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While an increasing body of data suggests that marginalized groups have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, little has been published about the specific impact on Brazilian immigrants in the U.S. We conducted 15 key informant interviews, one of which included two participants (n = 16), with representatives from social service agencies, healthcare, and faith-based organizations serving Brazilian immigrants. Key informants were asked about the community’s experiences with COVID-19 testing and treatment, responses to CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines, perceptions about the virus, and the pandemic’s impact on physical and mental health. Results suggest that COVID-19 has profoundly impacted Brazilian immigrants’ mental and physical health. Key informants perceived that community members faced higher risk of COVID-19 infection due to overcrowded living conditions and over-representation in public-facing and informal (e.g., housecleaning) jobs. They reported barriers to COVID-19-related healthcare services including language, immigration status, and fear of deportation. Brazilian cultural norms surrounding hygiene practices, social distancing, and information distribution have shaped the community’s pandemic response. The Brazilian community has faced extensive social, economic, and health ramifications due to the pandemic. While not unique to this community, pre-existing concerns about social disadvantage suggest a particular vulnerability of this population to the virus.

Objective: Primary caregivers (e.g., parents, grandparents, other family members) from low-income and ethnically minoritized families tend to face a host of barriers when participating in their children's school activities. Research suggests that demographic match and quality communication between caregivers and teachers could support minoritized families' school-based engagement. This study examined the associations among caregiver-teacher demographic match, caregivers' perceived communication quality with the teacher and caregivers' perceived barriers to school-based engagement. Method: Caregivers (n = 565) from 49 Head Start classrooms completed the parent-report versions of the surveys: Barriers to Family Engagement, reporting resource, cultural/relational, and program/context barriers to school-based engagement; and Family-Teacher Communication, reporting communication quality with their children's lead and assistant teachers (n = 102). Caregivers and teachers also completed demographic surveys to provide information about their family background, such as race/ethnicity, primary language, and education level. Results: Multilevel modeling results showed that among the three demographic match variables (i.e., race/ ethnicity, primary language, formal education), only language match was associated with caregivers' perception of fewer cultural/relational barriers. Latine and Black non-Latine caregivers reported more cultural/relational and program/context carriers than White, non-Latine caregivers. Finally, caregivers who perceived better communication with their children's teachers reported fewer cultural/relational and program/context barriers. Conclusions: Primary language match and high-quality communication between families and teachers appear essential in creating a welcoming preschool environment that could alleviate some of the barriers to engagement typically faced by ethnically minoritized and low-income families. Public Significance StatementPrimary caregivers from low-income and ethnically minoritized families tend to face a host of barriers to participating in their children's school activities. This study showed that when caregivers and teachers speak the same language and parents perceive good quality communication with their child's teachers, they are likely to experience fewer barriers related to culture and program contexts as they participate in their children's preschool program. Findings underscore the need for early childhood education programs to consider culturally responsive ways of connecting with ethnically and linguistically diverse families.

Background COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted low-income immigrant communities. There is concern that the current uptake of COVID-19 vaccines is suboptimal and that this may be contributing to COVID-19 inequities. However, little is known about the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines among immigrants in the U.S. Our goal was to gauge COVID-19 vaccine intentions among Brazilian immigrant women living in the U.S. Methods We conducted an online survey between July and August 2020 offered in Portuguese and English languages among a convenience sample of Brazilian immigrant women ages 18 years and older. Women were recruited through online advertisements by community-based organizations and social media groups to complete a survey that assessed intention to get a COVID-19 vaccine, attitudes toward vaccines, and perceptions about the pandemic. Results Of the total sample (N = 353), most (70.8%) indicated they intended to get a COVID-19 vaccine. In bivariate analyses, vaccine intentions were significantly associated with perceptions about the severity of the pandemic, trusted sources of health information, and the number of years lived in the U.S. Multinomial logistic regression models revealed that those who did not intend to be vaccinated had lived a longer time in the U.S. (OR: -0.12 95% CI: -0.19, -0.05), perceived the pandemic to be a minor issue (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 0.62, 2.42), and trusted information from social networks (OR: -1.94, 95% CI: -3.25, -0.63) or private news sources (OR: -1.71, 95% CI: -2.78, -0.63). Conclusions While most women reported they would get a COVID-19 vaccine, efforts to reach those who may be hesitant should target those who have lived in the U.S. for longer periods of time and do not perceive the pandemic to be a major crisis. Healthcare providers may be particularly suited to deliver this information given high levels of trust.

Background: COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted low-income communities and communities of color. Widespread uptake of COVID-19 vaccines is necessary to prevent ongoing community transmission. Little is known about the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines among immigrant communities, many of which have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Our goal was to gauge COVID-19 vaccine intentions among Brazilian immigrant women living in the U.S. Methods: We conducted an online survey in Portuguese and English among a convenience sample of Brazilian immigrant women ages 18 years and older. Women were recruited through online advertisements by community-based organizations and social media groups to complete a survey that assessed intention to get a COVID-19 vaccine, attitudes toward vaccines, and perceptions about the pandemic.Results: Of the total sample (N=364), most (70.9%) indicated they would take a COVID-19 vaccine. In bivariate analyses, vaccine intentions were significantly associated with perceptions about the severity of the pandemic, trusted sources of health information, and number of years lived in the U.S. Multinomial logistic regression models revealed that those who did not intend to be vaccinated had lived a longer time in the U.S. (OR: -0.12 95% CI: -0.19, -0.05), perceived the pandemic to be only a minor problem (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 0.51, 2.37), and trusted information from social networks (OR: -2.04, 95% CI: -3.35, -0.73) and private news sources (OR: -1.76, 95% CI: -2.85, -0.68).Conclusions: While the majority of women reported they would get a COVID-19 vaccine, efforts to reach those who may be hesitant should target those who have lived in the U.S. for a longer time and do not perceive the pandemic to be a major crisis. Healthcare providers may be particularly suited to deliver this information given high levels of trust.