Chinese Immigrant Community Research Articles

Development of a Culturally-Adapted Graphic Novella about Emergency Communication: Collaborations with a Limited English Speaking Chinese Immigrant Community

Bystander CPR doubles survival from cardiac arrest but limited English proficient (LEP) individuals face barriers calling 911 and performing CPR. Previous training increases the chance that an individual will perform CPR, yet access to classes in non-English speaking populations is limited. We used a cultural adaptation approach to develop a graphic novella for Chinese LEP immigrants about how to call 911 and perform bystander CPR. Collaboration with members of this community occurred through all stages of novella development. One hundred and thirty-two LEP Chinese adults read the novella and answered a survey measuring behavioral intentions. All respondents stated they would call 911 after witnessing a person's collapse, but those previously trained in CPR were more likely to say that they would perform CPR. All participants indicated that they would recommend this novella to others. Developing culturally-responsive evidence-based interventions is necessary to reduce disproportionate death and disability from cardiac arrest in LEP communities.

Carving Chopsticks, Building Home: Wood Artifacts from the Market Street Chinatown in San Jose, California

The Market Street Chinatown in San Jose, California, was a thriving urban community until its destruction by arson fire on May 4, 1887. A surprisingly robust assemblage of wood artifacts was recovered during salvage excavations in the mid 1980s. Taxonomic identification and analysis of structural timbers and portable wood objects contribute new perspectives on trade, travel, the built environment, recreation, and work in this nineteenth-century Chinese immigrant community. As wood artifacts are not commonly preserved in open-air archaeological deposits, this study contributes a rare archaeological view on the use of wood materials in nineteenth-century urban life.

Experiences of Social and Structural Forms of Stigma Among Chinese Immigrant Consumers with Psychosis.

Chinese immigrants tend to rely on family and close community for support given their vulnerable societal position. Yet stigma, especially from structural and familial sources, may have a particularly harmful impact upon Chinese immigrants with psychosis. Using a descriptive analysis based upon grounded theory, we examined stigma experiences of 50 Chinese immigrant consumers with psychosis, paying particular attention to frequency, sources, and themes of social and structural stigma. Although past research indicates that family is a recipient of stigma, we found instead that family members were common perpetuators of social forms of stigma. We also found that perceptions of work deficit underlie many forms of stigma, suggesting this is "what matters most" in this community. Lack of financial resources and language barriers comprised most frequent forms of structural stigma. Anti-stigma efforts should aim to improve consumer's actual and perceived employability to target what is most meaningful in Chinese immigrant communities.

A Path to Acceptance

In the face of racial hostility and discrimination, Chinese immigrant restaurateurs and community leaders in San Francisco, in addition to satisfying the appetites and social needs of their fellow immigrants, employed a variety of strategies to draw a desirable class of white patrons and, at the same time, to win tolerance and acceptance.

Rise of a Japanese Chinatown: Yokohama, 1894-1972

Rise of a Japanese Chinatown is the first English-language monograph on the history of a Chinese immigrant community in Japan. It focuses on the transformations of that population in the Japanese port city of Yokohama from the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 to the normalization of Sino-Japanese ties in 1972 and beyond. Eric C. Han narrates the paradoxical story of how, during periods of war and peace, Chinese immigrants found an enduring place within a monoethnic state.This study makes a significant contribution to scholarship on the construction of Chinese and Japanese identities and on Chinese migration and settlement. Using local newspapers, Chinese and Japanese government records, memoirs, and conversations with Yokohama residents, it retells the familiar story of Chinese nation building in the context of Sino-Japanese relations. But it builds on existing works by directing attention as well to non-elite Yokohama Chinese, those who sheltered revolutionary activists and served as an audience for their nationalist messages. Han also highlights contradictions between national and local identifications of these Chinese, who self-identified as Yokohama-ites (hamakko) without claiming Japaneseness or denying their Chineseness. Their historical role in Yokohama's richly diverse cosmopolitan past can offer insight into a future, more inclusive Japan.

Understanding elder abuse and neglect in aging Chinese immigrants in Canada

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss existing literature and available research findings related to understanding elder abuse and neglect in culturally diverse communities, particularly the Chinese immigrant community in Canada. The conceptual understandings of elder abuse are examined, based upon the socio-cultural context and challenges faced by aging Chinese immigrants. Design/methodology/approach – Previous literature and research publications related to elder abuse and neglect related to Chinese in Canada were reviewed and synthesized. Statistical information and research findings were summarized to illustrate the socio-cultural context that defines elder abuse and neglect experienced by aging Chinese immigrants in Canada. Findings – From a culturally diverse perspective, influence of race, ethnicity, immigrant status, and cultural norms on the recognition, identification, prevention and intervention of elder abuse and neglect are important to consider. A key message for professionals working with the aging population, particularly older immigrants from ethno-cultural minority background, is that understanding the social cultural context in which elder abuse or neglect emerges is critical. For many of the aging Chinese immigrants in Canada, the socio-cultural circumstances that they have experienced, their social environment, and various barriers and challenges further prevent them from being aware of this emerging concern. Cultural norms and practices have played a critical role in their access to preventive and intervention services. Research limitations/implications – Although this paper is not based upon a particularly empirical research study, the research and literature synthesized are both empirically and conceptually based. As indicated in the review of previous research publications on the subjective matter of elder abuse and neglect in aging Chinese immigrants in Canada is limited. Research on various issues related to elder abuse and neglect in ethno-cultural minority communities is also relatively scant. Evaluation research on prevention and intervention programs is desperately needed so as to facilitate the further establishment of best practice prevention and intervention models that are culturally appropriate and effective. While research engagement with minority groups such as the aging Chinese immigrants who do not speak English or are not familiar with the research culture in the western civilization could be challenging, academic researchers and service providers in both the mainstream and ethno-cultural minority communities should further align themselves in practice-research partnership endeavors to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the aging vulnerable individuals could be better maintained. Practical implications – In order to provide culturally competent services, service providers should be aware of cultural differences in attitudes towards elder mistreatment, including the ways in which specific types of abuse (e.g. financial abuse) are defined within ethno-cultural communities, and the cultural values and experiences that shape these understandings and determine attitudes or barriers towards reporting, intervention, and service use. Originality/value – This paper is a first attempt in the research community to synthesize a few critical issues related to elder abuse and neglect in the aging Chinese immigrant community in Canada. The paper has connected previous empirical findings related to Chinese older adults as well as other culturally diverse aging populations to the conceptualization of elder abuse and neglect by considering the unique socio-cultural context faced by the ethnocultural older adults.

The Revised Naturalization Exam and Chinese Immigrants in the United States: Key Issues for Social Workers

In 2008, the United States government increased the importance of standardized English in the naturalization process. Using semistructured interviews, surveys, and participant observation data, this article explores language barriers to naturalization through a Chinese immigrant community in Southern California. As part of the nation’s fastest-growing racial group in the United States, Chinese immigrants are a significant piece of the immigration and naturalization picture. Recommendations for culturally responsive strategies for social workers are discussed. Since Chinese immigrants tend to underutilize services, social workers may play a central role in assisting immigrants through the naturalization process and thus accessing social services available to citizens.

Setting Up a Medical Home for Chinese Immigrant Families with Children with Special Health Care Needs: A Step-Wise Approach

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) require health services beyond what generally is required. CSHCN from immigrant families face additional challenges, including cultural, language, racial, and socioeconomic barriers. Federally qualified health centers provide an ideal setting to treat these children, providing comprehensive, family-centered care that fits their linguistic and cultural needs. This article describes the development of a National Committee for Quality Assurance level 3 medical home, addressing cultural perspectives and barriers to quality care for the Chinese immigrant community by highlighting Edward Wagner's Chronic Care Model, medical home criteria, electronic health records, parent engagement, staff development, and community collaboration.

Fan and Tsai: Intracommunity Variation in Plant-Based Food Consumption at the Market Street Chinatown, San Jose, California

Most archaeobotanical research on Chinese immigrant communities in North America has relied on aggregate, site-wide data sets. The question of foodways variability within Chinese immigrant communities has been relatively neglected. An intrasite comparative approach is used here to investigate differences in plant-food consumption between residents of merchant households and those of tenement buildings in the Market Street Chinatown, a major urban Chinese immigrant community in San Jose, California, from 1866 to 1887. Residents of both household types consumed a nutritious diet rich in vegetables and fresh fruits; however, some merchant households consumed greater varieties of cereal grains, while residents of some working-class tenements consumed a wider range of legumes, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. These class-based differences were not consistent, however, suggesting that specific occupation, more than class position, may have influenced access to or preference for certain plant foods.

Elder Mistreatment among Chinese and Korean Immigrants: The Roles of Sociocultural Contexts on Perceptions and Help-Seeking Behaviors

The purpose of this study was to identify dimensions of elder mistreatment in Chinese and Korean immigrant communities and to increase sociocultural understanding of such mistreatment by elucidating the complexities of abuse embedded in unique social and cultural contexts. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 local professionals working primarily in Asian elderly advocacy, and six focus group discussions were conducted involving 60 community members in the San Francisco Bay area. Five dimensions of elder mistreatment were identified: psychological abuse, neglect by a trusted person, financial exploitation, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. In general, fewer Korean community member participants reported having observed physical or financial abuse than Chinese groups, but they reported greater knowledge of situations involving psychological abuse, neglect by a trusted person, and sexual abuse. The contexts of cultural influences and immigration and acculturation were salient themes that shaped participants’ subjective perceptions and beliefs about elder abuse and hence help-seeking behaviors.

Adapting to Context in Community‐Based Participatory Research: “Participatory Starting Points” in a Chinese Immigrant Worker Community

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is increasingly being used to better understand and improve the health of diverse communities. A key strength of this research orientation is its adaptability to community contexts and characteristics. To date, however, few studies explicitly discuss adaptations made to CBPR principles and processes in response to community context and partners' needs. Using data from our CBPR study, the San Francisco Chinatown Restaurant Worker Health and Safety Project, and drawing from literature on immigrant political incorporation, we examine the links between the contexts of the Chinese immigrant worker community, adaptations made by our collaborative, and study outcomes. In particular, we explore the concepts of contexts of reception and participatory starting points, which may be especially relevant for partnerships with immigrant communities whose members have historically had lower rates of civic and political participation in the US. We discuss contextual findings such as worker partner accounts of language barriers, economic and social marginalization, and civic skills and participation, as well as subsequent adaptations made by the partnership. We also describe the relative effectiveness of these adaptations in yielding equitable participation and building partners' capacity. We conclude by sharing lessons learned and their implications for CBPR and partnerships with immigrant communities more broadly.

Mental illness disclosure in Chinese immigrant communities.

Support from social networks is imperative to mental health recovery of persons with mental illness. However, disclosing mental illness may damage a person's participation in networks due to mental illness stigma, especially in Chinese immigrant communities where social networks (the guanxi network) have specific social-cultural significance. This study focused on mental illness disclosure in Chinese immigrant communities in New York City. Fifty-three Chinese psychiatric patients were recruited consecutively from 2 Chinese bilingual psychiatric inpatient units from 2006 to 2010. Two bilingual psychologists interviewed each participant once in a semistructured interview, including 6 questions on mental illness disclosure. Conventional content analysis was applied to conceptualize the phenomenon. Results showed that participants voluntarily disclosed to a circle of people composed primarily of family and relatives. The decisions and strategies to disclose depended on participants' consideration of 3 critical elements of social relationships. Ganqing, affection associated with relationship building, ultimately determined who had the privilege to know. Renqing, the moral code of reciprocal kindness, further influenced disclosure decisions and what participants anticipated as responses to disclosure. Lastly, concerns over preserving face (lian), a construct representing personal and familial dignity, oftentimes prohibited disclosure. Additionally, in this tight-knit network, involuntary disclosure could happen without participants' permission or knowledge. Participants commonly suffered from stigma after disclosure. However, half of our participants reported situations in which they experienced little discriminatory treatment, and some experienced support and care as a result of cultural dynamics. Recommendations for culturally sensitive practice to facilitate mental illness disclosure among Chinese immigrants were discussed.

The protest in Milan's Chinatown and the Chinese immigrants in Italy in the media (2007–2009)

In this article, I analyse the representational strategies in key texts across the media that concern the protest in Milan's Chinatown in April 2007 and Chinese immigration to Italy during 2007–2009. My focus is to analyse the rhetorical presentation and ethnocultural approach in these media. The protest is the first major violent one by a single ethnic minority group against the police authorities in contemporary Italy. Following the protest, in April 2007 a sequential order that links violence, gender bias, racism, ethnicity, illegality and incommunicability was quickly constructed in mainstream and alternative Italian media. Chinese immigrant and pro-immigrant Italian media questioned its interpretive validity to varying degrees. Moreover, an ethnocultural approach was widely applied to represent the Chinese immigrant community in Italy, whether from the perspective of Italian outsiders or that of Chinese insiders. I focus on how the processes of ethnogenesis and ethnocentrism were employed to educate Italian viewers about the Chinese immigrant culture. Ultimately, I demonstrate that the media have functioned as means of politico-cultural persuasion, intercultural pedagogy, and actual and imagined socialization between Italians and Chinese immigrants during 2007–2009.

Identifying the informational and psychosocial needs of Chinese immigrant cancer patients: a focus group study

The Chinese immigrant community faces multiple barriers to quality cancer care and cancer survivorship. Psychosocial interventions can positively impact quality of life, anxiety, and distress in cancer patients. In this study, we explored the informational and psychosocial needs of Chinese cancer patients to inform the development of culturally targeted support and survivorship interventions. We conducted four focus groups with a total of 28 Chinese cancer patients to elucidate their cancer informational and psychosocial needs. The groups were conducted using standard methodology and guided by community-based participatory research principles. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. The research team conducted the analysis. Frequently occurring themes included (1) the need for accurate information on cancer and treatment options, (2) the role of language barriers in accessing cancer care, (3) the role of food in cancer and the need for nutritional information, and (4) the role of Chinese medicine in cancer treatment. Participants expressed significant dissatisfaction with the amount, reliability, and/or comprehensibility of available information. Support groups and programs should be developed to address participants' needs for more information on cancer and its treatment. Programs should educate and empower patients on how to find further Chinese language information and resources and effectively communicate their questions and needs to providers in an interpreted encounter. System-level approaches should be implemented to ensure provision of interpretation services. Additionally, programs should incorporate the unique cultural needs of this population related to food/nutrition and Chinese medicine.

Factor structure of a Cantonese-version Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

The objectives of this study were to translate, validate and test the factor structure of a Cantonese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Cantonese-PSQI) in support of its use among Cantonese-speaking Chinese in Hong Kong, southern China and Chinese immigrant communities in the West. The study involved Cantonese-speaking Chinese aged 45 or over in Hong Kong. A cross-sectional survey of 97 participants was firstly conducted to validate the Cantonese-PSQI. A second survey of 794 participants identified the best-fitted factor structure of the scale. Confirmatory factor analysis then functioned to develop and test a single-factor model, a two-factor model, and a three-factor model. The one-factor model turned out to be unacceptable due to its poor fit (L2 = 303.408, d.f. = 14, SRMR = 0.085; RMSEA = 0.161; CFI = 0.805). The three-factor model, despite its very good fit (L2 = 36.450, d.f. = 11, SRMR = 0.022; RMSEA = 0.054; CFI = 0.983), was unacceptable because of the extraordinarily high correlation (r = 0.928) between two of its three factors, namely the sleep quality factor and the daily disturbances factor. The two-factor model showed a good fit with the data of all the participants (L2 = 46.339, d.f. = 13, SRMR = 0.028; RMSEA = 0.057; CFI = 0.978), and with those of the middle-aged, the young-old and the old-old groups. The two-factor model of the Cantonese-PSQI characterized by sleep efficiency and sleep quality is therefore better than the original one-factor model and the three-factor model for measuring the sleep quality of middle-aged and older Cantonese-speaking Chinese.

A Good Fall: Surviving in an Internationalized Net

As Ha Jin's latest short story collection, A Good Fall contains twelve stories that focus on Flushing, New York, where the largest Chinese immigrant communities reside. This is the second book that shows his shift from writing about the Chinese in China to the Chinese immigrants in the U.S. Starting from analyzing the preface of the Chinese version of A Good Fall, this paper examines how Ha Jin evolves his recognition of life into a new stage, i.e., life has been moving via the Internet from “a net” to “an internationalized net”.

Faith-Based Hiv Care and Prevention in Chinese Immigrant Communities: Rhetoric or Reality?

Ethnic churches attended by first generation Chinese immigrants are uniquely positioned to address emerging HIV prevention and care needs within the Chinese community at-large. Efforts to develop faith-based HIV programs necessitate identifying how HIV intersects with the sinicization of Christianity within Chinese churches. This paper will review the process of contextualizing HIV within theological and cultural frameworks that are meaningful for ethnic Chinese church leaders and members. The authors specifically propose two points of integration between public health and ecclesial functions: (1) HIV stigma-mitigation initiatives as informed by Christo-centric teachings of compassion and justice, and (2) HIV prevention and care reframed as social responsibility and informed by the Christian tradition of evangelism. Systems and practices that hinder and promote the involvement of Chinese churches in HIV prevention, care, and stigma-reduction will be discussed.

Sociocultural study of immigrant suicide-attempters: An ecological perspective

• Summary: This article discusses the findings of a qualitative study with a sample of suicide attempters in the Chinese immigrant community of New York City from an ecological perspective.• Findings: The narratives of the participants delineate the pathway of their suicide attempts as the culmination of an interactive process of stressors, mental illness, and diminished help-seeking behavior, compounded by immigrant-specific issues, cultural meanings of distress and social barriers to resources.• Application: The transactional dynamics of these risk factors underscore the importance of adopting an integrative and contextualized stance of inquiry in suicide studies and initiating a broad-based community effort in suicide prevention.

Black Market, Chinatown, and Kabukicho: Postwar Japanese Constructs of "Overseas Chinese"

This paper examines postwar Japanese experiences of kakyō , or overseas Chinese, focusing on three sites: the black market, Chinatown, and Kabukichō. It argues that Japanese society assigns to the Chinese immigrant community stereotypical meanings that reflect first and foremost Japanese preoccupations in domestic and international affairs. Nonetheless, it also contends that the immigrants are not completely detached or passive, for they collaborate in the production of the stereotypes while trying to manipulate them to their advantage. By way of conclusion, it discusses some of the latest moves by host society and immigrant community to renegotiate the meaning of kakyō in the early twenty-first century.

Multiculturalism, Ethnicity and Minority Rights: The Complexity and Paradox of Ethnic Organizations in Canada

Ethno-specific organizations are often criticized for threatening national unity, diluting Canadian identity, and promoting ghettoization and separatism. Drawing from two case studies, this article examines the role of Chinese ethnic organizations in responding to changing community needs in Edmonton and Calgary. The study results suggested that ethno-specific organizations can be an effective alternative in providing accessible and equitable social services for immigrants because they are more closely connected with and responsive to ethnic community needs. The study reveals the salience of ethnicity as both an important resource and a liability. On the one hand, ethnicity was utilized by the state as a way to mobilize ethnic political support to serve an ethnic-specific community; on the other hand, the same ethnicity also became a device for the state to legitimize its political agenda in multiculturizing ethno-specific organizations with an ultimate goal of assimilation. To build an inclusive society, it is imperative to treat ethno-specific organizations as an integral part of Canadian society and to adopt minority rights that recognize and accommodate the distinctive identities and needs of ethno-cultural groups and their ethnic communities. Les organisations ethniques se font souvent critiquer pour menacer l’unité nationale, diluer l’identité canadienne et promouvoir la ghettoïsation et le séparatisme. À partir de l’étude de deux cas, cet article porte sur le rôle d’organisations ethniques chinoises qui répondent aux besoins changeants d’une communauté en évolution à Edmonton et à Calgary. Les résultats de cette étude suggèrent que des organisations ethniques particulières peuvent représenter une alternative efficace en fournissant des services sociaux accessibles et équitables aux immigrants, parce qu’elles sont plus étroitement connectées aux besoins de la communauté et y répondent mieux. Cette étude révèle le poids de l’ethnicité à la fois comme ressource importante et comme handicap. D’une part, l’État y a recouru comme moyen de mobiliser un soutien politique ethnique afin de servir une communauté correspondante donnée; d’autre part, cette même ethnicité est aussi devenue pour lui un outil qui rend légitime son programme politique visant la multiculturalisation d’organisations ethniques particulières dans un but ultime d’assimilation. Si on veut construire une société inclusive, il est impératif de traiter ces dernières comme faisant partie intégrale de la société canadienne et d’adopter des droits des minorités qui reconnaissent les identités et besoins distincts de groupes ethno-culturels et de leurs communautés, et s’y adaptent.