Yovani Aguilarperez: Reflection

Tuesday, November 11, 2025


Yovani Aguilarperez: Reflection

Yovani Aguilarperez

Introduction to Public Speaking

Reflection on Civic Action and People Matter

Our Foundation. The Environment as a Health Imperative.

Our groups presentation covered the environment and American health from past times to the present and into the future. We aimed to show how health ties right into the environment in every way. Taking care of our health means looking after our bodies, but it also involves protecting the world around us that gives us what we need to survive. The members in my group did a solid job on the history side. They explained how old environmental messes helped create the health and safety rules we follow now. One example they brought up was the Donora Fog back in 1948. That was a bad smog event in Pennsylvania that hung around for five days. It killed twenty people and made almost half the townsfolk sick. Things like that, plus the Love Canal mess in the 1970s, really shook people up. They pushed for big laws like the Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. I looked into water quality right here in Miami-Dade County. My goal was to point out the local issues and suggest some fixes. The 2024 Miami-Dade County Water Quality Report spells it out pretty clearly. Our drinking water deals with main pollutants like PFAS, those forever chemicals, and stuff from disinfection like trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. This goes beyond just science stuff. It hits human health hard. Those contaminants link to big problems like cancer, hormone issues, kids neurological troubles, and complications during pregnancy. The report points out equity problems too. Some folks face more risk than others in the general crowd. That covers people with weak immune systems, such as cancer patients, organ transplant folks, those with HIV or AIDS, certain older adults, and even infants. Digging into this made me see from a work angle why guarding the environment matters so much for everyones healthier tomorrow.

Group 3 talked about immigration and families. They kept the immigration chat going but shifted to a more personal view. Their topic really grabbed attention because it dug into the human elements. They covered historical moments and strong motivations that drive millions to head to the United States for that American Dream. They started with the key reasons families move. That includes chasing better jobs, freedom for religion or politics, and mostly escaping war or violence for safety. They went back to the 1600s in immigration history. It showed how different waves of newcomers built the country we have. This part made me realize that stats arent cold numbers. Each one ties into real pieces of our past. A standout section came from interviewing a local immigration lawyer in Hialeah, Jannette Piñero. Hearing her real words on family splits, fear, and language hurdles in Miami-Dade brought it all home in a powerful way. They also covered todays policies, like the Expedited Removal Expansion. Those arent just political talks. They hit real lives right away and directly. What impressed me was how they balanced the tough parts. They wrapped up positively by noting immigrant families big roles, especially around Miami-Dade. That means starting businesses and adding to the citys culture with food, customs, and languages. Their talk carried real emotion. The slides looked good too, making a tricky subject easy to follow and touching.

Group 4 handled immigration and healthcare. Their talk on that topic tied everything together in a key way. It linked big healthcare systems to the personal tales of immigrant families. They kicked off with a solid look at healthcare history. It went from old ways to the high-tech setup we see today. From there, they compared the US system to Japans. I picked up that both have top tech, but Japans universal approach ensures fair access and keeps costs down. The US side stays mostly private, leading to steep prices and leaving tons of people out, often because of their immigration situation. Then they broke down the current hurdles for immigrants. Cost and legal status play a big role, sure. But they stressed other issues like language gaps, deportation worries, discrimination fears, and just not knowing what help exists. What made this talk stand out was showing health as a basic right elsewhere. In the US, though, it often feels like a perk you might or might not get, particularly for immigrants. They localized it like the others by naming groups in Miami-Dade pushing for fairness in healthcare. The whole thing had real depth and clear points. Transitions between speakers flowed well, showing good team work and true passion for the subject.

This whole project gave me a closer look at the tough spots in our society. The talks made clear how public health links tight to social and environmental hurdles right now. Like our group said, protecting the environment affects life quality for every community directly. But Group 4 pointed out that plenty of folks cant grab that quality because healthcare access stays out of reach for many. That hits immigrant families hardest since they cant always pay. Group 3 drove home that stats hide human stories of hard work and toughness from millions seeking better days. To build a solid future for anybody, we need to start by watching over our surroundings. This work made me appreciate my own path and background more. It also showed me were heading into some unsure times. As citizens, its on us to steer things toward fairness and better health for all families chasing a stronger life. As citizens, it's on us to guide things in the direction of fairness. We need better health outcomes for every family out there looking for a more solid way of life. This project really drove home for me how these matters aren't just some distant classroom ideas. They hit close to home as the everyday experiences of people around us. Think neighbors and coworkers and even our own relatives, particularly right here in Miami. I saw my fellow participants linking up all these tricky pieces. They went from something like a neighborhood water check to the real worries in someone's move from another country. That whole process served as a strong nudge about the duties we all share. Just knowing about these troubles isn't going to cut it on its own. We have to grasp how they tie together on a very personal level. In my view, that kind of insight forms the real base for whatever real progress we want to make.