Out of Breath? Teens with Asthma Get the Word Out

My Town is Suffocating Me!

Everyone knows the story of Robin Hood—he takes from the rich and gives to the poor. Unfortunately, many low-income families face just the opposite. Within their communities, they deal with environmental racism: the intentional establishment of hazardous waste sites, landfills, incinerators, and factories in neighborhoods that are predominantly inhabited by people of color. These sites produce more money for people who are already wealthy, like businesspeople and factory owners, while taking away clean air from the poor residents, making them suffer. This issue involves racism because people of color are three times more likely than white people to live in these areas and are therefore at higher risk for contracting dangerous diseases.

People living in these areas are regularly exposed to some of the worst known asthma triggers, including dust mites and diesel exhaust fumes from buses and trucks. Additionally, common problems in low-quality housing, like roaches, rodents, and mold, make symptoms worse.
In 2003, a nonprofit group decided to test children in Harlem, a low-income neighborhood in New York City, for asthma. They discovered that at least a quarter of the kids tested had the disease. The Center for Disease Control says that only 6 percent of all Americans have asthma, so this figure shows that the presence of asthma in Harlem is exceptionally high.

In 1993, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Carol Browner testified to Congress about the problem. “People of color and low income,” she said, “are disproportionately* affected by some environmental risks–the risk of living near landfills, municipal waste combustors, or hazardous waste sites.” Unfortunately, not much has been done by the government since then to change things. Community organizations like Harlem’s WE ACT and the Boston Urban Asthma Coalition continue to work to help the people in these areas and reduce their risk for asthma and other dangerous diseases.

*Disproportionately: out of proportion in size, shape, or amount.

Reach for the Stars

Dealing with asthma can be hard, but it shouldn’t stop you from achieving your dreams. Here is a list of people who overcame their asthma and accomplished great things:

• Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic runner
• Diane Keaton, actor
• Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist
• John F. Kennedy, president
• Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic figure skater
• Earl Simmons, aka DMX, rapper
• Wynona Judd, singer

For More Info:

Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Paquette

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America - www.aafa.org

Asthmaactionamerica.org

Sources

www.dictionary.com, www.fda.gov, www.healthcentral.com, www.epa.gov, www.lungusa.org, www.aanma.org, www.getasthmahelp.org, www.commondreams.org, cpmcnet.columbia.edu, esc.mtu.edu, www.mindfully.org, www.aafa.org, www.kidshealth.org, www.healthsystem.virginia.edu

main 1 2

Guidance for Grown-ups
Go to our new Guidance for Grown-ups section for special activities and tips on this feature!