In July, ELA launched a slew of new programs run by and centered on East Harlem’s Indigenous community, where Tu’un Savi (Mixtec), Mam, Nahuatl, and other Indigenous Latin American languages are spoken. Health—and particularly health literacy—has been at the heart of these programs, which are all about the connections between health on the one hand and craft, language, food, livelihood, and tradition on the other. Though many in the community are already vaccinated, Covid remains a key focus, and community members have been doing direct outreach on the streets to make sure everyone has the masks, test kits, and information they need in their languages, especially now that children can be vaccinated and that boosters are more vital than ever. Focused workshops are being held at the East Harlem Health Action Center.
