Southeast Asian American Research Articles

Disentangling the roles of generational status and acculturation on dietary behaviors in disaggregated Asian American subgroups

IntroductionLittle is known on the independent effects of generational status and acculturation on the consumption of specific foods among disaggregated Asian American (AA) populations. This study explores the associations of generational status and acculturation with dietary behaviors of a nationwide non-probability sample of 3018 AAs (57.6% East Asian American (EAA), 18.9% South Asian American (SAA), 19.4% Southeast Asian American (SEAA)). MethodsRecruited participants completed an online dietary survey designed and adapted for AAs to assess a range of diet and food purchasing behaviors. Generational status was assessed through participant and parental country of birth (1st-Gen, 2nd-Gen, 3rd-Gen); the Marin Short Acculturation Scale was adapted to measure acculturation. Linear regression models assessed the association of generational status and acculturation with consumption of 11 food/nutrient groups, adjusted for socio-economic variables. ResultsCompared to estimated US averages, participants reported lower fruit, dairy, and seafood intake yet lower red and processed meat, and higher whole grain, calcium, and fiber intake. Compared to EAA, SAA reported higher dairy (1.72 vs. 1.46 cups/day) and calcium (1029 vs. 954 mg/day) intakes, while SEAA reported lower vegetable intake (1.66 vs. 1.78 cups/day). In adjusted analyses, processed meat intake was higher among 2nd-Gen and 3rd-Gen vs.1st-Gen (+0.029 times/day; +0.061 times/day) participants. Higher acculturation was associated with lower vegetable, fiber, and seafood intake (−0.005 cups/day; −0.02 g/day; −0.002 times/day). ConclusionGreater attention to the role of generational status and acculturation in AA dietary behaviors is needed, and findings call for further research to understand the mechanisms behind the dietary influence of different socialization and acculturative processes.

From Yellow Peril to Model Minority and Back to Yellow Peril

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some perceptions of Asian Americans in the United States shifted as anti-Asian hate crimes escalated. However, little is known about how these shifting views manifest in K–12 schools. This qualitative case study uses Asian critical race theory to examine how two Southeast Asian American students faced exclusion and erasure before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and how their Southeast Asian American teacher advocated for them at a public elementary school in the Pacific Northwest. Implications include how researchers can pursue inquiries about Asian American students’ holistic development and how in-service and pre-service teachers can address anti-Asian xenophobia.

Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei real-time and Shrimp MultiPathTM PCR assay validation for South-East Asian and Latin American strains of Penaeid shrimp.

Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) infections are a global challenge for the Penaeid shrimp industry with a sharp rise in prevalence over the last 10 yr. EHP is known to cause sub-optimal growth, large size variation and reduced survival of shrimp. Molecular methods development has mainly focussed on 18S rRNA or spore wall protein 1 (SWP1). Due to the specificity and sensitivity issues with previously designed assays for both targets, new molecular assays are needed by the global shrimp industry and regulators to help manage the risks posed by EHP. This paper describes new real-time PCR (qPCR) methods developed for the novel EHP gene targets polar tube protein 2 (PTP2) and spore wall protein 26 (SWP26), whilst also presenting performance metrics of the new Shrimp MultiPathTM technology EHP assay. qPCR assays PTP2G and SWP26G show high amplification efficiency, a limit of detection (LOD) of between 1 and 4 copies, low assay variation and high diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) compared to imperfect reference assays. Similar performance is seen with Shrimp MultiPathTM EHP showing an LOD of 8 copies, low assay variation and high DSe and DSp. These novel molecular targets for EHP and Shrimp MultiPathTM EHP strengthen global efforts to monitor and mitigate risks of EHP infections and outbreaks. Moreover, this study presents novel data on distribution of EHP in shrimp populations from South-East Asia and Latin America, and how sequence variations need to be considered when monitoring EHP in different geographies.

The influence of ethnicity on outcomes of ovulation induction with clomifene citrate in women with PCOS

Research questionWhat is the influence of ethnicity on the outcome of ovulation induction with clomifene citrate in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? DesignThis was a retrospective cohort study. In total, 420 women diagnosed with PCOS who were of Northern European, Mediterranean, African, South-East Asian or South American descent, and who started ovulation induction treatment with clomifene citrate, were included. All women were treated with clomifene citrate according to a standardized treatment regimen. The minimal effective dose of clomifene citrate and prevalence of clomifene resistance (CRA) were assessed, and the chance of becoming ovulatory was predicted. ResultsDifferences were observed in body mass index (P = 0.008), waist circumference (P = 0.036) and serum LH, insulin and androgen concentrations (all P < 0.001) in women of different ethnicities with PCOS. Compared with women of Northern European descent, the minimal effective dose of clomifene citrate in women of other ethnic groups was not significantly different. The prevalence of CRA (P = 0.574) was similar in all ethnic groups A similar chance of ovulation (P = 0.504) was predicted for the different ethnic groups. ConclusionsThis is the first study aiming to link ethnicity to ovulation induction outcome in PCOS. Although women of different ethnicities who have PCOS exhibit a variation in phenotypic expression, there do not appear to be differences in the prevalence of clomifene-resistant anovulation or the minimal effective dose of clomifene citrate. Furthermore, a prediction model revealed no significant differences in the predicted chance of ovulation. A larger cohort is needed to validate these findings.

Ethnoracial identity development and colorblindness among Southeast Asian American students at an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and non-AANAPISI

ABSTRACT This study examines how Southeast Asian American students develop their ethnoracial identities at an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and a non-AANAPISI, and if there are differences between the two institutions. Drawing on interviews with 26 Southeast Asian American undergraduate students, I find that students use three outlets at both institutions to further develop their ethnoracial identities: 1) Asian American Studies or related courses, 2) ethnoracial student organizations, and 3) ethnoracial events. However, these outlets provided students with a different type of ethnoracial identity development – political ethnoracial identity or social ethnoracial identity. Those that did not participate in these outlets had a colorblind ethnoracial identity as they still acknowledged their ethnoracial identities but did not view race or racism as relevant. The AANAPISI designation did not matter in the parameters of this study, as there were no differences for students at both institutions.

Identities Development of Adult Chinese Heritage Language Learners from Southeast Asian American Families

Although linguistic and cultural varieties exist among Chinese Heritage Language Learners (CHLLs), little attention has been given to how adult CHLLs with non-Mandarin backgrounds attempt to negotiate their identities when they learned Chinese. Grounded in He’s (2008, 2016) theory of Chinese heritage language (CHL) development, this study explored the construction of identities of Chinese adults with non-Mandarin backgrounds in the process of Chinese heritage language learning. Three adult CHLLs in the United States participated in a multiple case study that lasted for six months. Data collection included interviews, journals, observations, and informal communications. Findings suggest that CHLLs of non-Mandarin backgrounds had a deeper understanding of their identity during adulthood and tend to construct an identity that was opposite to the group with which they are interacting. Highlighting the heterogeneity and fluidity of the identities among participants, this study concludes with implications.

Perspectives for improving circular economy in brackish shrimp aquaculture

Shrimp farming in South-East Asian and Latin American coastal regions generates economic benefits for the producer countries and contributes to a healthy nutrition of consumers. However, shrimp farming uses great amounts of fish meal and fish oil in the feed for the provision of essential proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids during growth. This practice contributes to the environmental burden of the production process, as it is estimated that 25% of the total wild capture fish is used to produce these compounds. Also, intensive brackish water farming in coastal regions promotes the shrinkage of mangrove forests and the contamination of surrounding soil and water resources, causing further environmental degradation. In this work, several concepts for wastewater and sludge treatment in brackish water aquaculture are reviewed, and a novel concept that combines aquaculture with the production of macroalgae and microalgae is proposed to achieve a circular system. Macroalgae can assimilate nitrogen and phosphorus in the wastewater stream, which enables the recirculation of the salty water. Solid residues are converted via anaerobic digestion into several short-chain carboxylic acids and methane. While methane can be used for electric energy and heat provision, the acids can be consumed by heterotrophic microalgae. Both macroalgae and microalgae can be applied as feed additives in shrimp aquaculture, providing proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acid sources. This integrated concept can enable the production of shrimp without the addition of fish meal and oil, enhance nutrient recycling in brackish aquaculture, and minimize the contamination of coastal land and water.

Manage the environmental risks of perovskites

Manage the environmental risks of perovskites

On the Struggles and Experiences of Southeast Asian American Academics

This article examines Southeast Asian Americans (SEAA) academics in the U.S. academy, relating their complex positionalities within higher education to their communities and societies. While many educational studies have been done on SEAA students, almost none focus on professional scholars and college faculty. Combining cultural-structural critique with close analysis of public writings and personal interviews, the article finds that that SEAA are ignored, and/or tokenized in the Ivory Tower due to structural as well as epistemological issues. It indicates that the public discourse and policies about Southeast Asians in academia not only neglects racial and class hierarchies, but obscures issues of gender equity, mentoring, discrimination, hiring, tenure, and retention. To explain how and why Southeast Asian professors are “missing,” this article seeks to: 1) built a more critical framework and interdisciplinary methodology for studying SEAA in academia in ways that are intersectional, anti-racist, and comparative 2) challenge dominant narratives of Asians and Asian Americans as they pertain to SEAAs and 3) reveal participants’ own stories of agency and belonging in their communities and institutions.

Socioeconomic Status of Second-Generation Southeast Asians: New Evidence and Analysis

Over a million refugees and other immigrants arrived in the United States from Southeast Asia starting in 1975. Forty-five years later, their adult children have completed their education in the U.S. and entered the labor force. This study uses a large microdata sample from the American Community Survey to describe and compare the socioeconomic status of Southeast Asian American adults and native-born white adults. Results are disaggregated by gender, generation (Generation 1.5 and Generation 2), and ethnic group (Hmong, other Laotian, Cambodian, and Vietnamese). Regression analysis – controlling for age, educational attainment, and other factors – shows that native-born white men generally have higher predicted median hourly wages and earnings and higher labor force participation rates than Southeast Asian men, although Vietnamese men surpass white men in some measures. On the other hand, Southeast Asian women’s predicted median wages, earnings, and labor force participation rates exceed those of native-born white women.

Unpredictable In Vitro Killing Activity of Amphotericin B against Four Candida auris Clades.

Candida auris is an emerging multiresistant yeast against which amphotericin B (AMB) is still the first therapeutic choice in certain clinical situations (i.e., meningitis, endophthalmitis, and urinary tract infections). As data about the in vitro killing activity of AMB against C. auris clades are lacking, we determined MICs, minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs), and killing activity of AMB against 22 isolates representing the 4 major C. auris clades (South Asian n = 6; East Asian n = 4; South African n = 6, and South American n = 6). MIC values were ≤1 mg/L regardless of clades; MFC ranges were, 1–4 mg/L, 2–4 mg/L, 2 mg/L, and 2–8 mg/L for South Asian, East Asian, South African, and South American clades, respectively. AMB showed concentration-, clade-, and isolate-dependent killing activity. AMB was fungicidal at 1 mg/L against two of six, two of four, three of six, and one of six isolates from the South Asian, East Asian, South African, and South American clades, respectively. Widefield fluorescence microscopy showed cell number decreases at 1 mg/L AMB in cases of the South Asian, East Asian, and South African clades. These data draw attention to the weak killing activity of AMB against C. auris regardless of clades, even when MICs are low (≤1 mg/L). Thus, AMB efficacy is unpredictable in treatment of invasive C. auris infections.

Integrating lay knowledge and practice into snakebite prevention and care in central Africa, a hotspot for envenomation.

The WHO has identified the goal of halving deaths and disability from snakebite envenomation (SBE) by 2030 through a four-pillar program that promotes accessible and affordable treatments, strengthens health systems, promotes community and multi-level engagement, and mobilizes partnerships, coordination and resources to advocate for global action. This initiative could accelerate multi-disciplinary research and action in central Africa, a “hotspot” for SBE, but it offers little specific guidance about anthropological research to be conducted. This commentary develops that research agenda. It surveys anthropological, ethnohistorical investigations in the central African forest to elaborate the socio-cultural and historical significance and practices around snakes and snakebites. It draws from south and southeast Asian and Latin American literatures to illustrate anthropological contributions to SBE research. It then outlines a Central African research agenda employing ethnobiological investigation of snake ecologies, participatory evaluations of humans-snake contacts, and interviews and participant-observation of local prevention and treatment practices and knowledge. This research will co-develop policies and practices with forest communities and leaders and regional and national authorities to reduce the burden of SBE.

Assessing the Policy Landscape for Salt Reduction in South-East Asian and Latin American Countries - An Initiative Towards Developing an Easily Accessible, Integrated, Searchable Online Repository.

Background:High dietary salt intake is an avoidable cause of hypertension and associated cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Thus, salt reduction is recommended as one of the most cost-effective interventions for CVD prevention and for achieving the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 25% reduction in premature non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality by 2025. However, current and comprehensive information about national salt reduction policies and related actions across different regions are difficult to access and impede progress and monitoring.Objectives:As an initial step to developing an online repository of salt reduction policies and related actions, and to track nation-wise progress towards the WHO’s 25 by 25 goal, we aimed to identify and assess salt reduction policies and actions in select countries from two of the top five most populous regions of the world- the South-East Asia and Latin America.Methods:We conducted a literature review to identify national and regional salt reduction policies in the selected South-East Asian and Latin American countries, from January 1990–August 2020, available in English and Spanish. We also contacted selected WHO country offices (South-East Asian region) or relevant national authorities (Latin America) to gain access to unpublished documents.Results:In both regions, we found only a few dedicated stand-alone salt reduction policies: Bhutan, Sri-Lanka and Thailand from South East Asia and Costa Rica from Latin America. Available polices were either embedded in other national health/nutritional policy documents/overall NCD policies or were unpublished and had to be accessed via personal communication.Conclusions:Salt reduction policies are limited and often embedded with other policies which may impede their implementation and utility for tracking national and international progress towards the global salt reduction target associated with the 25 by 25 goal. Developing an online repository could help countries address this gap and assist researchers/policymakers to monitor national progress towards achieving the salt reduction target.

Evaluation of durability against wetting and drying cycles of cement-natural rubber latex stabilised unpaved road under cyclic tensile loading

ABSTRACT Cement stabilised unpaved roads have been implemented worldwide in both developed and developing countries. In this research project, natural rubber latex (NRL) was used to improve the durability against wetting and drying (w-d) cycles of cement stabilised soil, under cyclic tensile loads. The influences of NRL replacement ratio on the indirect tensile strength (ITS), indirect tensile resilient modulus (IT Mr), and indirect tensile fatigue life (ITFL) prior to and after w-d cycles were studied. Cement-NRL stabilised soil was found to have superior resilient properties to minimise the plastic deformation and prevent sudden damage against the repetitive tensile stresses. The NRL replacement could improve the durability against w-d cycles of cement stabilised soil whereby the highest ITS, IT Mr, and ITFL were found at the optimum NRL replacement ratio of 20% for all number of w-d cycles tested. NRL was found to enhance the service life of cement stabilized soil as an unpaved material against fatigue cracking failure. The outcome of this research will promote the usage of NRL, which is available in plentiful supply in Thailand and other Southeast Asian and South American countries, as a sustainable additive in pavement applications.

The SEAAster Scholars Collective: A Story of Homemaking in Academia

How do we make a home in spaces not built for us? What does an academic home for Southeast Asian American (SEAA) women look and feel like? This is the story of how a collective of SEAA women came together to create an alternative space in higher education. Continuing the radical act of resistance modeled by other Black, Indigenous, and women of color scholars, the SEAAster Scholars Collective uses a feminist epistemological approach to further their mission—to advance knowledge and understanding of the postsecondary educational experiences of SEAA students, staff, and faculty.

Historical Trauma and Descendants' Well-Being.

Because multiple Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in the United States have experienced historical trauma (HT), it is important to understand HT's impact on the well-being of members of subsequent generations. This article addresses intergenerational trauma transmission, focusing primarily on Japanese American and Southeast Asian American communities. Research on these groups illuminates strategies for future empirical investigations of intergenerational trauma in other AAPI populations and suggests implications for care.

Depression and Perceived Social Support in Asian American Medical Students

Recent data reported that 21.5% of medical students in the United States of America (USA) are Asian American (AA). With the growing focus on developing medical school wellness programs, authors conducted a systematic, nationwide survey to assess prevalence of depression among AA medical students with a focus on disaggregating the AA population. A survey tool comprised of PHQ-9 and depression history, and questions on social support were emailed to members of the Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association enrolled in a USA medical school during the 2016-2017 academic year. Participants were grouped as East Asian American (EAA), Southeast Asian American (SEAA), and South Asian American (SAA). We evaluated associations between depression and regional ethnicity, depression history, and perceived support. A total of 457 AA medical students were surveyed. SAA medical students were more likely to endorse symptoms of depression than EAA students. Students who identified as female were more likely to endorse symptoms of depression than their male-identifying counterparts. There was no significant relationship between students' perception of the support they received and their depressive symptoms. Medical school administration should be aware of the unique needs of the heterogeneous population that comprises AA medical students. SAA students and those who identify as female are more likely to endorse symptoms of depression than their AA counterparts. Further research must be done to evaluate the factors that influence the mental health needs of AA medical students.

The Socioeconomic Attainments of Second-Generation Southeast Asian Americans in the 21st Century: Evidence from the American Community Survey, 2012–2016

Although decades have passed since the initial immigration of Southeast Asians to the U.S. after the Vietnam War, the socioeconomic outcomes of the native-born offspring of Southeast Asian immigrants have not been adequately considered in recent research. We therefore investigate current data on the education, wages, poverty, affluence, and household income of Southeast Asian Americans. The results indicate that the socioeconomic outcomes of native-born Southeast Asian Americans are substantially higher than their immigrant generation. Second-generation Thai and Vietnamese tend to have higher socioeconomic outcomes than whites, while second-generation Cambodians, Hmong and Laotians have lower outcomes than whites. However, none of the five native-born Southeast Asian groups are penalized in terms of wages net of their demographic characteristics. Furthermore, all five of the native-born Southeast Asian groups generally have higher socioeconomic outcomes than African Americans and Hispanics. Whereas prior discussions of Southeast Asian Americans imply that their lower socioeconomic characteristics derive from the intergenerational persistence of minority discrimination in an inherently racialized society, we instead view them as being broadly consistent with assimilation theory which has traditionally been based on a three-generational model.

Dry Port: A Review on Concept, Classification, Functionalities and Technological Processes

The purpose of this article is to offer a literature review on the development and classification of inland terminals, later defined as “dry ports”. The aim of the paper is to analyze the extant literature on dry ports focusing on their concept, classification, function and technological processes. The review offers an updated structured approach to what is currently defined as a dry port. To this end, a structured keyword search in major electronic databases has been conducted to find related material. As there are many different names indicating dry ports in European, South East Asian and North American countries, the following keywords were used: “dry port”, “inland terminal”, “freight village” and “interporto/i”. The search was conducted in respect of the article title and text, abstract and keywords. The results show that there is no unanimous consensus concerning cataloguing of terrestrial nodal facilities serving port gateways. “Dry ports” have emerged as fundamental elements of the integration between the sea “system” and the land network. The increased interest in the genesis and development of dry ports has been accompanied by an abundant contribution of the scientific community, originating a thriving literature, which, however, does not find a common denominator.

Neighborhood social cohesion and disease prevention in Asian immigrant populations

In the United States (US), chronic disease risk factors are highly prevalent among Asian immigrant communities, who also exhibit low health screening rates. Perceived neighborhood social cohesion (NSC) has been associated with preventive healthcare use in the general US population, although it remains unexplored among Asian Americans (AAs). The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between NSC and preventive screening for hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and depression among East, South and Southeast Asian American (EAA, SAA, SEAA) communities in New York City (NYC) using cross-sectional, locally collected data from 2013 to 2016. NSC was assessed using a 4-question scale to create an additive score between 4 and 16 and was analyzed both as a continuous and categorial variable (High, Medium, and Low tertiles). Recent screening was defined as a check-up within the last year for each of the included health conditions. A one-unit increase in NSC score was associated with increased odds of recent screening for high cholesterol in EAAs (AOR = 1.09, 95%CI:1.00–1.20); for high cholesterol, diabetes, and depression in SAAs (AOR = 1.08, 95%CI:1.00–1.20; AOR = 1.07, 95%CI:1.00–1.15; AOR = 1.15, 95%CI:1.06–1.25); and with high cholesterol among SEAAs (AOR = 1.12, 95%CI:1.00–1.25). Overall, NSC was an important facilitator for preventive screening behaviors for specific conditions in different groups, though was consistently associated with screening for high cholesterol in our sample. Enhancing NSC through family and community-based programming may be one strategy to encourage screening for preventive behaviors, though more research is needed to elucidate a precise mechanism.