ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book reviews the policy implications of the country's demographic future characterized by an aging, and proportionally faster growing, traditional population and comparatively younger, minority groups. It presents health legislation presently debated in Congress with a discussion of the major factors that determine needs and hinder access to health care among Hispanics. The book addresses an important methodological issue and argues that using the underclass model—to design health programs for the underserved—is inadequate for blacks and totally inappropriate for Hispanics. It also presents education as a necessary springboard or, when deficient, a formidable barrier to national development. The book also presents the first extensive review of the medical literature relevant to infectious disease risk differentials between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. It examines a public health challenge of particular importance to both the Hispanic community and the nation.
