Korean American Community Research Articles

Uptake of diabetes follow-up checks by minority community groups: a rapid review of the evidence for the CYMELL study

BackgroundType 2 diabetes is a public health priority for the UK. A growing body of evidence has indicated ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in rates of diabetes prevalence and complications. Attendance at diabetes follow-up checks is key to ensuring complications are identified and managed at an early stage. The aim of this rapid review was to identify and summarise evidence of ways to improve diabetes management in ethnic minority groups. MethodsIn this rapid review, we searched PubMed, PsycInfo, and CINAHL for studies published in English between Jan 1, 2000, and Jan 31, 2023. Studies were included if the population was from ethnic minority groups and if the intervention was community-based and aimed to improve diabetes self-care. The comparisons were persuasion and behaviour change, and the outcomes were improved diabetes self-management including, glycaemic control, attending eye tests, kidney, and foot screening follow-up checks. This study is registered with PROSPERO 2023, CRD42023399283. FindingsNine studies were included, from Mexico (n=1), USA (n=7), and UK (n=1). Most studies reported on community engagement (n=8), and one focussed on peer support and diabetes self-management. Peer support and diabetes self-management education were found to significantly improve diabetes control in a Mayan community (n=29) in Mexico (p<0·0001) and in the Korean American (n=105), African American (n=107), and Latino American (n=56) communities in the USA. Another study showed that women from the Pakistani community in England also benefitted from a culturally appropriate and socially supportive environment when learning about diabetes self-management. Diabetic eye screening rates could be increased through education but not through incentive payments. InterpretationCulturally competent health-care policies and programmes have been shown to increase diabetes self-management including uptake of diabetes screening for people with diabetes from ethnic minority communities to avoid potential harmful and life limiting conditions. A strength of this review is that robust, recent, and relevant papers regarding self-management of diabetes were included. The main limitations were that none of the nine studies included any cost analyses, and only one UK-based study was included, indicating that further research is required to fill the evidence gap. FundingResearch for Patient and Public Benefit (RfPPB), Health and Care Research Wales.

Korean American Patients' and Family Caregivers' Sources of Social Support and Perceptions of Cancer and the Caregiving Role: A Theory-Driven Qualitative Study.

To understand the sources of social support and perceptions of cancer and the caregiving role for Korean American patients with cancer and their family caregivers. Using convenience sampling, Korean American patients with cancer and their family caregivers were recruited from Korean American churches and community health agencies. Semistructured interviews guided by the sociocultural stress and coping model were conducted with 12 dyads (N = 24) of Korean American patients with cancer and their family caregivers. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Patients' social support sources included Korean cancer support programs, family or friends, and religion. Family caregivers' sources of social support were limited to religion and friends. Nurses can encourage patients with cancer in racial and ethnic minority groups to attend cancer support programs offered in their primary language to enhance their quality of life during cancer survivorship. Culturally tailored interventions are needed to support the patients' family caregivers.

Exploring police legitimacy and other factors in predicting cooperation with police in the Atlanta Korean American community

PurposeLimited research exists on the perceptions of police within specific ethnic minority groups. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the experiences of Korean and Korean American residents in the Metro Atlanta area regarding their perceptions of cooperation with the police, particularly in relation to hate crimes, along with their perceptions of police legitimacy and other relevant factors. By focusing on this specific population, the study aims to shed light on their unique perspectives and contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics between ethnic minorities and law enforcement.Design/methodology/approachThe authors’ sample comprised 128 Korean residents who were asked about their demographics, victimization experiences, self-rated English proficiency and police legitimacy. Multiple linear regression analyses were employed to investigate the impact of police legitimacy, victimization experiences and English-speaking skills on the participants' level of cooperation with the police.FindingsPolice legitimacy and self-rated levels of English proficiency emerged as the most significant factors in predicting the level of cooperation among residents with the police. Furthermore, individuals who have experienced crime victimization in the past were more willing to cooperate with the police compared to those who have not. Additionally, men showed a higher tendency to cooperate with the police compared to women participants.Originality/valueThe findings of this study suggest important implications for the policies and strategies aimed at enhancing the relationship between the Korean American community and the police. These implications include the need for improved language support for non-English speaking community members and the importance of building trust and fostering mutual understanding to cultivate positive police-community relations. By implementing measures based on these findings, it is recommended to promote a more inclusive and effective approach to policing within the Korean American population.

Hurt You by Marie Myung-Ok Lee

Reviewed by: Hurt You by Marie Myung-Ok Lee Ally Byerly Lee, Marie Myung-Ok Hurt You Blackstone, 2023 [268p] Trade ed. ISBN 9798200758098 $19.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 9-12 See this month’s Big Picture, p. 317, for review. Published in 1937, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men has become a classroom staple, and many middle and high schoolers will be familiar with the heartbreaking story of George Milton and Lennie Small. Famous for the senseless tragedy of its ending, the book exposed profound fissures in American society: its dangerous exploitation of the working class, its callous disregard for those with disabilities, and its shameful abetment of mob justice. Hurt You is both an homage to and a modernization of this American classic, as author Marie Myung-Ok Lee lends further nuance and pathos to Steinbeck’s themes of class dynamics, power, and loyalty. Set in a Korean American community in suburban California, this fitting successor finds modern-day thematic parallels in the profiteering off of immigrant labor and the “Stand Your Ground” gun laws that allow civilians to take justice into their own hands, often with tragic consequences. Georgia Kim’s life is fraught with tension. She feels it mounting in the room as her brother Leo works himself into another tantrum, and between her parents as they clash over how to raise a son who, like Steinbeck’s character Lennie, has an intellectual disability. She feels tension brewing within herself, as well, in her competing desires to claim agency in her future and to protect her gentle brother from the cruelty and ignorance that surrounds him. Georgia cannot imagine a life without Leo by her side, but her parents are eager for her to move away and attend an elite college where she can start her life sans Leo. Their ambitions precipitate a move to the pristine planned community of Sunnyvale, where Georgia and Leo encounter familiar bigotry in the form of the gun-toting bigshot Curley and his fawning girlfriend. Yet, they also find unprecedented support and kindness in their new school’s Korean American community. With the help of their new friends, Georgia begins to make plans to secure her and Leo’s future, but, like “the best laid plans o’ mice an’ men,” they go awry. As the story begins at its tragic conclusion, readers know that there will be no future for Leo, that Georgia’s cherished hopes for their life together will come to nothing, that society will not be kind. Yet as the story unfolds, full of love and tenderness, one cannot help but cling to hope that these incredible characters can alter its course. This is a testament to Lee’s masterful storytelling; her visceral prose and deft use of figurative language compound to create an immersive world in which even minor characters are fleshy and flawed. The novel even uses Leo’s tendency to echo speech to call back to Steinbeck’s text, as Leo’s repeated affirmations that “Nuna [older sister] keeps me safe” haunt the novel. [End Page 317] The result is a searing critique of the inaccessible, hostile world people with mental disabilities are forced to navigate, and the gun lobbyist rhetoric that makes marginalized communities especially vulnerable to violence. Indeed, the most disconcerting conceit here is how little our ableist society has changed in the years between the two books. Hurt You is devastating and urgent, and it has the makings of a modern classic. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Depression among Korean American immigrants living in rural Alabama: use of social determinants of health framework

ABSTRACT Objectives Depression among Korean American (KA) immigrants in rural Alabama is understudied. This study aims to utilize the social determinants of health (SDOH) framework to explore factors associated with depressive symptoms among KA immigrants living in rural communities of Alabama. Design Data were collected from two sites in rural Alabama from September 2019 to February 2020. Convenience sampling was conducted to recruit study participants from the KA community. A total number of 261 KA immigrants aged 23–75 were included in the study. All measures originally in English were translated into Korean using back-translation to assure comparability and equivalence in the meaning of measures. Multiple linear regression modeling was used to explore the predictors of depression. Results Perceived race discrimination was significantly associated with greater depressive symptoms (β = .180, SE = .534, p < .01). Three SDOH were identified to have significant relationship with depressive symptoms. Participants who could not see a doctor because of cost (β = .247, SE = 1.118, p < .001), had lower level of health literacy (β = -.121, SE = .280, p < .05), and had higher social isolation scores (β = .157, SE = .226, p < .05) tended to have higher scores of depressive symptoms. Conclusion Rural-living KA immigrants’ depression can be significantly affected by race discrimination and SDOH factors, emphasizing the need for culturally competent interventions and services. Policymakers, federal and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and social workers can make joint efforts to address racial discrimination and improve the mental health services among immigrant populations, especially those living in rural areas.

"It's Taboo to Talk About It": Korean American Clergy Members' Views of Mental Health.

Korean Americans are more likely to seek guidance from church leaders than to use traditional mental health services. Through semistructured key informant interviews with 16 Christian clergy members serving later-generation Korean Americans, the authors explored clergy members' perceptions of the mental health needs of their congregants. Insights from the study suggested that communication and collaboration between mental health professionals and church leaders may be helpful in addressing the Korean American community's emotional and mental health needs.

Exploring the Usage of Social Media to Increase Awareness of End-of-Life Care for Korean American Communities: A Case Report

Summary: Korean American older adults often lack understanding of end-of-life care, particularly advance care planning and hospice. Somang Society is a nonprofit organization in the U.S. serving Korean American older adults and their family caregivers to promote healthy aging, dignity in later life, and a meaningful death. We aimed to analyze education and outreach efforts of Somang Society to increase awareness among Korean Americans on the importance of end-of-life care. This case report assesses the metrics and performance analytics of Somang Society’s YouTube channel and videos uploaded from January 1st, 2019 to September 31th, 2021, as well as GIS data regarding their membership.Findings: Findings of this report indicate that YouTube may be a feasible method to broaden outreach efforts to increase education and awareness on end-of-life care planning in the Korean American community. Particularly, a multi-messaging mobile application helped distribute useful information between Korean Americans. Applications: Community-based organizations may leverage social media platforms to increase education and awareness efforts targeting underserved populations, including culturally and linguistically diverse groups.

An Examination of Attachment to God, Individualism, Collectivism, and Differentiation of Self in Second-Generation Christian Korean Americans

Constructs regarding attachment to God and differentiation of self (DoS) have a robust foundation in the literature; however, studies regarding other cultures, specifically, second-generation Christian Korean Americans (SGCKAs), are limited. This study examined attachment to God, individualism, collectivism, and DoS in SGCKAs. Secure attachment with God statistically significantly predicted DoS scores in SGCKAs, R2 = .087, F(1,143) = 13.704, p &lt; .001. Statistically significant differences on horizontal/individualism scores when compared based on attachment to God categories also existed. Furthermore, statistically significant differences existed on DoS scores when compared based on secure/insecure attachment to God categories. Implications for the church, mental health professionals, counselor educators, and the Korean American community are discussed.

Review of “Koreatown, Los Angeles: Immigration, Race, and the American Dream”

Koreatown in Los Angeles now attracts locals and tourists to experience unique ethnic cultural experiences from food to nightlife in a section of the global L.A., where diverse cultures are celebrated and appreciated. Yet, for Koreans both in the United States and in South Korea, Koreatown in LA is a symbol of Korean America far from their homeland, reflecting their successes and struggles as a racialized minority group in urban United States. In fact, the past memories of urban unrest and Black-Korean conflicts of the 1990s are still alive and have lingered in their minds, resonating collective memories of painful loss and ruins, where their American Dream was destroyed overnight. In Koreatown, Los Angeles, Lee introduces how Koreatown in LA has evolved by engaging with both local and global contexts across the Pacific Rim from the 1960s to the current era, including the urban riots in the 1960s and ‘70s, the 1965 Immigration Act, white flight, disinvestment in inner-cities, spatial segregation of Black urbanites, globalization, and more recent foreign investments since the late 1990s. Past research on Koreatown and Korean American communities in the United States can be broken down into two main categories: (1) ethnic enclave economy debates from the 1970s to 1990s and (2) Black-Korean conflicts of the 1980s and ‘90s, such as the LA riots and Black boycotts against Korean merchants, and its consequent political awakening of Korean Americans. Lee uniquely and interestingly marinates the two major research agendas in Korean American studies and reminds and reconnects readers of the recent past of the pain and loss that have often been overshadowed by more recent redevelopment of the space, characterized by the construction of luxurious high-rise buildings. Impressively, the author not only emphasizes local contexts in the United States but also shows the deep understanding of transnational influences in overseas Korean communities, particularly economic structural changes in South Korea and foreign investment after the Asian financial crisis of 1997.

Abstract B026: Barriers and facilitators to Helicobacter pylori screening and treatment to prevent stomach cancer among Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese American communities

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese (CKV) community members’ knowledge, practices, barriers, and facilitators regarding Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) testing and treatment. CKV persons in the United States (US), especially those who are foreign-born, have higher prevalence of H. pylori infection, which contributes to relatively high rates of stomach cancer. This pilot study aimed to inform a future intervention that would test for and treat H. pylori among at-risk CKV communities as a means of early stomach cancer prevention. Methods: Researchers conducted a survey and 15 focus groups for a total of n=90 voluntary participants (n=29 for Chinese, n=30 for Korean, and n=31 for Vietnamese) living in the southern California region. The survey and focus groups were conducted both online and in-person in Mandarin, Korean, and Vietnamese languages. The survey included demographic and socioeconomic questions, as well as measures of participant knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about H. pylori infection, prevention, and treatment. The focus group guide was informed by the Health Belief Model to evaluate participants’ perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action for H. pylori testing and treatment. Results: CKV participants varied in their level of knowledge about H. pylori, but most expressed little awareness of H. pylori and the associated risks. Focus groups revealed that community members were mostly unaware of high susceptibility to H. pylori among CKV people. Nevertheless, CKV community members believed that H. pylori and stomach cancer to be serious health issues. Most CKV community members cited lack of awareness as a major barrier to getting tested for H. pylori. However, groups differed in their opinions on barriers to treatment. While Chinese and Korean groups mostly agreed that a physicians’ diagnosis and recommendation would facilitate completing the H. pylori treatment regimen for their communities, Vietnamese groups noted greater levels of medical. Vietnamese groups expressed some uncertainty about antibiotics and medications that would cause potentially harmful side-effects. To various extents, CKV groups noted that increasing awareness about H. pylori through community-based initiatives utilizing sources of trusted information, respected community leaders, and online and in-person social networks would be effective strategies for increasing testing and treatment. Conclusion: Community-based initiatives to increase H. pylori testing and treatment may be useful for stomach cancer prevention among at-risk CKV populations. This study provides needed insights into what types of content these initiatives might include and how to provide information in a way that is culturally relevant to the needs of CKV communities. There are different barriers and facilitators to testing and treatment for H. pylori among CKV community members. Interventionists must keep these nuances in mind and tailor their approaches appropriately. Citation Format: Brittany N. Morey, Grace E. Lee, Tin Q. Tran, Derek Chang, Julienne Lee, Nancy Mai, Sanga Min, Tami C. Nguyen, Hye Won Park, Qin Wang, Sunmin Lee. Barriers and facilitators to Helicobacter pylori screening and treatment to prevent stomach cancer among Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese American communities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B026.

Voices of Community-Based Program Volunteers for Korean Americans with Severe Disabilities

ABSTRACT Members of Korean American communities have displayed an increasing interest in volunteering opportunities with individuals with severe disabilities that promote social interaction and community engagement among them. However, little is known about community volunteer experiences and how Korean American volunteers can be better supported. In this qualitative study, we documented the voices of Korean American volunteers who work with individuals with severe disabilities. Adopting a phenomenological approach, we interviewed and observed ten Korean American community volunteers to explore the meaning of their experiences and their perceptions of severe disability as well as the social inclusion of individuals with severe disabilities. Through the data analysis, three main themes were identified: changing views on individuals with severe disabilities, inclusion in multifaceted communities, and identified needs of the Korean American community and volunteering system. The results show that the volunteers’ initial perceptions of disability evolved during their experiences with individuals with severe disabilities. The data provides practical information about the ethnic community and volunteering system, which foster social integration among the participants and community members regardless of their abilities, race/ethnicity, language, and immigrant status.

Listener Features and the Identification of Emotion in Classical Music

Music has been a part of human development since before speech evolved and is an effective form of communication and expression across the world. In particular, the connection between music and emotions seem to be very strong but not very much understood. Recent studies in the past few decades have just begun to delve into the concrete associations between music and emotion. There have been debates about whether there is a significant difference between the way we identify emotions in music through different listener features (based on the circumstances and the identity of the listener). Our paper aimed to investigate whether there would be a difference in recognizing emotions within classical music depending on different listener features such as age, sex, familiarity with classical music, personality, mental health, and culture (within the Korean-American community). Our results show that there are not many significant differences between any of the categories, implying that although subjective experience makes musical experience unique, the intentions of the composer are intact and may be identified throughout all the categories.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIRACIAL IDENTITY IN PATRICIA PARK’S RE JANE

Race in America is an important issue because, through the decennial census, the American government distributes the federal budget to many communities to support their education and health. Throughout the American census history, the government starts to acknowledge the people with one or more races in 2000. However, in society, people with more than one race will be classified based on their physical features and acknowledged by only one race. This research aims to reveal the biracial identity development in Re Jane novel by Patricia Park (2015) using racial identity and negotiation theory. It uses a qualitative method with primary data source from the novel and secondary data source from books, thesis, journals, articles, and online sources. This research shows that factors that affect Jane’s biracial Korean-American identity development are microlenses factors consisting of inherited influences and social environment. These factors make Jane not have a sense of belonging both in the the Korean-American community and the Caucasian community. Second, to have a sense of belonging in the community, she negotiates with her family, friends, and workplace by supporting and challenging others’ desired self-image. Thus she can feel secure, trusted, and accepted.

Korean americans: the genesis of diasporic and ethnic identities

Western and domestic researchers admit that ethnic identity is a complex and multifaceted social phenomenon, which is characterized by an individual’s (group’s) awareness of their belonging to a particular ethnic community, understanding, evaluating and experiencing their membership in it. Ethnicity in the United States, depending on what race a person belongs to, can be flexible and voluntary, or it can be something real and imposed by social and political factors. The diaspora community model appears as a real group adaptation strategy. However, not every ethnic group has the ability to create a diaspora, but only an ethnic group which is resistant to assimilation can. The sense of ethnicity for Korean Americans is an important factor that hinders assimilation. Ethnicity is the most significant characteristic of the diaspora. The Korean diaspora in America is represented by first, 1.5, and, to a lesser extent, second generation immigrants. In the diaspora, ethnic identity is manifested in rigidly fixed blood and cultural ties. This is a constant predetermined from birth, and not a result of a choice. Although the family is an important social institution in the formation of the ethnic identity of Koreans, one cannot but agree that the main social institution that plays a significant role in the formation of diaspora identity is the Korean Christian churches. Today, the Korean American community is in the process of diasporaization and has the characteristics of a “new” or “modern” diaspora. Key words: Korean diaspora in the United States, Korean Americans, diaspora, ethnic identity, diasporic identity.

Culture Differences in Advance Care Planning and Implications for Social Work Practice

Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of making plans and decisions regarding end-of-life care (EOLC) in advance while one has the physical and cognitive capacity to do so. However, even if health practitioners recognize the importance of ACP, they may be constrained by social and cultural factors in engaging their clients in ACP. This study examined cultural differences in ACP and various strategies that social workers use to initiate conversations on ACP in a range of settings. Using the case study method, we conducted in-depth interviews with 7 social workers who work in South Korea, 2 Korean-American social workers working in the Korean-American communities in the US, and 3 American social workers serving diverse populations in the US. Their practice sites include: university hospitals, day care centers, a community senior center, a nursing home, and a hospice agency. Social workers in both countries emphasized the need to build rapport with their clients early on and to empower them to take the lead in their ACP while they were still healthy. In Korean and Korean-American communities, social workers recognized their clients’ reluctance to speak about EOLC and highlighted the importance of communicating with their family due to their clients’ preference for family-centered decision-making. When doing this, a step-by-step approach in giving relevant information was recommended. We identified relationship-building, empowerment, and culturally sensitive approaches as common strategies in initiating discussions on ACP in both countries.

Cultural Differences in Advance Care Planning and Implications for Practice.

This study examined cultural differences in advance care planning (ACP) and various strategies that social workers use to initiate conversations on ACP. We conducted qualitative interviews with 12 social workers in South Korea and the US and a thematic content analysis of the transcribed data. Our findings show that different cultural norms and generational viewpoints surrounding death and health-related decision-making influence how people prepare for end-of-life care (EOLC). Whereas principles of self-determination and autonomy guide ACP practices in the US, decisions regarding EOLC are more often made in consultation with family members in Korean and Korean-American communities. Nevertheless, social workers in both countries identified relationship-building, empowerment, and individualized approaches as common strategies in initiating discussions on ACP.

Prevention of partner violence: virtual case simulation for religious leaders of Korean American immigrant communities.

The project 'Religious Leaders for Healthy Families' aims to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) and increase access to resources for immigrant victims by enhancing the capacity of religious leaders. Due to cultural and psychosocial barriers, immigrant women prefer to exhaust informal resources, including religious leaders, before seeking help from professional service providers. This study reports the development of a virtual case simulation in which Korean American (KA) religious leaders living in the USA practice how to prevent and address IPV in their congregation. Intervention mapping (IM) guided the development of the simulation. This process was informed by theory, research and expertise in prevention and virtual case simulation. We partnered with victim service organizations and received feedback from religious leaders. The simulation was pilot tested with nine KA religious leaders and three community leaders with IPV expertise in the KA community. The resulting intervention consists of 4 behavioral outcomes and 24 performance objectives. We identified the knowledge, attitudes, outcome expectations and self-efficacy needed to accomplish each objective. The most creative phase was the development of four modules, as interactive virtual case simulations, that address all performance objectives. IM and social cognitive theory provided a useful framework for developing this virtual case simulation. With culturally responsive modifications, the intervention has the potential to be adapted for religious leaders from other immigrant communities.

Cultural differences in end‐of‐life care planning for persons with dementia: Comparison of U.S. and Korean cases

AbstractBackgroundProviding good quality care at the end of life is important not only for cognitively‐intact patients but also for people who have dementia. In order to respect the patients’ preferences for end‐of‐life care (EOLC) among persons with dementia (PwD), it is critical to engage in advance care planning before PwDs lose cognitive functioning. However, even if health practitioners perceive such needs, they may be constrained by social and cultural factors in initiating conversations about EOLC. This study examined cultural differences in EOLC planning for PwDs using the case study method. We conducted in‐depth interviews with 7 social workers who work in South Korea, 2 Korean American social workers working with Korean‐American older adults in the US, and 3 American social workers who work in the community and hospice settings serving diverse populations. We asked about participants’ opinion about advance care planning(or EOLC) for PwDs, whether and how they engage in discussions on EOLC, obstacles in their efforts to engage in these discussions, suggestions for improving EOLC and decision making for PwDs. We conducted content analysis and extracted themes relevant to our research questions. Results show that social workers in Korea feel reluctant to engage in advance care planning for PwDs because older adults as well as their caregivers do not want to talk about death. Compared to social workers in Korea, social workers working in the Korean American communities in the US engage in EOLC planning with their clients more frequently, but they wait until they find opportunities to talk about EOLC, such as death of their client’s family of friends. On the other hand, social workers working in the non‐immigrant communities in the US perceived advance care planning as a way to ensure self‐determination and autonomy in EOLC decision making and offered opportunities to prepare for EOLC even when their clients did not bring up the issues. Implications for culturally sensitive practice and ways to improve awareness on the importance of EOLC planning in death‐avoiding cultures are discussed.

Factors Influencing Formal and Informal Resource Utilization for Mental Distress Among Korean Americans in Southern California.

Despite the high prevalence of mental distress in the Korean American (KA) community, KAs continue to have significantly lower rates of professional mental health utilization than the general U.S. population, making it increasingly critical to study factors related to such utilization. A total of 243 surveys were collected at Korean churches of various denominations in the greater Los Angeles area. This cross sectional study examined KAs' resource utilization using Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use as a multi-level theoretical framework. Level of education and employment status significantly predicted professional health service utilization. Informal resource utilization was significantly influenced by gender, attitudes toward professional mental health services, acculturation, and views of God and religion. Future studies should further explore which types of interventions or resources would be most effective for KAs to decrease their high levels of mental distress based on their unique intersections and cultural realities.

Demystifying Americanness: The Model Minority Myth and The Black-Korean Relationship

The recent incidents involving both Black American and Korean American communities across the United States have reopened the old wounds between the two minority communities, recalling the two tragic incidents in the 1990s: the death of Latasha Harlins (1991) and the Los Angeles Uprising/Sa-I-Gu (1992). Revisiting and reevaluating these two cases, this article argues that the myth of true Americanness, channeled and reinforced through the concept of model minority, has not only shaped and sustained a contentious relationship between Korean immigrants and Black Americans but also intensified the racial tension among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. We conclude that American people of all demographics must debunk the myth of model minority and challenge the false Americanism by embracing “deep diversity,” not merely distinctive group identities and outlooks, which offers a more diverse and rich interpretation of America as a whole.