TITLE Poverty
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 303 294 RC 016 926 TITLE Poverty and Hunger in Hispanic America: The Inadequacy of Data for Policy Planning. Hearing before the Select Committee on Hunger. United States House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, Second Session (March 30, 1988). INSTITUTION Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Select Committee on Hunger. PUB DATE 88 NOTE 179p.; Serial No. 100-24. Contains some small, light type. AVAILABLE FROM Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. PUB TYPE Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCC8 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Federal Programs; Government Role; Health Programs; Health Services; Hearings; *Hispanic Americans; *Hunger; *Nutrition; Outreach Programs; *Poverty; Primary Sources IDENTIFIERS Congress 100th ABSTRACT This hearing addresses issues of health, hunger, and malnutrition among Hispanic Americans. Health and poverty agency officials made statements before the committee and expressed difficulty in examining the health- and poverty-related problems among Hispanics because of a lack of data. Testimony indicated that previous data regarding the health of the Hispanic population had been inaccurate, and that part of the problem entailed definition of the term "Hispanic" itself. Testimony also reported that more federal money was being spent on Hispanic health and poverty problems than ever before. Members of Congress offered information about the need for better data and more health "outreach" to poor Hispanics in their districts. Private program recipients spoke directly about health problems among Hispanics. Their testimony generally addressed the inadequacies of federal health and poverty programs. Local officials indicated the need for national data collection on Hispanic health and nutrition. Among additional material appended is a General Accounting Office briefing report ("Health and Nutrition: Collection of Vital Statistical Data on Hispanics"); and material from the Texas Association of Community Action Agencies, Inc. ("Texas Hunger Facts"). (TES) ***********************************'**************::******************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ****w*******x********************************************************** POVERTY AND HUNGER IN HISPANIC AMERICA: teN THE INADEQUACY OF DATA FOR POLICY PLANNING REARING BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON HUNGER HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDREDTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 30, 1988 Serial No. 100-24 Printed for the use of the Select Committee on Hunger U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ED 'CATKIN Office of EduCabonal Research a/xi improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) er'irsdocument h...s been reproduced as reevefrom the person ororganization °nip rwa tong it 0Minor changes have beer. made to Improve reproduction Quality Pointsotview or opinions statedm tniSdOCLr men, do not necessarily representotticiat OERI posmon or poky U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 86-935= WASHINGTON : 1988 Forsale by the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office US. Government Printing Office. Washington. DC 20402 2 SELECT COMMITTEE ON HUNGER MICKEY LELAND, Texas, Chairman TONY P. HALL, Ohio BILL EMERSON,' Missouri BOB TRAXLER, Michigan Vice Chairman LEON E. PANETTA, California MARGE ROUKEMA, New Jersey VIC FAZIO, California SID MORRISON, Washington PETS : H. KOS'IMAYER, Pennsylvania BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota ROBERT F. (Bob) SMITH, Oregon BOB CARR, Michigan DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska TIMOTHY J. PENNY, Minnesota FREDERICK S. UPTON, Michigan GARY L ACKERMAN, New York HAWK BROWN, Colorado MIKE ESPY, Mississippi WALLY HERGER, California FLOYD H. FLAKE, New York KWEISI MFUME, Maryland ELIZABETH J. PATTERSON, South Carolina JOSEPH E. BRENNAN, Maine HARLEY 0. STAGGERS,JR.,West Virginia MIRANDAG.KATSOYANNIS,Chief of Staff MELISSAW.BROWN,Minority Staff Director 'Effective July 13. 1987. J CONTENTS Page Hearing held in Washington, DC, March 30, 1988 1 Statement of: Bode, John W., Assistant Secretary, Food and Consumer Services, U.S Department of Agriculture 16 Bustamante, Hon. Albert G., a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas 6 Cortez, Agapito, accompanied by Juanita and Paul Cortez 39 Falcon, Adolf, policy director, National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations (COSSMHO) 43 Feinleib, Manning, M.D., Director, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 17 Gemple, Nylda, Director,Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), San Francisco, CA 35 Gilman, Hon. Benjamin A., a Representative in Congress from the State of New York, opening statement of 1 Leland, Hon. Mickey, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, opening statement of 2 Mendoza, Fernando S., M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine 30 Richardson, Hon. Bill, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Mexico 3 Valdez, Rose, social worker, El Carmen Clinic, San Antonio, TX 42 Prepared statements, letters. upplemental material, et cetera: Bode, John W., Assistant Secretary, Food and Consumer Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture: Additional questions for, submitted by Hon. Mickey Leland 110 Prepared statement of 102 Bustamante, Hon. Albert G., a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, prepared statement of 61 Emerson, Hon. Bill, a Representative in Congress from the State of Missouri, prepared statement of 58 Falcon, Adolf, policy director, National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Seivices Organizations ( COSSMHO): Additional questions for, submitted by Hon. Mickey Leland 168 Prepared statement of 154 Feinleib, Manning, M.D., Dr.P.H., Director, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health Service, U.S. De- partment of Health and Human Services, prepared statement of 113 Gemple, Nylda, San Francisco WIC director: Additional questions for, submitted by Hon. Mickey Leland 153 Prepared statement of 146 Hispanic population demographics 71 Mendoza, Fernando S., M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine: Additional questions for, submitted by Hon. Mickey Leland 138 Prepared statement of 125 Ortiz, Hon. Solomon P., a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, prepared statement of 69 Richardson. Hon. Bill, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Mexico, prepared statement of 60 Shikles, Janet L., Associate Director, U.S. General Accountint, Of ice, "Health and Nutrition, Collection of Vital Statistical Data on Hispan- ics," briefing report, dated March 1988 74 Urby, Rodolfo M., M.D., medical director, El Carmen and De Paul Clinic, prepared statement of 169 (111) POVERTY AND HUNGER IN HISPANIC AMERICA: THE INADEQUACY OF DATA FOR POLICY PLANNING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1988 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SELECT COMMITTEE ON HUNGER, Washington, DC. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 2 p.m., in room 2359A, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Mickey Leland [chairman of the committee] presiding. Members present: Representatives Carr, Penny, and Gilman. Also present: Representatives Richardson and Bustamante. Chairman LELAND. We are going to start our hearing, and be- cause of the tardiness of the Chair I am going to defer now to my good friend and colleague, Mr. Gilman, for his opening statement. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, A REPRE- SENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK Mr. GILMAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to welcome our colleagues before us today. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and, Mr. Chairman, I want to express my appreciation for your arranging this important hearing on poverty and hunger in the Hispanic community and the inad- equacy of data for proper policy planning for the health needs of that community. It is, indeed, an important issue, a vital issue, that does require our committee's full attention. Throughout our Nation, Hispanics and particularly Hispanic mi- grant workers are amongst the vulnerable of all Americans. They have low and unstable family incomes, difficult working conditions, poor to fairly poor living conditions. The transient nature of their lives and their familieslives, limited health and social services, have led to a great deal of health problems, lower life expectancy, and sometimes a lack of education leads to other problems through- out their lives. Seasonal farm workers are sometimes better off but still are un- employed for a major portion of the year and have relatively little job security and often have difficulty in gaining access to many of our social programs. The lack of health data amongst the Hispanic community makes it extremely difficult to develop helpful health planning. What are the consequences? That, I think, is an important issue for us to ex- amine today, and I am particularly interested in learning from our colleagues: the gentleman from New Mexico, Mr. Richardson; the (1) 2 gentleman from Texas, Mr. Bustamante; the family that will be with us; and from the service providers who have traveled here today to tell us about the accessibility of existing programs and the effectiveness of any Federal and private programs that have been designed to try to improve the living conditions of this vulnerable and often hidden population. We welcome all of the witnesses