Nina, a Mexican immigrant who wanted to be identified only by her first name, shares a laugh with her son, Salvador, as they play a game at their house on the Far West Side. Because her husband works long hours hanging drywall, Nina takes advantage of community services to help her and her four children when she is overwhelmed by problems. For Latino families seeking a better life in Columbus, as with most other new arrivals, the transition often takes a harsher toll on the women. Pregnancy and childbirth in a foreign city where few people speak Spanish can be terrifying for many Latinas.
Many women also have jobs, further complicating matters.
Ami Peacock of St. Vincent Family Centers is one of relatively few Spanish-speaking social workers in Franklin County. She devotes two days a week to helping Latinos on Columbus' Far West Side, counseling women on their feelings of isolation and depression. Her parents had jobs lined up, carried proper papers and spoke some English. As an outreach worker for the Columbus Health Department, Avila helps many of Columbus' new Latino residents, visiting communities to find pregnant women who need health care. She admires the women who use the department's free prenatal clinic in the Linden neighborhood.