Yo Soy Lo Que Soy:Los Experiencias de Los Gay

Inmigrantes de la Bahia de San Francisco

Cross-Cultural, Community-Participatory Filmmaking as a Culminating Experience Project of the SFSU MPH Program

Brad A. VanderbiltSpring 2007

Problem Statement

Gay Latino immigrants face significant challenges related

racism and homophobia which pose important

contextual factors that seriously impact individual and

community health among gay Latino immigrants,

and contribute to significant health disparities

including a disproportionate burden of HIV infection.

Purpose

To highlight, through a documentary film produced in a cross-

cultural, community participatory process, ways

that Bay Area gay-identified Latino immigrants cope with

oppression and to increase awareness of ways gay Latino

immigrants are building on community assets to create a

stronger, more resilient community.

Four Big IdeasSocial/contextual factors influencing individual/community health, and the impact of community engagement on health.

Ways in which process-focused filmmaking within a social-justice framework may contribute to individual/community health.

Challenges/opportunities in community-participatory health education.

Challenges/opportunities in cross-cultural collaboration in health education.

Methods

Formative Research

Community Engagement

Filmmaking

Distribution

Evaluation

Results

Community Showcase

Screenings /Community Forums

Distribution Plan

Process as Product

Yo Soy Lo Que Soy

FindingsParticipants Reported:

Project Created Space to Acknowledge Challenges

Project Created Space to Celebrate Strengths

Project Created Opportunities for Enhanced Social Support, Networks

Project Reflected Respect and Concern for the Community Input

Project Made a Positive Contribution to the Community

Conclusions: we’re all tied together…Cross-Cultural Collaborations for community health are

as challenging as they are rewarding. Aspiring to cultural humility means learning that the best way to step up as a community leader is knowing when to step back.

Community Participatory Health Education Requires An Ability to Let Go, Have Faith and Breathe. And it calls us to explore more deeply the ethical nuances of professional work on very personal issues in communities in which we have deep and extensive connections.

Social and Contextual factors have a profound impact on the health of individual and communities, both for good and for ill. To encourage the good, and stem the bad, requires hard work up-stream and down.

Process-focused filmmaking can make a powerful contribution to community health by creating an enduring document of the struggle to find community-based solutions to cope with and counter structural factors negatively impacting health.

Personal Reflections Intersectionality, Overlapping Communities

Many Hats, Many Roles

CBPR: this time, it’s personal

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Yo Soy Lo Que Soy:Los Experiencias de Los Gay Inmigrantes

de la Bahia de San Francisco

<<Insert quick-time film trailer here>>

Besos+AbrazosSOMOS CAB Members, “The Principals” + The April 7th Shoot Team

Members of AGUILAS, GELAAM, Hermanos + ProLatino

Rafael Diaz + the César Chavez Institute

Lisa Moore, José Ramon Fernandez-Peña + Rachel Poulin

Raging Stallion Studios, Michael Brandon + Kent Taylor

SF LGBT Center + DeFrank Center (SJ)

Roma Guy, Vivian Chavez,

Café Flore, Jamie Awad, Club Papi + Gloria Trevi

Jose Carlos, Carlos, Carlos Alfredo, Alfredo, Alfredo,

Nelson, Jesus, Rodrigo, Robert + Omar

Andy, Erin, Ben, Jorge, Dani, Ernesto, Chris, Garza, Mama Dora, Giselle, Trauma Flintstone, Tom Orr, Jaqueline La Cubana, Mercedes Monroe

the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Love Shack,

Samer, Roudi, Tarek, Tarek, Saed + Ghassan

Injeanious, Rock Hard, Rythmo Latino, Eros, Nickel Spa

CIN527, Vicky+Liliana, MPH Cohort 2007

Mom&Dad, TT&G, Penny, Naomi&Dan + Jean Drolet