Associate Professor Rocío Calvo was one of ten featured faculty, students, and alumni to present at Advancing Research and Scholarship, Boston College’s annual event highlighting the University’s commitment to research. The theme of this year’s event was Research and the Common Good.
Calvo spoke on “How Social Protection Contributes to the Incorporation of Immigrants,” providing a broad overview of the work she is doing to investigate how access to health and education contributes to the advancement of Latinxs in the U.S., both through her research and through her role as Founding Director of BCSSW’s Latino Leadership Initiative.
Calvo framed her Research Day talk by referencing her recent publication in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies titled “Obamacare in action: How access to the health care system contributes to immigrants’ sense of belonging.” The study uncovered some of the differing processes that are embedded in the health care system across states, and it analyzed how different health care policies impacted immigrants’ access to health coverage and their feelings of inclusion into American life.
“There are many people who work very hard, but do not have access to opportunities for advancement,” she told the audience at Corcoran Commons, citing the life story of an immigrant living in Miami who tried desperately, and unsuccessfully, to sign up for health insurance coverage.
“This is how I think about the Common Good in my work as a scholar and as a professor,” she explained. “I believe my scholarship should contribute to increase access to opportunities to advancement for everyone. As a professor, I pay particular attention to the formation of my students. I believe my teaching should help train future leaders committed to transform systems of inequality into systems of opportunity for all.”
Calvo is also a national co-leader of the American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare’s Grand Challenge “Achieve Equal Opportunity and Justice.” To learn more about this important project, please visit the AASWSW’s website.