| During the 1860s, the children of immigrant parents died at nearly ten times the rate of native-born, primarily the result of diseases spread through overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions and contaminated food problems. While the diseases suffered by the Moore family no longer pose a threat to the majority of Americans, they remain illnesses which disproportionately afflict the poor. Today, immigrants living on the Lower East Side continue to face threats from disease. In 2003, 19% of Lower East Side residents interviewed by the New York City Department of Health stated that their health was “poor” or “fair.” Among the most prevalent diseases suffered by immigrant residents are cancer, heart disease, and HIV/Aids. HOME |
|
  
|
|
