Last Mile Home
Jennifer Gonzalez
February 23, 2018, Health Behavior and Health Equity, Students, Practice
I consider many places home, including the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) in South Texas. It's where my family resides most of the year, but it's a place I rarely visit ever since I left for college.
In less than 24 hours, I'll be home again, but this time it won't be to visit my loved
ones or stay in my old bedroom. Instead, I'll be returning to the Valley through my
Public Health in Action course. My classmates and I have been preparing for this trip
since the semester started, discussing different topics every week, such as health
in borderlands, migration, citizenship status, and more. 
It's been special for me to learn about my own community. However, it feels strange
doing that at UM-SPH. I remember being in middle school and hearing my classmates
say that they couldn't wait to leave the Valley. I never understood their eagerness
to leave, but when the opportunity showed up, I took it because I wanted what was
best for me.
I left and didn't come home after I was done with undergrad. Instead, I left to Michigan, and I can't help but feel guilty when I think of home.
Growing up, I was oblivious to the hardships my community faced, but I came to realize
that the Valley is home to some of the highest rates of poverty and poor health in the country. I always believed that where you come from does not determine where
you end up, but that is simply not true. The Valley is special, but it's also vulnerable
to many health issues. It's a place controlled by decisions made in two different
countries. It's a place where injustices happen every day, whether explicit or not.
It's a place where people are scared to find help because they fear deportation.
Although there are many things I wish to improve, I still can't see myself going back
for good. I have a privilege that many in my community will never have, including
the simple ability to step out of the RGV.
How do you stay true to your roots while trying to "succeed"? How do you follow your dreams without abandoning your people?
I won't stop searching for the answers I'm looking for, but for now, I'll go home confident that my team will make a difference somewhere in the Valley.
