It feels as though the field of health equity has finally come into its time. Conversations about the presence of health disparities have evolved into discussions of how to eliminate them, which have in turn evolved into a broader movement to truly achieve equity in health predictors, statuses, and outcomes. The field of health equity is at its core a branch of social justice, and the movement has clearly begun. The road is long, however, and the issues that drive the underlying presence of health disparities remain firmly in place. The field also remains very new, particularly in investigating the unique health and healthcare needs of groups that are not only marginalized in society, but also largely neglected in the scientific literature.

Despite its relative youth, however, the field has produced critical knowledge about the origins of health equity issues and has also produced resounding successes in promoting equity itself. This book is a manifestation of that knowledge. Our hope for this textbook is that it serves for students of public health and other health disciplines as not only a comprehensive guide to the historical origins of health inequities and the predominant health issues for diverse groups, but also more importantly that it serves as a guide to developing and implementing solutions to achieve health equity developed by and for the communities affected. This solutions-focused and community-affirming approach permeates the book’s philosophy—each chapter focused on a specific health equity community includes authorship from members of that specific community and an illustrative case example of how equity-focused efforts have been successfully implemented.

We begin the book with an overview of the major dynamics of health equity for both the experienced and the new student, focusing on historical perspectives, the role of prejudice and discrimination, an overview of cross-cutting health equity frameworks and theories, and a summary of three major methods of implementing health equity research and collaboration. We then present 13 community-specific chapters that summarize current needs and applied solutions for groups ranging from Native Hawaiians to individuals with disabilities, each authored or coauthored by one or more members of the community being discussed. We then conclude the book with a discussion of the importance of cultural humility and a summary of where the field of health equity is poised to go from here. An intersectionality perspective is interwoven throughout the text to help affirm that all people are an assemblage of multiple cultural identities, each of which may be subject to health equity concerns. Instructor resources for this text include an Instructor’s Manual, chapter PowerPoint presentations, Test Bank, and a Sample Syllabus, which may be requested by emailing [email protected]. The book has been specifically designed for courses in health disparities, health equity, social determinants of health, social epidemiology, and multicultural health. The combination of integrative chapters (e.g., racism and discrimination) and population-specific chapters (e.g., immigrant populations) allows learners to see both the commonalities and the individualities that exist across populations striving to achieve health equity. In addition, the book’s continuous focus on intersectionality ensures that—even in chapters focused on specific populations—the reader continues to understand the interconnected nature of all aspects of identity and the dynamics of health equity.

Because of its focus on issues that are sometimes deemed too complex or intractable to meaningfully change, the quest to achieve health equity for all people can seem overwhelming, but these problems are no match for the determination, spirit, and compassion of those who enter the field. We hope this book helps you in your quest.