Nancy Felipe - Reflection

 

SPC2608

Reflection on Group Projects 

Theme: People Matter & Civic Action

Through the lenses of: Nancy Felipe ~ Group 2

The Preface

    As those say, this project has given me the chance to experience food for thought! I highly enjoyed this project working with my team as well and seeing how the other groups used this project in hopes to educate and influence all of us. What satisfied me the most was the way each group connected their researched topics to real-world experiences, making the information feel urgent and relevant. Even though I wasn't able to fully experience each groups presentation, in my opinion we all did an amazing job at educating the crowd on how history, policy, and community changes our society. 

Group Reflections

 

#1    Our Professor decided to have Group Four present first; their topic was built around Immigration and Healthcare. I learned from this presentation the history of how medical systems have evolved over time. They began with a historical overview, tracing healthcare from ancient practices such as herbal remedies and spiritual healing to the establishment of hospitals by the church during the Middle Ages. By the Renaissance, science and research began to dominate, and by the 19th century healthcare became more organized with insurance and national programs. The 20th century brought rapid technological advances and a growing emphasis on mental health, prevention, and access. Their timeline not only educated me on something new but made it easy to see how healthcare has never been static but has constantly adapted to new discoveries, social needs, and cultural values. By tracing the evolution of medicine from ancient times to the present, they made it clear that healthcare has always been shaped by cultural values, scientific discoveries, and social needs.

    The group also compared healthcare systems across countries, focusing on the United States and Japan. This comparison was eye-opening. While both nations have advanced medical technologies, Japan’s universal healthcare system ensures more equitable access at lower costs. In contrast, the U.S. relies heavily on private insurance, which often leaves vulnerable populations without adequate coverage. This difference made me reflect on how expensive healthcare is in America and how unequal access contributes to shorter life expectancy and greater disparities. It was a reminder that progress in medicine does not automatically translate into fairness; the structure of the system should matter just as much as the science behind it.

    What most stood out to me of this group was the way they connected healthcare and immigration, they broke the topic down into historical periods, showing how U.S. immigration laws have shifted from welcoming settlers to imposing stricter border policies. High medical costs, fear of debt, fear of deportation, misinformation, and lack of awareness all combine to create significant obstacles. These challenges are not abstract; they directly affect people’s willingness to seek care, which in turn impacts community health. 

    In all, Group Four did great on explaining complex issues that are rarely spoken about. They made it clear and easy to understand. The presentation overall was a big eye-opener to not only healthcare but how my own community is affected.  

 

   #2 Moving on to Group Three’s presentation, they took the class on an educative, emotional presenation. Making their theme on Immigration and Families (a very relevant topic) ironically complementing Group Four, the transition of topics was smooth like butter. 

    They opened the presentation by going over the main reasons people have immigrated to the U.S. over time: better job opportunities, freedom, and safety. Historical events gave the crowd real life events to put themselves in. These stories reminded me that behind every immigration statistic lies a human narrative of resilience, sacrifice, and hope. 

     They created a historical overview that added depth by showing how immigration waves have changed over centuries and how laws shaped who was allowed to enter. The analyzation of U.S. policies reflecting the country’s fears made it more understandable from that view point. Both groups made it clear that history and policy are never out of the blue, they are lived realities that affect people’s daily lives, people that can be your mother, your sibling, your grandparent.

    I want to give Sara her flowers for making her section more local, as we do live in a community where the majority is made up of immigrants. I found it very caring and genuine from her end. She interviewed a Hialeah immigration lawyer called Jannette Piñero, not only was that the perfect person to educate us on this topic but she implemented the lawyers information for those who need help. The group brought in  immigration lawyer insight, actual quotes about family separation, situations that create fear, and helped the crowd understand how language barriers have a big impact on this issue. These immigration challenges are not just national debates but local realities that can be affecting your friends, distant relatives, and/or neighbors.

    They ended this presentation by reminding people to be grateful for these positive attributes that we enjoy, it influences the crowd that isn't apart of the community to want help uplift instead of dismiss these minorities. 

    #3 Unfortunately for my own group (Group 2) I wasn't present due to circumstances so I cant put my own reflection on this so to make up for it I've decided to read all of the contributors relfection on this section to make up for it. Our purpose was to educate the people on The Environment and American Health. We as a collective decided to start off our presentation with the history. By doing this is added dimension to the overall theme by showing how surroundings directly impact health. Manuel began by tracing the history of environmental health awareness, noting how disasters such as the Donora Fog of 1948 and the New York Smog of 1966 forced people to recognize the dangers of air pollution. A special case to him was the Love Canal in the 1970s, where toxic waste devastated an entire community. That tragedy led to major laws like the Superfund program, which still protects people today by cleaning up hazardous sites. These examples demonstrated that environmental health is not just about protecting nature; it is about safeguarding human lives and communities.

    Now for Melissas section she followed with an explanation of how both federal and state laws help protect the environment today, such as the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, that has became common practice in todays society. She also discussed Miami-Dade’s own environmental rules, to make the topic more local and relevant to the crowd. 

    Francisco and I took over the air pollution and health section. We decided to use the compare and contrast method. By comparing America to polluted countries we can make it easier for the crowd to pinpoint key sources of pollution. After digesting the horrid polluted countries and its similairities to U.S., I crafted a graph of countries with the complete opposite air quality conditions. Even though factors like population density and the natural geography of these places have a significant influence to their achievements of clean air, we can see the differences in policy, lifestyle, and use of renewable resources for energy, we can learn from that and apply it to our own society. Francisco took over the interview section, he decided to connect with Melissa Lau who is apart of a local enviormental organization in MDC to figure out ways us as citizens can help improve our local community. She gave us simple actions that we can implement in our daily lives in hopes that our peers will take it into account and apply it to their day-to-day lives. 

     Yovani and Marcel concluded with a focus on Miami-Dade’s water quality. Although our tap water meets legal standards, it still contains chemicals such as PFAS and Trihalomethanes that can be harmful if not monitored closely. Their section drove home the point that environmental health is not a distant or abstract issue—it is something that affects us daily. By connecting past disasters to present concerns and future challenges, our group showed that environmental health is a dynamic field that requires constant vigilance and community engagement.

    Overall, I am proud of how our group worked together and covered these aspects, from history and laws to local issues that directly impact our community. Some people have given up on the idea of fixing climate change and keeping our communities clean but by showing them that problems like these have rised and been broken down by solutions we have seen, hopefully others are encouraged to keep these policies/actions in placed, as this is the world our future kids and grandkids will have to deal with. Environmental health is not just a science topic but a lived reality that influences everyday life.

Conclusion

    Reflecting on all three presentations, I can see the common thread: healthcare, immigration, and environmental health are interconnected issues that shape our communities in profound ways. Immigrants face barriers to healthcare, environmental hazards disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, and policies in both areas reflect broader social values and fears. By studying these topics together, we gain a deeper understanding of how history, law, science, and human experience intersect to learn from our mistakes and build a better future for those generations to come.

    Ultimately, these projects were more than academic exercises; they were opportunities to connect knowledge with empathy. They encouraged us to see the human stories behind complex issues and to recognize our responsibility in shaping a healthier, more ethical, and sustainable future. 

Thank you for those who participated and listened.