Southeast Asian American Research Articles

Primary Care Providers' Perceptions of Young Cambodian American Female Patients.

There are significant health disparities among Southeast Asian Americans. As an initial step toward understanding the psychosocial factors associated with these disparities, the present study examined primary care providers' perspectives of health status, healthcare utilization, health-related behaviors, and stressors among one subset of Southeast Asian Americans-Cambodian American women between the ages of 18 and 24years. Interviews with five primary care providers indicated that cultural, historical, psychological and social issues were associated with health outcomes and health behaviors. Results also pointed to clinical considerations and research directions that would improve treatment and understanding of health problems among young Cambodian American women.

Family and Social Cognitive Predictors of Southeast Asian American College Students’ Academic Satisfaction

Southeast Asian Americans have unique sociopolitical histories compared to other Asian American ethnic groups in the United States. These experiences may distinctly shape their academic experiences. Given the low academic attainment rates in this population, we tested a cultural and social cognitive model of academic satisfaction with a sample of 111 Southeast Asian American college students. Specifically, we examined the degree to which intergenerational family conflict and social cognitive factors (e.g., self-efficacy) related to academic satisfaction. We found that intergenerational family conflict was negatively related to family academic support. Contrary to expectations, family academic support and self-efficacy were not directly linked to academic satisfaction, family academic support was not directly linked to self-efficacy or outcome expectations, and outcome expectations was not linked to goal progress. Other social cognitive predictors were related directly and indirectly to academic satisfaction, consistent with prior research. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are addressed.

Academic Needs and Family Factors in the Education of Southeast Asian American Students: Dismantling the Model Minority Myth

Academic Needs and Family Factors in the Education of Southeast Asian American Students: Dismantling the Model Minority Myth

Examining the Academic Achievement-Delinquency Relationship Among Southeast Asian Americans.

The extent to which poor academic achievement is strongly related to delinquency among Southeast Asian Americans (SEAA) remains unclear; reasons are methodological limitations and aggregated findings for Asian Americans, which mask evidence that SEAA have a higher prevalence of criminality and poor academic performance than other Asian American groups. The present study examines the academic achievement-delinquency relationship in a diverse group of 1,214 SEAA using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to make causal inferences and assess whether poor academic achieving SEAA, after being matched with higher academic achieving SEAA, displayed a higher prevalence of delinquency. Findings showed that, even after matching, poor academic achieving SEAA were still more likely to exhibit delinquent behavior than those who performed academically better. Interventions targeting SEAA communities will need to focus more on improving academic achievement to directly prevent and decrease delinquent behavior.

‘It was about claiming space’: exposure to Asian American studies, ethnic organization participation, and the negotiation of self among southeast Asian Americans

Despite the growing number of Asian American Studies (AAS) programs and Asian ethnic organizations across colleges and universities since the 1970s, surprisingly little empirical research examines the role of these aspects of higher education on Asian American identity. How do the roles of AAS curriculum and Asian American student organizations (Asian American activities) influence southeast Asian American college students’ ethnic and panethnic identity formation? Drawing on 50 in-depth interviews of 1.5 and second-generation college-educated Asian Americans, this study finds that the exposure to Asian American activities shapes respondents’ racial and ethnic identity construction. Specifically, the exposure to Asian American activities: (1) evokes an informed assertion of a contextual panethnic identity; (2) serves to trigger an assertion of a hyphenated American identity; and lastly, (3) plays a direct, but differing, instrumental role on identity construction among different Asian American sub-ethnic groups.

College and Career Readiness of Southeast Asian American College Students in New England

This study discusses the college and career readiness among full-time Southeast Asian American college students in a 4-year public university in New England. Our study consisted of surveys ( n = 58) and focus groups ( n = 35), of second-generation (born in the United States) or 1.5-generation (immigrated as a youth) college students. While our participants were fairly strong academically, they still struggled to navigate college and many did not feel prepared for careers. We found some variability by majors in the correlation of academic major and career preparedness, and our findings also suggest that Southeast Asian American students shared a number of concerns, such as lack of finances, inconsistent academic advising, and need for more career preparation. Nevertheless, across this heterogeneity, students agreed that peer mentors and effective faculty mentors are invaluable resources and that more such mentors and programs are needed.

From Forever Foreigners to Model Minority: Asian American Men in Sports

Abstract Despite their long history in the United States, relatively little scholarly attention has been paid to Asian Americans and their lived experience in sports. The purpose of this study was to give voices to Asian American men by focusing on their experiences in sports. In particular, this study examined the experiences of East Asian and Southeast Asian American male college students who were often perceived as “foreign” and “pejoratively feminine” racialized minority yet participated in sports that were associated with dominant masculinity in the U.S. The setting of the study was as a predominately White institution located in Upstate New York where Asian Americans make up about one percent of the total student population. Qualitative research method was employed for the study. Six Asian American male students were recruited through snowball and purposeful sampling methods. In-depth interviews were conducted to reveal the rich stories of these Asian American men. The research showed that the stories of Asian American male college students were much nuanced and complicated. Specifically, this study revealed that Asian American men were constantly otherized as “forever foreigners” who did not have a legitimate citizenship in the United States. Also, Asian Americans faced unique ideas about their manhood that either highlighted emasculated and feminized masculinity or hyper-masculinity. In dealing with these situations, Asian American men employed unique cultural strategies to challenge and resist racial stereotypes through sports.

Unpacking racial identities: the salience of ethnicity in Southeast Asian-American youth’s schooling experience

This article reconceptualizes white teachers’ notion of their Asian-American students’ racial identity. Forty urban Southeast Asian-American (SEAA) students and seven of their white European-American teachers were examined to determine how the students responded to the white teachers’ assumptions about their identity. This study provides an overview of the U.S. historical and political contexts that shape the positionality of Southeast Asian-American youth in the black–white racial discourse. It found that despite the fact that the teachers lumped the SEAA students into one category, the students highlighted the salience of ethnicity in their lives. One implication of this study is for teacher education programs to train new teacher candidates to move beyond simple racial categorization or race-blind approaches. Instead, teachers should be taught to acknowledge the importance of ethnicity to their students; to examine their own positionalities; and to incorporate more culturally relevant pedagogies into their instructional practices.

Epidemiology and Whole Genome Sequence Typing of Globally Emerging, Multidrug-Resistant Candida auris

Background. Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant yeast that can cause invasive fungal infections. It was first described in Japan in 2009, and has since been reported in other parts of the world. We established an international collaboration to understand the epidemiology of this emerging pathogen. Methods. We evaluated a convenience sample of C. auris infections from India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Venezuela during 2012–2015. Antifungal susceptibility testing was conducted according to CLSI standards; breakpoints were defined using those from other Candida spp. Whole genome sequencing typing (WGST) was performed. Patient information was obtained using a standardized case report form. Results. Isolates from 54 patients were evaluated (Pakistan 19, India 19, South Africa 10, Venezuela 5, and 1 reference isolate from Japan). All were resistant to fluconazole, 54% to voriconazole, and 7% to echinocandins; resistance to amphotericin B (MIC ≥2) was found in 29% of 21 isolates tested. At least 24% of isolates were resistant to ≥2 antifungal classes. Isolates grouped into distinct South Asian, East Asian, African, and South American clades by WGST. Clades were separated by several thousand single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), but within each clade, isolates were clonal (0–70 SNP differences). Among 38 patients with clinical information, median age was 54 years and 62% were male. Possible risk factors included central venous catheter (CVC) use (78%), surgery in the previous 90 days (50%), recent antifungal therapy (47%), and diabetes (42%). Median time from admission to C. auris culture was 17 days; 63% of patients had bloodstream infections, 16% had urinary tract infections, and 61% died. Conclusion. C. auris is an emerging healthcare-associated pathogen most commonly identified in patients with CVCs and recent surgery and antifungal therapy. It is associated with higher mortality than other Candida spp., and treatment options are limited because of the high prevalence of antifungal resistance. Puzzlingly, WGST analysis suggests emergence at least 4 distinct clades with high genomic similarity within geographical regions. Further exploration of risk factors for infection and transmission mechanisms is needed to inform control measures.

Comparative genome analysis between Southeast Asian and South American Zika viruses.

To understand the cause for the differences between potentially mild Southeast Asian and the more pathogenic ZIKV in South America. A comparative genomic analysis was performed to determine putative causations stemming from ZIKV. Phylogenetic analyses integrating geographical and time factors revealed that Southeast Asian ZIKV might not be the direct source of South American outbreaks as previously speculated. Amino acid residues unique to South American ZIKV isolates at the envelope, pr and NS1 proteins are listed and shown in the structural context. These unique residues on external viral proteins are not found in Southeast Asian ZIKV and could be responsible for the ongoing outbreak either via an intrinsic property of the virus or interactions with human immunity. Only a selected few primer/probe sets currently in clinical use were identified of being capable of detecting ZIKV strains worldwide. The envelope proteins of dengue virus (DENV) and ZIKV also showed a remarkable degree of similarity especially at the surface residues. These findings may help explain the cross-reactivity of DENV antibodies to ZIKV. Thus, major caveats must be exercised in using existing diagnostic tools for ZIKV.

Intimate partner violence and physical health outcomes among Southeast Asian American women.

Although intimate partner violence is prevalent among Southeast Asian American women, little is known about the associations between the experience of intimate partner violence and negative health outcomes in this population. Resnick et al. proposed a model explaining the development of health problems following violent assault. This article assesses the applicability of Resnick et al.'s model to Southeast Asian American women who have experienced intimate partner violence by reviewing cultural, historical, and social factors in this population. Our review indicates that the applicability of Resnick et al.'s model to Southeast Asian American women is mixed, with some components of the model fitting well with this population and others requiring a more nuanced and complex perspective. Future studies should take into consideration cultural, historical, and social factors.

Healthcare providers' perspectives on parental health literacy and child health outcomes among Southeast Asian American immigrants and refugees

Low health literacy has emerged as an important area of research because of its close link with health disparities. In this study, we used a qualitative approach to investigate healthcare providers' perspectives on the health literacy of immigrant and refugee parents and its association with children's health. Sixteen health and mental health professionals serving immigrant and refugee parents and children in various clinical settings were recruited through a purposive sampling method and interviewed. Six broad themes were identified: (1) multi-dimensional components of parental health literacy; (2) parent characteristics and native country experiences; (3) host systems and their interactions impact on parental health literacy; (4) diverse aspects of help-seeking; (5) culture-based parental help-seeking; and (6) child health outcomes. Within these larger themes, the complexity of parental health literacy and its various effects on children's health outcomes among immigrant and refugee parents were evident. Future research includes more population-based quantitative studies of parental health literacy and culturally relevant clinical approaches among immigrant and refugee parents.

Feeling Unsafe at School: Southeast Asian American Adolescents’ Perceptions and Experiences of School Safety

School safety impacts mental health and educational attainment particularly among vulnerable populations such as refugee youth. Using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), this study examines the mental health impact of perceptions and experiences that compromise school safety among Southeast Asian American adolescents (N = 645). Higher rates of perceptions and experiences that violated students’ feelings of safety at school were associated with decreased selfesteem and increased levels of depressive symptoms. Hierarchical regressions indicate that in light of perceptions and experiences of feeling unsafe at school, bicultural orientation, importance of identity, and family cohesion have an additive effect in predicting self-esteem and family cohesion has an additive effect with depressive symptoms though no moderation effects were found. Violence and bullying in schools contributes to lasting mental health repercussions and suicidality and has elicited increased attention by media, policy makers, school administrators, educators, psychologists, and parents. Fears of being bullied and feeling unsafe at school are leading causes of students missing school (Kearney, 2008) and can have psychological consequences enduring through the lifespan (Turner, Finkelhor, & Ormrod, 2006). Though all students may be at risk of feeling unsafe at school, some populations such as refugees may be more vulnerable to these experiences. Southeast Asians including Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotian, Hmong, and Iu Mien sought refuge in the U.S. beginning in 1975 with the fall of Saigon and the uprising of oppressive regimes in Southeast Asia (Chung & Okazaki, 1991; Hsu, Davies, & Hansen, 2004; Takaki, 1998). Southeast Asian Americans’ experiences are framed within the context of war and enduring trauma. Often swept under the umbrella of the “model minority,” their unique stressors are often overshadowed by perceptions of their inherent intelligence and success (Cooc & Gee, 2014; Ngo & Lee, 2007). Factors such as premigration trauma, intergenerational transmission of trauma, and disrupted familial and community relationships associated with the war and subsequent migration have a lasting impact on mental 1 Maffini: School Safety Published by Purdue e-Pubs, 2016 Maffini — Feeling Unsafe at School health, educational, and socioeconomic outcomes of Southeast Asian Americans (Chung & Bemak, 2007; Ying & Han, 2008; Kim-Ju, Maeda, & Maffini, 2009; Marshall, Schell, Elliott, Berthold, & Chun, 2005). According to the U.S. Community Survey (2014), poverty rates among Southeast Asian American groups are higher than the national average and educational attainment is lower. This study aims to better understand factors that contribute to Southeast Asian American students feeling unsafe at school and how those experiences impact mental health. Furthermore, this study examines the protective roles of culturally salient variables—bicultural orientation, ethnic self-identification, and family cohesion. Greater understanding of experiences of school safety can better inform policy and prevention programs addressing the specific needs of Southeast Asian American youth.

Abstract B57: Knowledge and cultural health beliefs of cervical cancer and attitudes and behaviors towards cervical cancer screening among Cambodian American women

Abstract Purpose: To determine the prevalence of cervical screening behavior among Cambodian American women, and their knowledge and cultural health beliefs about cervical cancer and attitudes towards cervical cancer screening. Background: The incidence and mortality of cervical cancer has been significantly reduced in the United States as a result of cervical cancer screening. However, the incidence of cervical cancer is still high among Southeast Asian American women, and in particular among Cambodian American women. Yet, little is known about cervical cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, and screening behavior among Cambodian American women. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional face-to-face survey was conducted. A community-based participatory research approach was used to recruit Cambodian American mothers and ethnic-based media strategies were utilized through Khmer radio and television and bilingual flyers throughout Cambodian community. Our survey instrument was constructed based on qualitative research and a literature review. Our qualitative study indicated that there are no words in Khmer for cervix, Pap smear, and cervical cancer. Therefore, diagrams or photographs that represent the terms were included in the survey. Basic descriptive statistics were performed to analyze and summarize demographics, cervical cancer screening behavior, cervical cancer-related knowledge, and attitudes toward the Pap test. Results: One hundred thirty Cambodian American mothers (mean age =44.6; SD=7.6) completed the survey. Of the respondents 92% were from Cambodia, 48% were married or lived with a significant other, 78% lived in refugee camps, 45% reported speaking English very well or well, 62% had a government insurance program, and 45% had private health insurance. The majority of the participants (97%) reported that they have had a Pap test. Of those, 91% had the last Pap test 1-3 years ago. There was a lack of understanding and knowledge of cervical cancer; 47% reported that women will get cervical cancer because it runs in the family; 76% thought that smoking cannot cause cervical cancer; and 34% believed that cervical cancer is matter of Karma. The majority of the women (74%) thought that having a Pap test performed by a male doctor is embarrassing; 54% reported that the test is painful or uncomfortable; 51% reported that women who have never had sex did not need a pap test; 45% reported that women who are in menopause do not need a pap test or they dd not know the answer; and 22% reported that women who are widowed do not need the test or they did not know the answer. Conclusion: The study findings provide insight and understanding of Cambodian American women's knowledge, cultural health beliefs, and attitudes towards cervical cancer and the Pap test. Although the prevalence of the Pap test was surprisingly high, the findings clearly indicated that there was a great deal of misunderstanding about cervical cancer and the Pap test. Our participants were middle-aged Cambodian American women; therefore, the findings may not be applicable to those from different age groups. Future studies are needed to explore other age groups. Moreover, culturally and linguistically appropriate educational interventions are needed to improve knowledge and understanding about cervical cancer and the Pap test for this population. Citation Format: Minjin Kim, Haeok Lee, Ling Shi, Phala Chea, Kevin Tan. Knowledge and cultural health beliefs of cervical cancer and attitudes and behaviors towards cervical cancer screening among Cambodian American women. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B57.

Assessing the Sociological Study of Asian American Christianity

In the following I review the extant literature on the sociology of Asian American Christianity which has grown exponentially since the 1980s. While some studies continue to offer complications to linear assimilation theories in explaining the role of religion among first and second generation Asian Americans, more recent research has employed other theoretical frames including supply-side religious economies, symbolic boundary formation, organizational fields, and contemporary racialization. Methodologically, the vast majority of these studies consist of regional comparisons of congregations, most of which are Chinese and Korean Protestant. In addition to a call for greater inclusion of non-Protestant Asian American Christians as well as South and Southeast Asian American Christians, I suggest substantive and methodological considerations for further research in the sociological study of Asian American Christianity.

Body, Time, and Space: Poetry as Choreography in Southeast Asian American Literature

ABSTRACTThis collaboration between a dance scholar and a literary/critical race studies scholar engages cross-disciplinary strategies of reading poetry to complicate contemporary discourses surrounding Southeast Asian American cultural productions. We offer an analysis of Phayvanh Luekhamhan's “Rubber Bands” and Diep Tran's “Schools,” focusing on their incorporation of elements integral to both dance and Southeast Asian diasporic poetry: body, time, and space. Choreographic in form and content, these poems shed light on the embodied repercussions of imperialism, war, and migration, and call forth the moving body as central to both recording and cultivating the formation of communities in diaspora.

Cultural Community Connections and College Success: An Examination of Southeast Asian American College Students

Low rates of college success continue to be a persisting problem in the United States, particularly among Southeast Asian Americans and other populations of color. The purpose of the current inquiry was to understand how cultural community connections influence the success of Southeast Asian American college students. Qualitative methods were employed and face-to-face individual interviews were conducted with 34 Southeast Asian American undergraduates. Participants identified 3 types of connections that facilitated their success in college: physical, epistemological, and transformational cultural connections. Implications for future higher education research and practice are discussed.

Depressive symptoms in South Asian, East Asian, and European Americans: Evidence for ethnic differences in coping with academic versus interpersonal stress?

Depressive symptoms in South Asian, East Asian, and European Americans: Evidence for ethnic differences in coping with academic versus interpersonal stress?

Situating Vietnamese Transnationalism and Diaspora

This review examines Kieu-Linh Caroline Valverde’s conceptualization of “transnationalizing Viet Nam.” It pays attention to Valverde’s field research in both the United States and Vietnam, which allowed her to observe how transnational networks of music and the Internet forged collaborations among individuals in both countries, despite severed US—Vietnamese diplomatic ties. It also examines the book’s treatment of the centrality of anti-Communism in Vietnamese diasporic politics and discourse, understanding Valverde’s analysis of anti-Communist hostility and violence as an argument about the limits of ideological inflexibility in Vietnamese American communities. In addition, this review also juxtaposes Valverde’s discussion of anti-Communism with other Southeast Asian American Studies scholars who interrogate the term’s many meanings to foreground the larger project to which Valverde’s project contributes—a critical approach alert to the long histories and multiple migrations that characterize overseas Vietnamese and compels a model of Vietnamese transnationalism and diaspora that is attentive to both pre-and post-Vietnam War contexts

Visualizing Social Influences on Filipino American and Southeast Asian American College Choice

This study identifies and explores social influences on the college choice process of Filipino American and Southeast Asian American high school seniors in an urban Midwestern setting. In an effort to contribute more depth to the knowledge regarding college choice among Filipino Americans and Southeast Asian Americans, this study engaged seven high school seniors in a photo elicitation study, allowing the students to tell their own stories of their pathways to college. Photos and follow-up interviews indicated that the students explicitly acknowledged kinship and peer networks as playing the most influential roles in the college choice process. Gender differences were found in how students understood their college choice experiences. Though not explicitly recognized by students in this study, college preparatory support programs and resources in the students’ schools also provided important supports in navigating college-going systems.