Community conversations: Utah women of color identify their most pressing concerns

Estimated read time: 10-11 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — A series of reports highlighting the experiences of women of color found a desire for increased representation in decision-making positions, better cultural awareness and curriculum, and mental health support that is culturally and linguistically relevant.

The reports are based on 11 community conversations the Utah Women & Leadership Project at Utah State University held with women of color from around the state. One was with refugees and immigrants from various countries and two conversations were held with each of the following groups: Black, Latina, Asian, Pacific Islander and Indigenous women.

Participants were asked to consider topics ranging from transportation and housing to accessing services and belonging and then vote on the most pressing issues. Each conversation ranged from five to 30 participants.

Latinas

Latina participants identified exclusion, lack of access to and awareness of resources, safety and health as the most pressing issues facing their communities.

Despite being the largest ethnic group in the state and making up large portions of some school districts, Latinas say they are often not consulted about their children or grandchildren’s needs or given a seat at the decision-making table.

“The lack of intentionality to deliver resources that are culturally relevant is frustrating,” one participant said. “The access Black and brown parents are denied directly impacts our children.” Another participant recounted advocating for her dyslexic grandchild and asking the school for help. “They think I’m crazy. I don’t know what to do or how to help her.”

Participants also expressed a lack of resources, state caseworkers and mental health providers that are both culturally fluent and in Spanish.

“Participants lamented that although government has available mental health resources and community health workers, few budgetary or outreach efforts have been made to include the Hispanic population,” the report states. “One woman stated, ‘It’s because the people in power have no connection to our culture, way of life, how we consume media or share information. We are not welcomed nor involved in majority white spaces where decisions are made.'”

English proficiency, along with documentation requirements, was also identified as a barrier for undocumented women who would like to serve their communities. Because undocumented, Spanish-speaking women are also particularly vulnerable to domestic violence, participants said a shelter catering to these women’s needs is necessary as is training police to assist people in their situation.

Pacific Islander women

Pacific Islander participants said education and careers, belonging and health are the most pressing issues for their communities.

The women said Pacific Islander students feel pressure from both inside and outside of their communities to play sports.

“This limits personal expectations and goals since they see themselves only in athletic contexts,” the report reads. “Our kids don’t talk about careers because people don’t talk to them about careers. They don’t want to take advanced classes because nobody looks like them in those classes. They don’t understand the options they have to pay for a good education.”

That pressure can be compounded by a lack of representation and inclusion at school and beyond. Despite those barriers, the women said Pacific Islanders should capitalize on their cultural skills — such as companionship, bringing people together — when deciding on and pursuing a profession.

Participants said they’d like Utah to continue unconscious bias training and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. But they also want seats at the table.

“P.I. women know how to help their community; they need resources and seats at the table to make change,” the report reads. “If you give us the money, we’d know exactly what to do with it. We’ve had plans for years on how to propel us in education, improved mental health, every aspect. We haven’t had the resources because generational wealth isn’t a thing.”

Destigmatizing mental health and promoting education and health resources were also identified as important steps for the community.

Black women

Black participants identified inclusion and belonging, health and education as the top three pressing issues for their communities.

The report said many Black women have difficulty feeling wholly accepted and psychologically safe in Utah when “many white Utahns resist confronting history and internal bias because, to them, the word ‘racist’ means ‘bad person'” and when Black history isn’t fully explored or taught in the state.

“Students struggle with teachers’ inability to discuss or understand race, and professors seem uncomfortable interacting with Black students, which affects their ability to succeed,” the report reads. “One said, ‘While not one class has discussed race, my race is in everything I do. I always have to take it into account that I’m Black. … You are forced to feel your blackness in Utah.”

That resistance to broach racial issues can also extend to experiences with overt racism, according to participants. For example, one woman recounted being called a monkey at her health care job: “After reporting it, I could tell management just wanted me to go away. Nobody wants to be uncomfortable in Utah.”

Another woman said she was let go a day before being eligible for severance pay after bringing discriminatory treatment to her manager’s attention. And another said her 9-year-old son was called a racial slur on three occasions, but the school failed to appropriately address the issue

Participants who were adopted by white families and were the only people of color in their communities said a lack of belonging has eroded their mental health, with one participant saying she had faced bullying in school, an eating disorder and attempted suicide. Some adopted into white Latter-day Saint families also described growing up with internalized racism due to an origin story of dark skin within Latter-day Saint thought.

The women also said it’s difficult to find Black mental health providers who understand Utah-specific experiences and competent physical health care.

“Our white doctors don’t believe what we say when we go in,” said one participant who studied Black mothers’ experiences in health care in Utah. “So, we created a guidebook on how to advocate for ourselves.”

There is a strong need to establish Black connections and community so that children can access role models, friends and mentors who look like them, said participants. They also expressed a desire for better racial training, more women of color in government leadership and a comprehensive Black-specific resource list.

Indigenous women

Indigenous participants identified education, mental health, resources and inequity as the most pressing issues for their communities.

Women who live on or near the Navajo reservation described a high turnover rate for teachers, which they said makes it difficult for children to trust teachers and diminishes their learning. Participants’ other educational concerns included a need to teach younger generations Native culture and customs and a lack of Navajo representation in school staff.

“A lot of times, our students are retraumatized in our schools because they are being policed for behaviors that would be normal at home, but not normal in a white educational institution,” one participant said. “Not including culture is invalidating their experience and all the community and historical trauma that they’re experiencing daily.”

Possible solutions include creating a Navajo school district, creating mentorship programs and requiring that a Native person serve on state boards of education.

Like other participant groups, Indigenous women stressed the need for culturally relevant mental health care. They also said parents need training on mental health issues, which can be exacerbated by a loss of culture and unsafe living conditions like no running water and electricity. A 2019 report found that 10% of Diné (Navajos) on the reservation live without electricity and as many as 40% have to haul their water and use outhouses.

“A child knows they don’t have running water and are sad that they must go to school unshowered or without clean clothes. We see these kids having their best meal at school because there is no food at home,” said one participant who works with students on or near the reservation. “That’s where poor mental health starts, and that easily leads to substance abuse.”

Participants also described cultural and historical ignorance from non-Native Utahns, power imbalances and a lack of legal redress and services as other issues Indigenous Utahns face.

Asian women

Asian participants identified exclusion, mental health, education and caregiving as the most pressing issues for their communities.

The women expressed being excluded from both white spaces and those for people of color because they are often not considered to be Black, Indigenous or people of color. They added that their inclusion on boards or teams feels like tokenism when their voices aren’t heard or considered.

Participants also described a need for more Asian visibility in the state and wider acceptance and awareness, including the fact that some Utah Asians have been in the state for generations. “People here are very nice, but they don’t want to cross the line and get to know you,” one woman said. “Back in California, we were approached by others. Here, we have to approach.”

Mothers in the group also worried about unacceptable educational environments where their children experience overt racism or have trouble fitting in and finding friends.

“Mine are quiet, nice kids having a hard time,” one participant said. “In Texas, my boy never dealt with race, he was always welcoming and had many friends. Here, he is teased about his eyes. Even by the high schoolers, sometimes.”

Other concerns included access and affordability for child and elder care, not being able to transfer international degrees to state institutions, a need for more financial literacy and business training, and increased anti-Asian hate that escalated during the pandemic.

Immigrant and refugee women

Immigrant and refugee participants identified barriers to thriving, accessing services and understanding available resources as the top issues facing their communities.

Many of the barriers have to do with education, the women said. For example, children need tutoring for homework that parents can’t easily help with.

“It upsets me a lot when my kid brings home something I can’t do. The academic system we came from is totally different,” one woman said.

The women themselves also feel overwhelmed at the prospect of going back to school due to language barriers and, although there are free English classes, refugee women are often too busy trying to keep their families afloat to attend. Those who do have education credentials find their training from their home country isn’t recognized in the U.S.

“Refugee women are starting at ground zero when they may be qualified and skilled for better jobs,” the report reads. “One participant was a university professor in her home country but now owns a food business. She said, ‘It is very difficult to start in a new country.'”

Participants also described difficulty in navigating systems like housing, health care and employment. That difficulty is often compounded by a lack of language services and awareness of available resources. One woman, for example, lost $50,000 due to an accident because she didn’t know about workers’ compensation as a business owner.

“Just not knowing that little stuff can ruin someone’s life,” she said.

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