The American Society of Hand Therapists’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is pleased to announce the next selection for the ASHT DEI Book Club. After careful consideration and thoughtful suggestions, the committee has selected a compelling and thought-provoking read that we believe will foster rich discussions within our community.
Borders of Care: Immigrants, Migrants, and the Fight for Health Care in the United States
by Beatrix Hoffman, PhD
June 23, 2026
8 p.m. ET
The author will join the discussion to answer questions from both moderators and participants! This session will explore the intersection of immigration and U.S. health care policy and provide perspectives on health equity and access.
CE Credit: 1.0 continuing education hour, or 0.10 CEUs
Pricing: This event is FREE to members and nonmembers. Registration is required.
Description
In Borders of Care, Beatrix Hoffman examines the relationship between the immigration and health care systems in the United States. For the roughly ten million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, federal health care coverage is out of reach. Barred from Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, most rely on hospital emergency rooms when they get sick, or clinics that do not inquire about immigration status. Further obstacles to health care, including discrimination and the fear of deportation, mean that immigrants, undocumented or not, seek and receive less medical attention than any other population in the country.
Drawing together stories from diverse communities from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, Borders of Care examines how health care in the United States has both included and excluded immigrants. Beatrix Hoffman analyzes both the health and immigration systems, adding to our understanding of why these structures, and the policies that support them, have resisted reform.
The book highlights the activism of patients, health care workers, and community organizations who have challenged these restrictions and fought to expand access. Through this lens, Hoffman reveals how debates over immigration and health care are deeply intertwined with broader struggles over rights, belonging, and social justice in America.
About the Author
Beatrix Hoffman is professor of history at Northern Illinois University. She is a historian of the U.S. health care system, health reform, and social movements. Hoffman is the author of Health Care for Some: Rights and Rationing in the United States since 1930 and The Wages of Sickness: The Politics of Health Insurance in Progressive America.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants will:
- Describe the complex perspectives relating to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and life experiences that shape the clinical learning environment, influence clinical decision making and ultimately impact the delivery of patient care.
- Examine the role of discrimination, bias, microaggressions and racism in the ability to deliver equitable care and use increased competency in anti-racism, cultural humility, social justice, racial equity, allyship, disabusing disability, gender/sexuality issues and LGBTQ+ promotion and acceptance to eliminate health disparities and improve health equity.
- Examine organizational climates and attitudes which impose barriers to creating diverse, equitable and inclusive environments.
- Discuss scholarly work with organizational audiences which improves patient education, expands the framework of clinical decision making and contributes to the body of work in diversity, equity and inclusion.
Suggested resources to acquire the book: