Asian American Pacific Islander Research Articles

Cultural Considerations in UnderstandingFamily Violence Among Asian American Pacific Islander Families

There has been much research conducted in the area of family violence, however, there is a paucity of research specifically addressing family violence in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Because AAPIs are regarded as the model minority, many have the misconception that family violence does not exist in this population. This article examines Asian cultural beliefs and values to gain a better understanding of Asian attitudes towards family violence. A more in-depth exploration of the Cambodian and Vietnamese cultures regarding attitudes towards violence is included because of the higher tolerance of family violence among these 2 cultures than other Asian cultures. Public health nurses working with AAPI families can provide culturally appropriate care by taking Asian attitudes, values, and beliefs into account when developing nursing interventions with victims of abuse.

The health and health status of older Korean Americans at the 100-year anniversary of Korean immigration.

There are 28 subgroups in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) ethnic population. They accounted for 12.5 million persons in the year 2002 or 4.4% of the non-institutionalized US population (Reeves&Bennett, 2003). It is a rapidly growing population in the United States, particularly in Southern California. The Korean American population is the fifth largest ethnic group in the heterogeneous AAPI population. Despite their increasing numbers there lacks data regarding the health status and healthcare utilization of the AAPI population. The aim of this study is to characterize the health status and healthcare utilization of an Asian American ethnic group, the Korean Americans. The data are from the 2000 Korean American Health Survey (KAHS). This survey of 1,660 Korean Americans living in Los Angeles County assessed their health status and medical needs and composed the largest sample recruited for a health study on Korean Americans to date. For the study 208 Koreans Americans aged 65 and over were reported. Descriptive statistics were performed to illustrate the health status and needs of the Korean American older persons. Over one-half of the sample, 69% of the Korean American older persons in the study reported a fair or poor health status. This is in stark contrast to a survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, which found that 17% of the minorities and 30% of the Korean Americans rated their health as fair or poor (Commonwealth Fund, 2002). With regards to access to healthcare 21% of the Korean American older adults in the sample lacked health insurance and 31% had never visited a medical doctor within the last 12 months for a check up or consultation. It is felt that an individual's chance of being uninsured varies across the life span and that people 65 years and older have a minimal likelihood of being uninsured due to Medicare (IOM, 2001). However when looking at certain subgroups higher percentages of uninsured are revealed. One out of every three Koreans Americans in the US is uninsured compared to 21% of all AAPI and 14% non-Latino whites. In California the proportion is even higher with almost half of all Koreans being uninsured (Brown et al. 2001). This type of discrepancy compounds the "Model Minority Myth" that AAPI population is a successful minority group and do not have barriers to health care (Chen et al. 1995). One study examining health services research status in the AAPI found that Korean Americans were one of the most understudied populations relative to their size (Andersen et al. 1995). Since the AAPI population and subgroups are often not included in health services research this results in "myths" or inaccuracies regarding their health. Studies of AAPI populations are needed to provide information regarding the health of the population, educate health care providers to assist them in the care of ethnic populations and seek interventions to remove health disparities in minority populations.

Slowing the epidemic of tobacco use among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Data on tobacco use among the Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) population remain limited, although existing studies indicate that tobacco use prevalence among males from specific AAPI groups is significantly higher than in the general US male population. This high prevalence of tobacco use and the disparities in use result from social norms, targeted marketing by the tobacco industry, lack of culturally and linguistically tailored prevention and control programs, and limited impact of mainstream tobacco control programs for AAPIs. We review the available literature on tobacco use among AAPI men and women, highlight a national agenda that promotes tobacco prevention and control for AAPI communities, and acknowledge recent trends including the increase of tobacco use among AAPI women and girls.

Ready-made, recalibrated, or internally-derived preoperative cardiac surgery risk models in a predominantly Asian American Pacific Islander Population

Ready-made, recalibrated, or internally-derived preoperative cardiac surgery risk models in a predominantly Asian American Pacific Islander Population

Multicultural Considerations for HIV/AIDS Prevention Education

Abstract Significant changes in the United States population result from increasing numbers of immigrants who enter the country annually; people from Asian and Pacific Rim countries emigrate to the US more rapidly than any other group. We discuss changing population demographics, health-risk behaviors related to HIV/AIDS, as well as linguistic and cultural characteristics of Asian Pacific Islander Americans that must be addressed in HIV/AIDS prevention education programs.

HIV/AIDS Prevention Education

Abstract Asian Pacific Islander Americans are one of the fastest growing segments in the US population. Many adolescents and young adults of Asian Pacific Islander American heritage, as with peers of other racial and ethnic backgrounds, do not perceive themselves as vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. They engage in unsafe sexual behaviors that place them at-risk of infection. The information in this article addresses the perceptions of young Asian Pacific Islander Americans about HIV/AIDS, characteristics of culturally competent prevention programs, and instructional approaches and strategies that complement the unique cultural, linguistic, and family-related values of Asian Pacific Islander Americans.

"We Don't Sleep around like White Girls Do": Family, Culture, and Gender in Filipina American Lives

Au Etats-Unis, les immigres Philippins resistent a differentes formes de discrimination a travers l'affirmation de certaines specificites culturelles. Par exemple, la chastete des femmes avant le mariage est presentee comme une resistance au modele de la societe dominante blanche americaine, mais ceci se fait au prix de l'autonomie des femmes et renforce le pouvoir patriarcal dans ces communautes

Violent Offenders: Appraising and Managing Risk

Federal Abortion Policy and Politics: 1973-1996 Why is Abortion Such a Controversial issue in the United States Barriers to Access to Abortion Services The Impact of Anti-abortion Activities on Women Seeking Abortions Black Women and the Question of Abortion Latinos and Abortion Abortion and Asian Pacific Islander Americans The Acceptability of Medical Abortion to Women Understanding the Relationship of Violence Against Women to Unwanted Pregnancy and it's Resolution Testing a Model of the Psychological Consequences of Abortion Men and Abortion: The Gender Politics of Pregnancy Resolution Abortion Among Adolescents A Cognitive Approach to Patient-Centered Abortion Care Abortion Issues in Psychotherapy Bringing Lessons Learned to the United States Improving Access to Abortion Services Abortion Practice, Policy, and Research: Recommendations for the 21st Century

Annual Walkathons as a Community Education Strategy for the Asian American/Pacific Islander Populations in Alameda County, California

We present a case study chronicling the planning and implementation of a community-wide walkathon strategy that was culturally and linguistically adapted for Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans in Alameda County, CA. In 1994, Asian Health Services received funding from the California Department of Health Services to implement a comprehensive Walk for Health program to help reduce cardiovascular disease and stroke in Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Staff and an AAPI community-based coalition planned and successfully implemented the first-ever walkathon specifically for the AAPI communities in Alameda County. This first Asian Walk for Health resulted in the participation of more than 300 AAPIs. Key elements that were instrumental in ensuring the diversity and success of the event included community participation, bilingual/bicultural staff, culturally tailored publicity, and programs for the specific AAPI communities. The second annual walkathon expanded its outreach to other AAPI communities and ethnic AAPI media, resulting in greater participation. The primary responsibility for organizing and implementing the third annual walkathon was transferred to another organization as part of an attempt to institutionalize the event in the AAPI community. However, the walkathon represented an important first step in introducing physical activity to this diverse community. This case study provides insight into the complexities of planning and implementing a physical activity event as a community education strategy.

Missing stories: an oral history of ethnic and minority groups in Utah

The 1990 U.S. census figures showed the state of Utah to be 93 percent white, 4 percent Hispanic, 2 percent Asian Pacific Islander American, 1 percent Native American, and less than 1 percent African American. These simple numbers are important for understanding the special contribution of Leslie G. Kelen and Eileen Hallet Stone's ambitious oral history book, Missing Stories: An Oral History of Ethnic and Minority Groups in Utah. This book brings together the history, voices, and photographs of the state's eight oldest and largest ethnic minority groups. Research for this project began in 1982 with the relatively modest goal of interviewing 120 individuals representing Salt Lake City's Ute, African-American, Jewish, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Greek, and Chicano-Hispanic communities. Eight years and 689 interviews later, the project was completed. It took another four years to finish the manuscript. Missing Stories stands out because it highlights non-Mormon social and cultural life in Utah, which has only been glossed over by most Utah historians. The book serves to acknowledge Utah's multiracial and multicultural past and present. Second, the book is intended to be very personal, rather than a general history of diverse groups in Utah. The primary focus throughout the book is on the reflections of how individuals and families migrated to the state, earned a living, and interacted with the dominant society. A preface to each section by historians from each of the different communities does provide a historical context for the reader. Lastly, Missing Stories stands out for its efforts to offer a complex and comparative look at the racial and ethnic experience in Utah. This is consistent with the new trend in ethnic and community studies to recognize the heterogeneity within, and interactions between, minority groups. The last point is both a strength and the book's most glaring weakness. Missing Stories does a good job of showing the role of social class, gender, the perspectives and experiences of different generations, specific historical situations, and other dimensions that enhance our knowledge about each individual group. Equally important is the fact the book does not shy away from highlighting acts of prejudice and discrimination against all minority groups. However, the book's organization and text still treat each group linearly and as a separate entity. There are surprisingly few direct examples of interaction between the groups featured, and