Taking Our Seat at the Table: Why the Expertise of LESLLA Educators is Needed in the Health Literacy Field

Abstract

In the changing context of migration, the LESLLA field remains an untapped resource in efforts to address health literacy disparities among under-served immigrant populations, including those with limited schooling and literacy skills, as well as other historically hard-to-reach populations, such as immigrant adults without legal documentation and elderly immigrant adults. Despite persistent links between low literacy and poor health outcomes (Sudore & Schillinger, 2009), there are almost no routes for collaboration between the LESLLA field and public health, even though the literacy classroom represents an ideal context for reaching at-risk immigrant communities. This article, structured as a conversation about health literacy, discusses a range of questions and action-steps that the LESLLA field must consider to ensure that the LESLLA learner population does not remain a neglected cause in the health literacy field.