Gallery • 3 Photos

Jocelyn Hernandez Gomez

People play a game of Spikeball together without face coverings in Mission Dolores Park in San Francisco on May 9, 2020.

The only person other than myself who was wearing a mask was this man selling ice cream. Despite social distancing and face covering mandates people still flock to places like Mission Dolores Park in San Francisco on sunny days. Some, like the palatero I chatted with, continue to have to work because they have no choice.

Latinos are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The CDC reported that Latinos count for 27% of COVID-19 deaths yet they count for only 18% of the population. The Economic Policy Institute reported 84% of the nation’s Latinos do not have the luxury of working from home, 50% have less than $500 in savings and 49% have experienced job losses or cuts. Many did not qualify for the federal stimulus.