If you’ve ever been to a hospital or a medical clinic or some type of medical facility, which most of us probably have, you may have noticed that a lot of health care workers are Filipino. They can be doctors, or home care providers, or some type of health care worker, but most of them are nurses. This is not just your imagination, as statistics show that Filipino nurses do compose the largest share of immigrant nurses in the United States. In fact, the Philippines is the world’s biggest supplier of nurses. In this episode, we talk to some Filipina nurses – members of an organization called Philippine Nurses Association of Alaska, Incorporated – to hear their journeys and experiences in the American healthcare system – particularly during the time of COVID – and how this impacts their families, and the entire Filipino American community.
HOST:
E.J. David
Guests:
Lorna Hermogino Garcia, Founder and first President of the Philippine Nurses Association of Alaska
Maribell Salanguit, Current President of the Philippine Nurses Association of Alaska.
Belena Hernandez Futch, Member of Philippine Nurses Association of Alaska
LINK:
“Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History”
Why the US has so many Filipino nurses – VOX
PARTICIPATE:
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- LIVE: Monday, December 6, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, December 6, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
Ammon Swenson is Alaska Public Media’s Audio Media Content Producer. He was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He graduated from UAA in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and integrated media. He’s previously worked for KRUA radio, the Anchorage Press, and The Northern Light.
