M2:XINE WATERS Puease Repty To:

“ 1207 LOonGwortw House Orrice Bios.
~ ae ivvermicr. Cauirone = , CO Wasnincron, DC 20515-0535
. 351m District, CALIFORNIA - ; 3021 328-2201

COMMITTEES: Fax (202) 225-7854

BANKING, FINANCE AND Congress of the Anited States pisrcr Ornet

URBAN AFFAIRS 10124 S. BROAOWAY

VETERANS’ AFFAIRS House of Representatives 1 hos Anctues, CA 80003

(213) 757-8900

Washington, BEC 20515-0535 Fax (213) 787-9508

NEWS RELEASE

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Patrick Lacefield
Monday, January 11, 1993- or Sabrina Sojourner
202-225-2201

CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS HAILS AIDS COMMISSION REPORT,
CALLS RACISM OBSTACLE TO FIGHT AGAINST THE DISEASE

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (Democrat--35th District, California)
today praised the findings of the National Commission on AIDS
report on HIV in minority communities as "a significant |
breakthrough in recognizing that racism is a major obstacle to
confronting AIDS in communities of color in America."

q
The report, entitled "The Challenge of HIV/AIDS in Communities of
Color," was released today at a Capitol Hill news conference by
the Presidential Commission. It was the result of three years of
public hearings and site visits that examined the spread of the
disease in the African-American, Latino/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific
Islander, and Native American communities. The report: casts a
critical eye on federal government efforts to battle the deadly
malady in those communities.

As of September 1992, 47.5 percent of all AIDS cases involved
individuals from communities of color while only 24.3 percent of
250 million Americans are from those communities.

"The continuing widespread stigmatization of people of color.
creates enormous difficulties for effectively combatting the
HIV/AIDS epidemic," the report states. " For these communities,
disproportionate representation (among those infected) raises the.
fear that they will be saddled with the disease--blamed for it,
stigmatized by it, and left to deal with it on their own."

"For people of color already battling this epidemic, continuing
racism is the double whammy," said Rep. Waters. "We can't fight
AIDS without, at the same time, taking on racism because that
racism is an obstacle to our work.

(more...)

 
"In this 103rd Congress, I will be authoring legislation designed
to implement the recommendations of this Commission report.

"We want effective and equitable policy, program,.and funding by
federal, state, and local governments in communities of color
using --to the greatest extent possible-- community-based
organizations with established links to our communities.

"We need public health officials and researchers to better
understand the cultural and socio-economic factors in HIV
transmission, in the disease process, and in access to treatment.
We need to encourage the development of bio-medical researchers
from our communities.

"We need full funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, as has been
promised by President-Elect Bill Clinton. We need to bolster
primary care infrastructures that serve communities of color,
including the National Health Service Corps, community and
migrant health centers, inner-city public hospitals, and the
Indian Health Service. |

"We have to think of the children here. The federal government
should work side-by-side with states to establish foster-care |
programs for HIV-infected children and non-infected youth
orphaned by the loss of their parents to the HIV disease.
Families too need more, help in caring for HIV-infected children.
N
"Finally, we need to target persons of color who engage in high-
risk behaviours for special access to prevention information and
treatment opportunities. This also means dealing with homophobia.
To fight against racism without also fighting homophobia is to
continue to battle this AIDS menace with one. hand tied behind our
backs."

Congresswoman Waters is beginning her second term in the House of
Representatives and represents south-central Los Angeles and the
communities of Inglewood and Hawthorne.

HF