Rachel Bloom-Pojar

This qualitative project examines rhetorics of health, language access, and reproductive justice with promotores de salud (health promoters) who work with Spanish-speaking communities and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI). Designed collaboratively with PPWI’s Director of Latinx Programming and Initiatives, Maria Barker, this study is guided by three questions: 1) How do barriers to language access impact reproductive justice for Latinx communities? 2) How do promotores de salud rhetorically navigate communication in between communities and institutions? and 3) What experiences and knowledge do promotores de salud have that can help health practitioners and researchers better understand the complexities of immigrant communities' experiences with healthcare? This research highlights the rhetorical expertise that promotores de salud have for creating spaces of confianza (trust) to discuss reproductive and sexual health. It also demonstrates how the promotores step in where institutional outreach fails to help their communities navigate healthcare systems and social services. This residency at PPWI will help deepen relationships with community educators and administrators, enhance analysis of focus group and interview data, and develop a model for culturally sustaining care that centers the experiences of the promotores de salud and their communities.