Meet a Roadrunner: Milena Melo hopes to help undocumented immigrants receive health care
(July 20, 2016) -- Meet Milena Melo. The UTSA doctoral student is eager to advocate for immigrants in the Rio Grande Valley, and she says the top-tier education she’s getting at UTSA is bringing her closer to her goals.
“I’ve always been interested in immigration because I was born in Mexico and my parents are immigrants,” said Melo. “I was undocumented for the grand majority of my life until Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) came out in 2012.”
Melo said UTSA has made it possible for her to pursue her passions in anthropology and health care. She is focusing her dissertation on access to health care for undocumented immigrants funded by the National Science Foundation, the UTSA Mexico Center and the UTSA Department of Anthropology.
“I’m paying attention to how immigration status matters when it comes to accessing health care and focusing on dialysis as the extreme case study,” said Melo.
During her research, Melo said she’s heard patients’ stories and seen the struggles they face.
“The grand majority only have access to dialysis through hospital emergency rooms when they are on the verge of death,” said Melo.
Melo received a research fellowship from the UTSA Mexico Center last year. Through UTSA’s partnership with the Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS) in Mexico, she was able to conduct research in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon.
“I received funding through the UTSA Mexico Center Educational Research Fellowship three years in a row that helped with pilot projects each summer,” said Melo. “Meeting Harriett Romo had a tremendous impact on my career.”
Melo even contributed to Romo’s new book Mexican Migration to the United States: Perspectives from Both Sides of the Border. Melo and Jill Fleuriet, associate professor of anthropology, wrote a chapter focusing on how citizenship influences immigrant health care and health care eligibility.
“I know I probably couldn’t have gotten that same support elsewhere. Dr. Jill Fleuriet is amazing. She’s the best professor and mentor I’ve ever had,” said Melo.
Melo has been awarded several fellowships and honors as a UTSA graduate student to help fund her research. Most recently, she was awarded the Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, the American Anthropological Association Minority Dissertation Fellowship, and the UTSA Presidential Dissertation Fellowship.
When Melo isn’t studying, she’s mentoring other students interested in medical anthropology and immigration research topics.
The UTSA student hopes to complete her Ph.D. by May of 2017. She has goals to return to the Rio Grande Valley and use her top-tier education to make an impact on a community she loves through teaching and research.
“My ultimate goal is to impact policy one day,” said Melo. “I want to push policy to grant access to health care for undocumented immigrants. I think it should all be the same. Health care is a human right.”
By Kara Mireles
Public Affairs Specialist
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Events
The Dreamer and Undocumented student conversation consists of a panel discussion that will center in the immigrant experience while attending college and as a new professional. Our panelist will discuss their experiences as immigrants from different Latin American countries, and as current or former members of the undocumented community.
Virtual EventCome learn more about the Whataburger Resource Room and what you can do to fight food insecurity on our campus!
Student Union, Paseo Principal Staircase, Main CampusJoin us for the grand opening of our new office space! There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at Noon with an open house at HSU 2.206, and student organization tabling on the Paseo. We will have DJ Loko along with snacks, give aways, and activities.
H-E-B Student Union, 2.206, Main CampusThis year we will have a NNO kickoff party at the Downtown Campus - Frio Building breezeway. The event will be on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm. We will have snow cones, music, and door prizes! The is a free event for all our DTC community. The NNO main event will be held at Main campus on October 5.
Frio Breezeway, Downtown CampusA virtual conversation about how we can take action to improve our wellbeing to prevent future mental health burn out.
Virtual EventNo matter your first language, Coffee & Conversation can help you expand your horizons. We invite all UTSA students to come spend your lunch hour with Coffee & Conversation, where international and domestic students gather and build inter-cultural connections.
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