1. Isabel The new arrival Personal Information Age: 26 years old
“I work hard and sacrifice so my children can have
the best opportunities. ”
The new arrival
Healthcare Information
Health Insurance: None
Doctor Visits: Uses the emergency room when very ill
Healthcare Background: No current knowledge of how the U.S. healthcare system works.
Goal: To develop a developmental screening tool which Isabel can easily use to report developmental information about her children, so they can receive help if needed.
Isabel, her husband and three children arrived in the U.S. from Hermosillo, Mexico two months ago. She came to the U.S. in search of work and because she would like her children to get a good education. Though Hermosillo is safe, she is concerned about drug violence in other parts of Mexico. Isabel’s husband has a friend who moved to the U.S. five years ago who has helped them get jobs in the kitchen of a local restaurant. She works six days a week, so her neighbor Marina, who runs a daycare from her home, watches her three children. She would like to be with them but she knows if she works hard that they will have a better life. It was difficult to leave home, and Isabel, who speaks only Spanish, is hoping to learn English. Isabel went to school until middle school and she wants her children to graduate from high school and go to college. She hopes one day everyone in her family will have green cards.
Isabel uses a cell phone to which she can add minutes when she has money, and Marina sends her text messages to tell her how the kids are doing. Luckily everyone in the family is healthy. Isabel hasn’t needed the doctor, but friends at church tell her if she goes to the emergency room, she can see a doctor and get the medicine if needed.
Personal Information
Age: 26 years old
Profession: cook
Income: $5.25/hour under the table
Technical Proficiency: Uses a pre-paid cell phone
Time in U.S.: 2 months
Primary Language: Spanish
primary persona: People from Mexico represent 32% of immigrants living in the United States.