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Immigrant women find their voices through this peer support group

Lidia Regino, center in yellow dress, and Janet Page-Reeves, center in burgundy dress, are co-investigators in the Tertulias program at UNM.
University of New Mexico
The team behind Tertulias at the University of New Mexico, including Lidia Regino and Janet Page-Reeves (center)

University Showcase, 01/21, 8:30a: On this episode, studies have shown how detrimental social isolation can be and why social connections are an important part of our wellbeing. A research project at the University of New Mexico recruited 252 Mexican immigrant women facing severe isolation and has demonstrated that the power of connection can be transformative.

Tertulias, Spanish for informal social gatherings or chats, gave them a safe space to share their experiences and build trusted friendships.

The project also invited women to share their experiences through creative projects that included stories, drawings, paintings, photographs, recipes and poetry.

Guests:

  • Janet Page-Reeves, UNM Medical School's Department of Family & Community Medicine
  • Lidia Regino, program operations director for the Office of Community Health
  • Ernestina Mendez
  • Leticia Munguia
  • Rosalba Ramirez

Publications on the research

Our voices, our lives: Unforeseen stories after the violence and opening the door to becoming whole again - Women's Health

The importance of community for reducing social isolation - Futurum

Addressing Social Isolation and Depression among Women Immigrants from Mexico - Scientia