Filipino American Research Articles

Adiponectin, Interleukin-18 (IL-18), and Visceral Adipose Tissue in Filipino Americans: Biomarkers and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Filipino Americans (FAs) are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes despite other Asian phenotypes. Evidence suggests that pro-inflammatory interleukin-18 (IL-18) and anti-inflammatory adiponectin biomarkers associated with visceral adipose tissue (VAT) may explain this risk. This study aimed to quantify the biomarkers in relation to standard ranges of VAT or typical circulating concentration ranges reported in the literature of IL-18 and adiponectin, examine relationships of these markers, and determine if they were different among those participants without diabetes, prediabetes, and diabetes. A cross-sectional study was used to enroll FAs without diabetes, prediabetes, or diabetes. VAT was measured using the InBody 570© Body Composition Analyzer. Blood samples were obtained to assess plasma concentrations of IL-18 and adiponectin using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All analyses were conducted using a 5% type I error rate. Mean ±SD and percentages were used to describe the sample and data where appropriate. Pearson's correlations (R) were calculated to determine the relationships between VAT and IL-18 in each group. Analysis of variance was used to determine differences in VAT, IL-18, and adiponectin among groups. Further, nonparametric procedures examined the differences in adiponectin among those within groups. Seventy-five participants were enrolled. Biomarkers above the typical concentration range were observed for VAT, IL-18, and adiponectin. Adiponectin significantly differed among groups with lower values in the diabetes group vs. the nondiabetes group. The findings indicate that while inflammation-related biomarkers, such as adiponectin, correlate with VAT and may serve as indicators of increased risk of type 2 diabetes in FAs, correlation alone does not establish causality.

‘If I Knew More… I Would Feel Less Worried’: Filipino Americans’ Attitudes and Knowledge of Genetic Disease, Counseling, and Testing

Introduction: The field of genetics is rapidly expanding and people are increasingly utilizing genetic testing and counseling services. However, the current literature on genetic health topics and Filipinos remains limited, as many minority populations are not adequately studied. This study describes Filipino Americans’ attitudes and knowledge of genetic disease, genetic testing, and genetic counseling. To address these knowledge gaps and reduce the burden of health disparities, the informational needs of Filipino Americans regarding genetic disease and genetic services must be understood in order to better tailor these services and outreach methods. Methods: Fifteen semi-structured, qualitative interviews were held with individuals who self-identified as Filipino American between November 2022 and January 2023. Interviews were transcribed and coded using an iterative process. Results: Most participants were familiar with genetic disease and believed that factors such as biology, as well as cultural factors such as upbringing and food, contributed to its development. The majority of participants had previously heard of genetic testing; however, most participants either did not know much or were only familiar with ancestry direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT). Most participants had not heard of genetic counseling and those that had heard of genetic counseling before did not understand its purpose. Overall, most participants had a positive attitude toward genetic testing and counseling. Participants identified the benefits of these services including genetic disease prevention, management, and treatment. Participants stressed the importance of educating the Filipino community and shared their ideas for how to implement outreach efforts. Discussion/Conclusion: This study found that Filipino Americans generally had a positive outlook on genetic testing and genetic counseling. We propose participant-generated ideas for outreach and education that may help inform future public health efforts that aim to educate this population about genetic disease, testing and counseling.

COVID-19, Racial Discrimination and Civic Engagement Among Filipino American and Korean American Young Adults

The COVID-19 pandemic provoked a spike in racial discrimination and hate crimes against Asians in the U.S. Although research substantiates the harmful impact of discrimination on health and mental health, limited research has examined how it influences civic engagement among Asian American young adults. Using cross-sectional data from the Midwestern U.S., this study investigated how the experience of anti-Asian racism was associated with civic engagement among Filipino Americans ( n = 260; M age = 22) and Korean Americans ( n = 340; M age = 21) during the pandemic. Results showed that Filipino American women reported more COVID-19 related racial discrimination than Filipino American men. Women, regardless of ethnicity, exhibited more civic engagement than men. Various forms of COVID-19 discrimination were associated with more civic engagement in both groups, except that assault was associated with less civic engagement among Korean Americans. The study results underscore the importance of providing tailored resources for targeted Asian American subgroups to promote continued civic engagement.

Filipino Americans with Disabilities: Bridging Two Worlds Together through Research

Abstract: Both Filipino Americans and people with disabilities are often excluded from broader research and discussions on diversity. Filipino Americans with disabilities and their caregivers may feel "double exclusion," since they are often left out of discussions on race/culture and disability, respectively. The purpose of this article is to illuminate the current knowledge base about Filipino Americans and members of other multicultural populations with disabilities and their caregivers. Suggestions for future research and discussions follow.

Growing Up Filipino: Perspectives from a Third-Generation Filipina Born and Raised in America

Abstract: Darva (Otlang) Gruber is a third-generation Filipino American who does not speak Tagalog or any other Philippine language. She shares her perspective and personal struggle identifying as a Filipino American within the Filipino community in the United States, which her family roots now extend to the fifth generation. Her children married non-Filipino spouses, which lend to her grandchildren's fair skin that takes them further away from their Filipino heritage in appearances. She expresses the con cerns she has on bridging the gap between the generations. The Filipino American experience is unique, as is each individ ual. Each generation bridges this gap by how it greets and inter acts with one another.

The Forgotten Generation: The Bridge Generation in Comparison to Manong/Manang-Generation Filipino Americans

Abstract: The Bridge Generation of Filipino Americans, born to the Manong/Manang Generation of Filipino emigrants in the 1920s and 30s, is understudied. The integration experiences of this Bridge Generation are distinct from their parents, the Manong/Manang Generation. These patterns of Filipino integration into American society may reflect the Bridge generations' childhood experience of American racial hostility. Using US census data, we investigate educational attainment and economic outcomes to demonstrate key trends in Bridge Generation integration into American society. We show Bridge Generation women earned less on average than all other Filipina women. Using logistic regression, we show that these early second-generation Filipinos of either gender were the least likely to attain college degrees among all Filipino Americans.

Moving Mountains, Oceans, and Deserts: Connecting FilAm Communities in Orange County and Inland Empire

Abstract: With growing numbers of Filipino American families in suburban regions, the need to preserve Filipino American history and foster multigenerational communities remains high. The founding of the Orange County (OC)/Inland Empire (IE) chapter in 2020 furthers the FANHS mission to build bridges in Southern California. As outgoing and incoming chapter board members, the authors share kuwentos (stories), reflect on contemporary challenges, and highlight chapter structure.

In Memoriam: Alex Edillor

Abstract: FANHS Delano lost its cofounder and president, Alex Edillor. Alex's story is similar to our story and our family's journey. Like many of us, Alex was able to reconnect to our Philippine roots and learn about our Filipino American History and Identity. With this experience and knowledge, Alex proudly used his voice to advocate and to tell the stories of the Filipino Americans in Delano and in the California Central Valley.

From Rizal Day to Philippines Fest: Bridging Filipino Organizations and Celebrations Past and Present Using The Filipino Student Bulletin

Abstract: Looking at the available issues of The Filipino Student Bulletin from 1922 until 1939, collected and archived by the New York Public Library, we can learn much about the lives of Filipino students living and studying in the United States. This includes how many Filipino students from all over the country found ways to come together to help themselves cope with facing great adversity in the United States. One way The Filipino Student Bulletin suggests that these organizations connected was by celebrating their shared history and commemorating the life and legacy of the Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. The author also argues that by looking at these primary resources, we are able to fill in some of the gaps of what we know about the history of Filipino and Filipino American organizations and celebrations, thereby creating a bridge between the work of our ancestors and our work today.

Growing Up as Bridge Generation Members: Two Daughters in Chicago

Abstract: "Growing Up as Bridge Generation Members: Two Daughters in Chicago" compares and contrasts the formative years of Fran Alayu Womack (1931–2014) and Barbara M. Posadas (1945–present), who were both born in Chicago before 1946 — Womack to Filipino immigrant parents and Posadas to a Filipino immigrant father and a Polish American mother. Their experiences are cast against those of West Coast Bridge Generation members examined by Peter Jamero in Growing Up Brown: Memoirs of a Filipino American (2006) and Vanishing Filipino Americans: The Bridge Generation (2011). Like Posadas in Chicago, Donald L. Guimary and Albert A. Acena, both on the West Coast, earned doctorates and participated in FANHS.

Nutrition and diet in the general U.S. Asian American population: A scoping review protocol.

Asian American populations face unique structural/social inequities contributing to poor diet quality and health disparities. The current body of literature on diet and food consumption of Asian Americans mainly focuses on the health of Filipino and East Asian Americans, or those with pre-existing non-communicable diseases. The aim of this review is to comprehensively compile all available literature on nutrition and dietary consumption among the general population in Asian American ethnic subgroups, highlight any disparities and research gaps, and suggest further research action. With guidance from a research librarian, we enumerated and searched key terms related to diet, food, nutrition, and Asian Americans in PubMed/MEDLINE, Food Science Collection (CABI Digital Library), CINAHL (EBSCO), Scopus, Food Science and Technology Abstracts (Web of Science), and Biological & Agricultural Index Plus (EBSCO) in accordance with PRISMA-S guidelines. An article will be included if it was published in the English language; is a peer-reviewed research manuscript or published in grey literature from 2000 to present; and describes what food groups and macronutrients healthy non-institutionalized Asian Americans in the U.S. are eating. An article will be excluded if it contains only research conducted outside of the U.S.; combines Asian Americans with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders; and had no explicit focus on Asian American nutrition and dietary consumption. Two or more reviewers will participate in the study screening and selection process. We will record article characteristics, diet outcomes, and recommendations from final included articles using a data extraction table and prepare a summary narrative with key findings. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed manuscript. The findings from this review can have broad implications for designing and implementing nutrition-focused initiatives that will appropriately reflect and address the needs as well as norms and values of each distinct Asian American ethnic subgroup.

In Search of My Soul; Filial Piety (Poetry)

Abstract: The author recalls his struggle of being a biracial Filipino/Ukrainian son born before 1945, living in a Chicago, Illinois, public housing project milieu. He comments that the city's West Side public housing was intentional segregation. When Andres moves to Seattle, Washington, in his adolescence, the new social and ethnic environment challenges his becoming. He confronts his mixed-race identity, probes human nature tendencies, describes his action steps to achieve belonging, and accepts his Filipino American biracial identity. Closure is pro vided with a poetic reflection befitting a son.

Manifest Technique: Hip Hop, Empire and Visionary Filipino American Culture, Mark R. Villegas (Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2021)

Manifest Technique: Hip Hop, Empire and Visionary Filipino American Culture, Mark R. Villegas (Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2021)

The Bridge Generation and Building Bridges in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract: In this talkback piece to Uncle Fred'sseminal article, "The Bridge Generation and Building Bridges," the co-editors of the FANHS Journal explore the relevance of historical issues in the present day. They revisit the experiences of the Manong and Manang bridge generation, born before 1946, using Uncle Fred's metaphor of "bridges" to show the diverse identities and stories within the Filipino community. The editors also discuss how the content and structure of the FANHS Journal are designed to be inclusive of the various approaches to community service and research in Filipino American history.

An Intergenerational Roundtable: Passing on Filipino American History and Identity

Abstract: Most immigrants to the United States in the early 1900s came with families, which greatly enabled their assimilation into American culture and society. Families enabled immigrants to pass on their own history and identity to their children. Not so with immigrants from the Philippines. History now tells us that these first-generation, single, young men—the Manong Generation—indeed procreated a second generation—the Bridge Generation. In order to determine the ways in which history is passed on, the author convened members of the Jamero family, which has been in America for six generations. Four members of the Jamero family, representing three generations, were asked to serve on a roundtable. The following are their stories.

Kayumanggi Volunteers at Agbayani Village (Multimedia)

Abstract: Agbayani Village, located in the California Central Valley town of Delano, was a housing project of the United Farm Workers (UFW) for retired Filipino farmworkers. Construction began in 1972, and it was dedicated in 1974 to honor the contributions of Filipinos to the farmworker movement. Aiding the anchor crew in the construction was a force of over 1000 volunteers. Many were community groups as well as student contingents from colleges throughout California. In 1974, Kayumanggi, a Filipino student organization from Cal State University (CSU) Sacramento, traveled to Delano to help with the construction. Kayumanggi was an example of many of the student organizations on college campuses throughout the United States that were created in the wake of the Civil Rights movement. There was a growing need to include courses on campuses that tell the history of the diverse student populations on campus. Kayumanggi was no different. They developed several courses related to the Filipino American experience and also became involved in projects in their communities to help further their education. Agbayani Village was one such project. Through interviews, photos, and film, this video discusses the historical background of Agbayani Village and their experiences as volunteers during the construction.

DEMENTIA CARE PARTNER ACTIVATION PROGRAM FOR FILIPINO AMERICANS

Abstract This study aims to enhance the quality of life and health outcomes for individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) and their care partners through a culturally tailored support program. Specifically focusing on the unique challenges Filipino and Filipino American (FA) caregivers face, we seek to address disparities in access to care and develop strategies for effective health system navigation. The research employs a multifaceted approach, combining surveys, focus groups, observational techniques, and interviews to assess the caregiving experience comprehensively. Our primary objectives include evaluating the impact of caregiving burden, socio-emotional support, and health literacy on emergency department visits and hospital admissions for ADRD patients. Preliminary results highlight the significance of culturally sensitive interventions. FA caregivers often encounter difficulties due to cultural beliefs, knowledge gaps about ADRD, and limited support networks. This study outlines the development and testing of a specialized program designed to empower FA caregivers with the skills needed for proficient care management and emergency response. By engaging these caregivers in participatory action research, the program aims to foster active involvement and enhance their caregiving capabilities. The study’s outcomes emphasize the potential for improved quality of life and health outcomes for individuals with ADRD and their caregivers. By addressing FA caregivers’ unique challenges in the context of disparity populations, our research contributes to enhancing health system navigation behaviors and promoting culturally attuned care practices. This initiative promises to reduce emergency department visits and hospital admissions, benefiting ADRD patients and their dedicated care partners.

UNTANGLING THE MODEL MINORITY STEREOTYPE: PROMOTING HEALTH EQUITY AMONG ASIAN AMERICAN OLDER ADULTS

Abstract The “model minority” stereotype portrays Asian Americans (AAs) as a monolithic group with common traits, e.g., high levels of education and income, and better health status. Five studies in this symposium used multiple data sources and provided rich information to untangling this stereotype. The first study highlighted racial/ethnic disparities in help-seeking behaviors among Americans with subjective cognitive decline, revealing that AAPIs exhibit the lowest likelihood of seeking help for cognitive problems. The second study examined the degree to which socioeconomic disparity contributes to functional impairment among older AAs relative to other racial/ethnic groups, revealing that AAs fare worst in the burden of functional impairment due to education disparity. The third paper explored the cultural adaptation of the NYUCI for Chinese and Korean dementia caregivers, showing that cultural beliefs have a profound effect on caregivers’ views of dementia and caregiving, their use of social and family support, and their understanding of self-care and counseling services. The fourth study assessed factors linked to depressive symptoms among older Southeast AAs, revealing that Vietnamese Americans have significantly more depressive symptoms than Indonesian and Filipino Americans. Resilience and age are negatively related to depressive symptoms, while greater family conflict and inability to speak English fluently are positively associated with depressive symptoms. The fifth study used a large longitudinal survey on older Chinese Americans and demonstrated that higher acculturation levels are associated with a more rapid decline in depression and a slower decline in activities of daily living but are not related to long-term cognitive changes.

TRANSCENDING BOUNDARIES AND BARRIERS: END-OF-LIFE CARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ASIAN POPULATIONS

Abstract End-of-life care and quality of life are critical issues for older Asian populations, as they face unique cultural, linguistic, and health-related challenges. This symposium will bring together scholars in this field to discuss the latest research and practices for improving end-of-life care planning and quality of life for older Asian populations. The symposium consists of four papers that focus on different Asian ethnic groups. Zhang and colleagues will use survey data to examine the barriers and sociocultural factors of advance care planning among older Chinese Americans. Xu will present a systematic review on non-medical factors that affect quality of life in the last year among older Chinese. Wang will compare the completion of advance directives and examine its psychosocial factors among older Vietnamese, Filipino, and Indonesian Americans. Using a case study of Somang Society, Lee will discuss how non-profit organizations can navigate social media to provide education and volunteer training to promote advance care planning and healthy aging for older Korean Americans. Collectively, these four papers compare the values, barriers, and resources related to end-of-life care between these groups and propose effective strategies for enhancing end-of-life care planning and quality of life for Asian communities. Findings will inform the development and adaptation of culturally sensitive interventions to promote end-of-life health outcomes for diverse Asian populations. Carrion, the discussant, will address the strengths and limitations of these papers and discuss their contribution to theories, practices, policies, and future research on end-of-life care for minority aging populations.

BUILDING RESILIENCE USING PHOTOVOICE AMONG FAMILY CAREGIVERS

Abstract Filipino Americans remain one of the most underrepresented groups in research. It is challenging to identify the healthcare needs related to palliative and end-of-life care, especially among family caregivers. Palliative care is not yet well known in general, including among Filipino immigrants. Most people seem to adjust to the caregiver role and recover from Trauma/Emotional strain. However, some experience a long-lasting decline in their mental and physical health. This study will fill the gap in our understanding of the experiences of bereaved Filipino American family caregivers who have provided palliative and end-of-life care to their loved ones. This study aimed to explore the opportunities and challenges faced by Filipino American family caregivers who provided palliative and end-of-life care to their loved ones in the United States. The study also examined the impact of Photovoice as an intervention to build resilience, social support, and health-related quality of life among caregivers. The findings revealed that caregivers engaged in self-care activities, sought support from their social networks and healthcare providers, used coping strategies to manage emotional stress, found meaning in their caregiving experiences, and faced physical and emotional demands associated with caregiving. The Photovoice intervention was found to improve caregivers’ resilience and HRQOL significantly, but not their social support. Caregivers need assistance to manage the demands of providing care, including preparing for the future, securing help, and navigating agencies and relationships. Healthcare providers need to provide adequate support and resources to help caregivers manage the physical and emotional demands associated with caregiving.