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Author Archives: TonySchmitz

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Long COVID Info, Translated

Posted on February 5, 2023 by TonySchmitzFebruary 5, 2023

This just in from the Minnesota Department of Health: short videos about the vexatious issue of long COVID, translated into Spanish, Somali, Hmong and English, available here. These videos are a contribution to narrowing the disparities of long COVID on … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

For Black Women: The Case for Doulas

Posted on January 30, 2023 by TonySchmitzJanuary 30, 2023

Take a look at this New York Times article — ‘I Don’t Want to Die’: Fighting Maternal Mortality Among Black Women — that describes the life-saving benefits of a St. Louis doula program. The article outlines the need for culturally specific care … Continue reading →

Posted in Disparities

The Secret Language of Design

Posted on January 16, 2023 by TonySchmitzJanuary 16, 2023

Usually we’re concerned with the vicissitudes of communicating across language barriers. But here’s another way to think about how you’re interacting with patients. Recently the New York Times explored a few of the unspoken pitfalls by which patients get a … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

New Restrictions Confront Asylum Seekers

Posted on January 9, 2023 by TonySchmitzJanuary 9, 2023

For would-be asylum seekers attempting to enter the US, the road got longer last week, as President Joe Biden announced new restrictions on people fleeing conditions in Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti. Those who simply show up at the border … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

Free Covid Treatment; Guidance in Hmong, Somali, Spanish, English

Posted on January 2, 2023 by TonySchmitzJanuary 2, 2023

So you’ve tested Covid positive but wonder what your next move should be. Here’s help — for free, and in English, Hmong, Spanish and Somali — for Minnesota residents who have shown Covid symptoms within the past five days. Download … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

A Gay Afghani Refugee’s Plight, Animated

Posted on December 26, 2022 by TonySchmitzDecember 26, 2022

Here’s another rendering of the trauma that can underline a refugee’s life, this time describing the flight of “Amin” from Afghanistan as the Taliban takes over. The film, Flee, is a true story,  rendered primarily in animation in part to … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

Music Turned into Motion

Posted on December 19, 2022 by TonySchmitzDecember 19, 2022

How to interpret musical performance for the deaf? That’s the question taken up by the video above, where ASL interpreters transform a song for the hard of hearing. The nuts and bolts of rendering music in ways that will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Interpreters/Translators

Keeping Baby Safe, in Multiple Languages

Posted on December 12, 2022 by TonySchmitzDecember 12, 2022

Here’s a sweet, short video on how to keep your new baby safe, offered up in English, Arabic, Dari, Burmese, Karen, Lingala, Kinyarwanda, Nepali, Pashto, Swahili, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, French, Russian and Spanish. In simple, direct language, Who She Will Become … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

For Interpreters: What to Do When the News Is Bad

Posted on December 5, 2022 by TonySchmitzDecember 5, 2022

Among the challenges for medical interpreters: how to convey bad news from providers to patients and their families. This hour-and-a-half webinar, presented by InterpretAmerica, takes on the sensitive issues involved. The recorded webinar is geared toward providing interpreters with tools … Continue reading →

Posted in Interpreters/Translators

The Revived Language of Manx

Posted on November 28, 2022 by TonySchmitzNovember 28, 2022

How long do languages last? Already it’s not uncommon to hear children of immigrants admit they don’t speak their grandparents’ native tongue that well. What about their children and grandchildren? What does it take to save a language? Here’s a story … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

RSV, in Translation

Posted on November 21, 2022 by TonySchmitzNovember 21, 2022

With RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) clearing out local school classrooms, here are translated health information sheets that can help ESL patients get a better understanding of a disease with potentially dire outcomes for young children. Below find pieces from various … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a reply

For Newcomers: Sidestepping the Scams

Posted on November 14, 2022 by TonySchmitzNovember 14, 2022

As if being uprooted from your life isn’t tough enough for refugees and immigrants, there are more dangers once they arrive in the US. Among them: the scam artists waiting to take advantage. You can learn more about how to … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

Immigration Policy: Compromise?

Posted on November 7, 2022 by TonySchmitzNovember 7, 2022

A recent story in the New York Times asked the question, Can Republicans and Democrats Find a Way Forward on Immigration? Reporter Eileen Sullivan observes that movement on this sticky issue will necessitate compromise, a quality Washington finds short supply. Three … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

The Long Wait for Refugee Status

Posted on October 31, 2022 by TonySchmitzOctober 31, 2022

Among the consequences of the US collapse in Afghanistan, the war in Ukraine, and the disintegration of Venezuela: an even longer wait for refugee status for people from other parts of the world. The New York Times recently reported that … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

Cultural Bereavement: An Explanation

Posted on October 24, 2022 by TonySchmitzOctober 24, 2022

The New York Times explores another tragic dimension of the immigrant and refugee experience in this story, Missing the Home You Needed to Leave: There is a name for the specific type of grief that both refugees and migrants experience. … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

Busting Those Myths about Immigration

Posted on October 16, 2022 by TonySchmitzOctober 16, 2022

True or False: Immigrants will take American jobs, lower wages, and especially hurt the poor. Get a straight answer to this and 14 other common myths about immigrants in the United States. The Cato Institute’s Alex Nowrasteh examines familiar complaints … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

Guaranteed Income for Refugees: A Pilot Project

Posted on October 8, 2022 by TonySchmitzOctober 11, 2022

What happens when newly-arrived refugees get a year-long guaranteed income? An International Institute of Minnesota pilot project is aimed at getting an answer. Intended as a bridge to a stable life in their new home, the program will direct $750 … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants, Resources

Immigrant, Refugee Health Network Meetings Resume

Posted on September 26, 2022 by TonySchmitzSeptember 28, 2022

After a lengthy hiatus, the Minnesota Immigrant and Refugee Health Network is back in business. The first meeting is set for 9:30-11 am, Tuesday, October 11. Register by October 10 here. You’ll get instructions on how to join the meeting … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

Get Translated Monkeypox Materials

Posted on September 19, 2022 by TonySchmitzSeptember 19, 2022

dStuck in your search for translated health education materials for monkeypox? Here are resources to get you started when treating patients with limited English. From the Minnesota Department of Health: The basics covered in English, Hmong, Somali, Spanish. (Scroll to … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

Getting the Word Out on Resources You Offer

Posted on September 12, 2022 by TonySchmitzSeptember 12, 2022

We’ve previously highlighted the excellent on-line news source, Sahan Journal, as a way to keep up with deep information on the immigrant experience in Minnesota. Here’s another way to make use of this resource as you look for ways to … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

How to Make Your Health Messaging Relevant

Posted on September 5, 2022 by TonySchmitzSeptember 5, 2022

Wondered whether your health messages to refugees, migrants and immigrants are actually hitting the mark? Here’s a webinar sponsored by the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants where panelists will explain “cultural validation” — the practice of including … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy, Refugees/Immigrants

Get Guidelines, Resources on Ukrainian Resettlement

Posted on August 29, 2022 by TonySchmitzAugust 29, 2022

With hundreds of Ukrainian refugees landing in Minnesota, here are directives on required screenings and a guide to resources from the Minnesota Department of Health. The MDH overview includes information on health screening for TB, immunizations, comprehensive health screenings, health … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

Where Did Refugees Come From?

Posted on August 22, 2022 by TonySchmitzAugust 22, 2022

Wondering where the latest refugees come from? The Minnesota Department of Health reports that of the 1,089 new arrivals in 2021, the overwhelming majority arrived from Afghanistan, followed by people from Congo, Somalia and Burma. The 2021 total is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants, Uncategorized

A Treasure Chest of Low-Lit Health Videos

Posted on August 15, 2022 by TonySchmitzAugust 15, 2022

Here’s a treasure chest of low literacy health information videos from Georgia State University. Developed with refugees and cultural community members, this toolkit features short videos in 14 languages that cover topics such as blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, nutrition, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

The Link Between Culture and Emotion

Posted on July 18, 2022 by TonySchmitzJuly 18, 2022

Usually we are concerned here with how to use language more effectively to understand others. Here’s another dimension of the effort to see the world as others see it. In Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions, author Batja Mesquita explores … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture/Religion

What Also Vanishes When a Language Disappears?

Posted on July 11, 2022 by TonySchmitzJuly 11, 2022

As noted here before, this is a world in which languages are disappearing at a frantic rate. Linguists predict that 90 percent of languages will become obsolete over the next century. Zoe Yu explores this topic in a New York … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

A Reason Behind LEP Health Disparities

Posted on July 4, 2022 by TonySchmitzJuly 4, 2022

Just about everybody knows there’s a disparity in health outcomes between LEP patients and native English speakers. From Harvard researchers, here’s a partial explantation. In a recently published study in JAMA Pediatrics, the study team established that LEP patients are … Continue reading →

Posted in Interpreters/Translators, Language/Literacy, Uncategorized

COVID Vaccine Toolkit for Kids Six Months and Older

Posted on June 26, 2022 by TonySchmitzJune 26, 2022

Looking for direction on talking points and answers to tough questions about the newly-approved COVID vaccines for kids six months and older? Here’s a package from the Public Health Communications Collaborative that features an updated children and vaccination toolkit, with shareable … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

Hmonglish!

Posted on June 20, 2022 by TonySchmitzJune 20, 2022

Here’s a new podcast that opens a window into Hmong culture in America. Hmonglish is hosted by Yia Vang — a James Beard-nominated chef — and Gia Vang, a former anchor at KARE-11. Interviewed recently by MPR Morning Edition host Cathy … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

A Trove of COVID Materials

Posted on June 11, 2022 by TonySchmitzJune 11, 2022

If you’re looking for a deep repository of COVID materials in translation, it’s worth making this Minnesota Department of Health site your first call for help. With fact sheets, videos, posters and signs, plus toolkits, it’s a solid collection of … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

Google Translate Adds Indigenous Languages

Posted on June 6, 2022 by TonySchmitzJune 6, 2022

In a health care environment it’s not the same as offering in-person interpretation, but recent additions to the languages offered by Google Translate help make the world a smaller place. In ‘Allinllachu.’ Google Translate Adds Quechua to Its Platform, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

From Montana, A Big Idea for Refugees

Posted on May 31, 2022 by TonySchmitzMay 31, 2022

What do refugees have that people in Missoula, Montana generally do not? For one thing, deep understanding of the food from their old homes. That treasure of knowledge and skill has been harnessed by a Missoula social service agency,  United We Eat … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

Get Tips on Psychological First Aid

Posted on May 23, 2022 by TonySchmitzMay 23, 2022

Here’s a two-hour training that can help you support people suffering from life’s many disorienting events. M Health Fairvew is sponsoring a Psychological First Aid webinar set for Wednesday, June 15, 1 – 3 p.m. that will give you tools … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

For DeafBlind, a New Way to Communicate

Posted on May 16, 2022 by TonySchmitzMay 16, 2022

Here’s a development in the DeafBlind world that New Yorker reporter Andrew Leland describes as a new language. In DeafBlind Communities May be Creating a New Language of Touch, Leland writes about ProTactile, a mode of communication that moves beyond … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

When and How: Ukrainian Refugees in the US

Posted on May 2, 2022 by TonySchmitzMay 2, 2022

President Joe Biden has promised that as many as 100,000 refugees from the war in Ukraine may be resettled in the US. But when and how: those are matters that remain blurry. For a rundown on the resettlement programs and … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

Beyond He/She/They

Posted on April 25, 2022 by TonySchmitzApril 25, 2022

There’s a world of personal pronouns beyond he/she/they. To name just a few: ze/zir/zirs ze/hir/hirs xe/xem/xyrs ey/em/eirs Here’s some help from LGBTQNation on navigating the sometimes tricky business of addressing patients and clients in the way they prefer. See Everything … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

Fighting Words: Is It Hmoob or Moob?

Posted on April 18, 2022 by TonySchmitzApril 18, 2022

Generally people think of interpretation and translation as a way to solve problems. Here’s a story from St. Paul that proves just the opposite can be true as well. In Dialect dispute has St. Paul Hmong group calling for Dai … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

How to Succeed with COVID Vax: Lessons from White Earth

Posted on April 11, 2022 by TonySchmitzApril 11, 2022

Here’s an encouraging example of how to work alongside a Native community with public health messaging and support to dramatically boost the ranks of the vaccinated. In a recent CDC blog post, Stories from the Field: The White Earth Nation, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture/Religion

Forum: How Climate Change Will Affect Poor, People of Color

Posted on April 4, 2022 by TonySchmitzApril 4, 2022

As with so much else, when it comes to the impact of climate change, communities of color and the poor will be disproportionately affected by less access to clean air, safe drinking water and shelter, and nutritious food. Find out … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

Immunization Info for Native Audiences

Posted on March 27, 2022 by TonySchmitzMarch 27, 2022

Here’s a nicely made video from Red Lake Hospital Indian Health Service that stresses specific Ojibwe cultural values as reasons to get vaccinated against COVID. Among a cast of elders, Dan King, President of Red Lake Nation College and Hereditary … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture/Religion

Translated: Get Kids Vaxed, Enter $100K Education Drawing

Posted on March 14, 2022 by TonySchmitzMarch 14, 2022

Here’s another tool you can use to urge parents to get their kids vaccinated. Five 5-11-year old Minnesotans who have finished the COVID vaccination series are eligible to enter a drawing for a $100,000 scholarship package at any public or … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

Forced to Flee: What Would You Take?

Posted on March 7, 2022 by TonySchmitzMarch 7, 2022

The rapidly unfolding refugee crisis in Ukraine provoked a heartbreaking and fascinating story in the New York Times recently on the practicalities of flight. If you are forced to leave your home with little chance to plan or to take … Continue reading →

Posted in Refugees/Immigrants

In Translation: COVID At-Home Test Overview

Posted on February 28, 2022 by TonySchmitzFebruary 28, 2022

Need a translated overview of COVID at-home rapid tests for limited English speakers? Here’s a one-page Minnesota Department of Health info sheet in English and multiple other languages available for download. COVID-19 At-Home Rapid Test Overview iHealth (English).pdf COVID-19 At-Home … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

Interpreters: When Should They Advocate?

Posted on February 21, 2022 by TonySchmitzFebruary 21, 2022

When are medical interpreters simply conduits for information shared between providers and patients — and when do they have an obligation to intervene and advocate on the behalf of patients? The U.S. National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare (NCIHC) came … Continue reading →

Posted in Interpreters/Translators

How to Preserve Threatened Languages

Posted on February 14, 2022 by TonySchmitzFebruary 14, 2022

Having others understand the language you speak is one thing, but having your language survive in the face of globalization is another. That’s the subject that James Griffith takes on in his book, Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

Global Book Club: Surviving Biafran Civil War

Posted on February 7, 2022 by TonySchmitzFebruary 7, 2022

Get an inside view on survival in a war-torn country, as Dr. Okechukwu (Okey) Ukaga, Assistant Dean and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Minnesota Extension, appears at the Global Book Club’s virtual meeting to discuss … Continue reading →

Posted in Events

Help Patients Use N95 Respirators Right

Posted on January 31, 2022 by TonySchmitzJanuary 31, 2022

N95 respirators are the gold standard for keeping COVID-19 at bay. But as with so many things, there’s a right way and a wrong way to use them. Here’s expert guidance from the CDC, in English, and translated into Simplified … Continue reading →

Posted in Resources

Love Language, Interpreted

Posted on January 24, 2022 by TonySchmitzJanuary 24, 2022

Here’s a story from the New York Times that’s equal parts romance and practicality. In A Love Language Spoken with Hands, a gay deaf man recounts his relationships with would-be paramours who promise that for him, they will learn sign … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

Karen Kid’s Book Touts Outdoor Adventure

Posted on January 17, 2022 by TonySchmitzJanuary 17, 2022

Here’s another find via the excellent online immigrant/refugee news source, Sahan Journal. In this piece — After having a daughter, Reona Htoo couldn’t find children’s books in the Karen language. So she wrote one herself— St. Paul resident Htoo translates … Continue reading →

Posted in Language/Literacy

Why Moses Has Horns (And Other Translation Errors)

Posted on January 10, 2022 by TonySchmitzJanuary 10, 2022

If you’ve spent time studying Old Testament iconography (and who hasn’t?), you may have wondered why Moses is often depicted with horns after having talked with God on Mount Sinai and descended with the ten commandments. Why the horns? It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Interpreters/Translators

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