New survey details impact of COVID-19 on health and economic well-being of Latinos in Massachusetts
The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout have hit Latino residents of Massachusetts hard, according to a wide-ranging new survey. In all, 20% of Latinos in the workforce are unemployed and looking for work. About a third (35%) say they have gotten food from a food bank. The mental health impacts on Latino residents have also been significant, with 51% saying they have felt more sad and depressed than usual in recent months. Physical health impacts have also been widespread, with 12% reporting someone in their household had experienced COVID-19 symptoms.
The survey’s findings echo many state and national data sources documenting the severity of the impacts on Latinos. State and national health data have shown Latinos contracting COVID at a higher rates, and with worse outcomes, than white Americans. The findings also echo a recent Pew analysis of Bureau of labor Statistics data that found Latino unemployment 3 points higher than the national average.
Those are some of the key findings from a new survey of 622 Latino residents of Massachusetts released today. The survey was sponsored by Amplify Latinx, The Barr Foundation, Eos Foundation, Latino Legacy Fund, Greater Boston Latino Network, Boston Impact Initiative, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and was conducted by The MassINC Polling Group. These and other results will be presented at a Zoom forum at 10:30 AM Wednesday, August 12.
“The COVID pandemic has laid bare the tragedy of economic, health and housing disparities and highlighted the crucial work to combat racism still ahead of us,” said Aixa Beauchamp, co-chair of the Latino Legacy Fund, which co-sponsored the project. “The survey will provide our community with the data to assess the impacts of the crisis and identify the needs and policy priorities of our community.”
The survey found that dealing with the economic calamity brought about by coronavirus was a key priority for Latino residents, along with education and healthcare. Each of these was rated a high priority for state government by over three-quarters of Latino residents. The survey looked at the specifics of economic damage, including lost jobs, income, savings, and more. In each area, Latino residents have experienced considerable challenges in recent months.
The survey also looked at participation in the 2020 U.S. Census. It found 62% of Latino residents have responded, on par with the 63% who had filled out the Census at the time the survey was taken. But younger people, those not registered to vote, and those with lower educational attainment were less likely to say they have already participated. While many still plan to do so, these groups are at elevated risk of being undercounted. This survey did not ask about immigration status, given the extreme sensitivity of the issue at this time.
“It is extremely important to continue collaborating and investing in collecting-up-to-date data that reflects the state of Latino residents in Massachusetts to inform our advocacy priorities and a policy agenda that supports the advancement of our community,” said Rosario Ubiera-Minaya, executive director of Amplify Latinx.
Looking at the Presidential race, registered Latino voters prefer Joe Biden to Donald Trump by a wide margin (59% to 16%). Support for Biden is highest among young voters, where the margin is 69% to 15%. But turnout analysis suggests these younger voters are the group least likely to vote. Young people were the most likely to say they had faced barriers to voting. Getting time off work was the most common barrier, with 29% of young people saying it had made it more difficult for them to participate in the past. Nearly as many (27%) said not knowing where and when to vote was a barrier. Latinos also participate in elections somewhat less. Latino residents make up 8% of the adult citizen population but were only 5.3% of Massachusetts voters in 2016 according to Census figures.
“The state electorate does not look like the population as a whole” noted Steve Koczela, president of The MassINC Polling Group, who conducted the survey. “If it ever did, election results would look completely different than they do today.”
The health impacts of COVID have hit Latino communities particularly hard, as other surveys and official statistics have both shown. Some groups are even more likely to have had symptoms in their household, including people without insurance (19%) and those who have been furloughed or are looking for work (22%). This echoes other recent surveys, which have shown the health impacts have been worse among those already suffering economically.
That same survey also found racial disparities that echo the experience of Latino residents in this poll: 50% of Latino and 45% of Black residents were in higher categories of economic distress, compared to 15% of white and 17% of Asian residents. A recent survey of small businesses found similar disparities, with businesses owned by people of color hit especially hard by the downturn and less likely to have been helped by the federal PPP loan program.
“The results from this poll show the deep impact of COVID-19 and the serious implications for Latino individuals and families in the Boston area,” said Karen Chacon, co-chair of the Greater Boston Latino Network. “These results further demonstrate the critical need to provide comprehensive social and economic assistance and programs to Latino families.”
“This survey, and others that MPG have done before it, help us to understand the scope of the problems facing the entire Commonwealth, but particularly our communities of color,” said Juana Matías, COO of MassINC and an Amplify Latinx board member. “The next step is to come up with policies that will make a real difference in the lives of those who are struggling the most.”
About the Poll
These results are based on a survey of 622 Latino residents of Massachusetts. Responses were gathered July 3-13, 2020 via live telephone interviewing of both landline and cell phone respondents and through an online survey. Both phone and online response options were offered in English and Spanish Results were weighted to known and estimated demographic parameters on age, gender, nationality, education, and region. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is +/- 3.9 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence. This project was sponsored by Amplify Latinx, The Barr Foundation, Eos Foundation, Latino Legacy Fund, Greater Boston Latino Network, Boston Impact Initiative, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA.