Search

There is scant research on how Asian American adolescents’ resiliency relates to mental well-being in adulthood. The objective of this study was to determine the prospective associations between resiliency factors (individual, family, and school community) in adolescence and mental health outcomes in adulthood, among a national sample of Asian Americans. We analyzed data from 1020 Asian American adolescents who were followed for 14 years in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Of the resiliency factors, individual self-esteem (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 0.54, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.37–0.79) and family connectedness (AOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65–0.93) in adolescence were found to be protective against adult mental health outcomes in logistic regression models adjusting for sociodemographic factors and baseline mental health. Our study identified individual and family resiliency factors which can be leveraged to help Asian American adolescents and families in cultivating better mental health.

Background Despite recognition that the health outcomes of Asian American subgroups are heterogeneous, research has mainly focused on the six largest subgroups. There is limited knowledge of smaller subgroups and their health outcomes. This scoping review identifies trends in the health outcomes, reveals those which are under-researched, and provide recommendations on data collection with 24 Asian American subgroups. Methods Our literature search of peer-reviewed English language primary source articles published between 1991 and 2018 was conducted across six databases (Embase, PubMed, Web of Sciences, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Academic Search Complete) and Google Scholar, yielding 3844 articles. After duplicate removal, we independently screened 3413 studies to determine whether they met inclusion criteria. Seventy-six studies were identified for inclusion in this review. Data were extracted on study characteristics, content, and findings. Findings Seventy-six studies met the inclusion criteria. The most represented subgroups were Chinese (n = 74), Japanese (n = 60), and Filipino (n = 60), while Indonesian (n = 1), Malaysian (n = 1), and Burmese (n = 1) were included in only one or two studies. Several Asian American subgroups listed in the 2010 U.S. Census were not represented in any of the studies. Overall, the most studied health conditions were cancer (n = 29), diabetes (n = 13), maternal and infant health (n = 10), and cardiovascular disease (n = 9). Studies showed that health outcomes varied greatly across subgroups. Conclusions More research is required to focus on smaller-sized subgroup populations to obtain accurate results and address health disparities for all groups.

In “Rail Road Standard Time” and “The Eat and Run Midnight People,” published in the short story collection titled The Chinaman Pacific and Frisco R.R. Co. (1988), Frank Chin focuses on several issues such as cultural heritage and transmission, identity, railroad narrations, food, and masculinity. In the first short story, Chin is going to his mother’s funeral, and during this journey, he jumps between his memories that help the reader to see the trails of his Chinese American identity formation. In the second story, Chin once more returns to his memories by taking up the role of the narrator and reveals the issues of double discrimination, masculinity, and the influences of American culture on his identity formation. The aim of this article is to analyze Chin’s selected short stories from a thematic and social perspective. The article also aims to reveal how the author tries to maintain his ethnicity and reflect his identity molded by two different cultures. Frank Chin, The Chinaman Pacific ve Frisco R.R. Co. (1988) adlı kısa öykü kitabında yayımlanan “Rail Road Standard Time” ve “The Eat and Run Midnight People” isimli öykülerinde kültürel miras ve aktarım, kimlik, demiryolu anlatıları, yemek ve erkeklik gibi çeşitli konulara odaklanmaktadır. İlk kısa öyküde Chin annesinin cenazesine gitmektedir ve yolculuk esnasında okuyucunun Çinli Amerikalı kimlik oluşumunun izlerini görmesine yardımcı olan anılarından bahseder. İkinci hikâyede Chin, anlatıcı rolünü üstlenerek tekrar anılarına geri döner ve çifte ayrımcılığın, erkekliğin ve Amerikan kültürünün şahsi kimlik oluşumundaki etkilerini gözler önüne serer. Bu makalenin amacı Chin’in seçilmiş iki öyküsünün tematik ve toplumsal bir bakış açısıyla analiz edilmesidir. Makalede aynı zamanda yazarın nasıl kendi etnik kökenini korumaya ve iki farklı kültürün şekillendirdiği kimliğini yansıtmaya çalıştığı da ortaya koyulacaktır.

Choosing a college major is an important decision, setting the academic trajectory for undergraduate students. Therefore, extensive researched has been conducted to understand the influential factors in their college major decision-making process. While existing research posits personal interests as the main influential factor, studies have found that parental influence and other external factors play a critical role in Asian American students’ decisions. For these students who are heavily influenced by external factors, the impact of their decision on their overall college experience is unknown. Because Korean and Chinese American college students reported experiencing lower levels of sense of belonging compared to their Asian ethnic peers (Li, 2018) despite having among the highest rate of degree attainment, this study focused on the experiences of East Asian American college students. Using a phenomenological approach, this study explored the potential contribution of college major decision on the overall college experience and sense of belonging for nine second-generation East Asian American students. To guide the study, a conceptual framework incorporating Astin’s (1991) Input-Environment-Output Model, Accapadi’s (2012) Point of Entry Model for Asian American Identity Consciousness, and Cultural Identity Theory was constructed. The findings supported existing literature that personal interest was a significant factor in participants’ college major decision, but parental influence and cultural values were found to also play an integral role in this decision and continued to impact the ways in which participants navigated their undergraduate career. While mixed findings were discovered regarding participants’ belonging in their major, participants largely experienced belonging through the social connections built on campus. Overall, the findings of the study revealed the complexities that participants had to navigate through in their college major decision and demonstrated the interconnectedness of their decision with their academic and social experience and overall sense of belonging. Furthermore, these findings indicate the need for further research on the experiences of East Asian American students and Asian American students broadly to better support this student population.

This is a pre-data collection registration of Study 3 by Maddux et al. (2008, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin), described fully in "replication_report.Rmd." All planned analyses and exclusions are reported. The planned sample size is 80 participants and the rationale and calculations for this sample size are given in the report.

Nearly 318,000 U.S. military Veterans identify as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander. Comprising 6% of active-duty service members, they are a fast-growing segment of the future Veteran population. Their unique healthcare needs, however, remain understudied. We propose to provide a comprehensive overview of health services research focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander military Veterans and identify knowledge gaps and opportunities.

Purpose Cancer is the leading cause of death for Asian Americans. However, few studies have documented supportive care needs from the perspective of Asian American cancer patients. This study describes the needs reported by Asian American patients with colorectal, liver, or lung cancer over a 6-month period during their treatment. Methods Participants were recruited through the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry and from cancer care providers in San Francisco. Participants self-identified as Asian or Asian American; were age 21 or older; spoke English, Chinese, or Vietnamese; and had stage I–III colon, rectum, liver, or lung cancer. Participants were matched with a language concordant patient navigator who provided support during a 6-month period. Needs were assessed by surveys at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Results Among 24 participants, 58% were 65 years or older, 42% did not complete high school, and 75% had limited English proficiency (LEP). At baseline, the most prevalent needs were cancer information (79%), nutrition and physical activity (67%), language assistance (54%), and daily living (50%). At the 3- and 6-month follow-up surveys, there was a higher reported need for mental health resources and healthcare access among participants. Conclusion In this pilot study of Asian American cancer patients who predominantly had LEP, participants reported many needs, with cancer information and language assistance as the most prominent. The findings highlight the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate patient navigators in addressing supportive care needs among cancer patients with LEP. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03867916.

Discrimination against Asians and Asian Americans increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, even prior to the pandemic, little research explored the experiences of Asian American families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities. This brief report summarizes the results of a survey conducted between May and July 2020, in the immediate aftermath of state and local lockdowns due to the pandemic. Twenty-five Asian American caregivers of children with autism and other developmental disabilities completed the survey and reported on the pandemic's impact on their household. Most of the caregivers were mothers, immigrants, Chinese, raising children with autism, and highly educated. Participants' primary concerns were the disruption of their children's educational and therapeutic services. We discuss research limitations and implications.

A systematic assessment of the effect of COVID-19 on the food retail environment—an important determinant of health—has not been conducted. Our objective was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on closures of restaurants, food retail stores, and fresh produce vendors in New York City (NYC). We conducted a cross-sectional study following the peak of COVID-19 in six neighborhoods in NYC. Two Chinese ethnic neighborhoods and four higher/lower resourced comparison neighborhoods were selected a priori based on 14 sociodemographic indicators. The primary outcome was indefinite/temporary closures or absence of food businesses. Of 2720 food businesses identified, produce vendors and restaurants were more likely to close than food retail stores. A higher proportion of food businesses closed in Chinese ethnic neighborhoods vs. comparison neighborhoods. COVID-19 impacted food businesses in six NYC neighborhoods examined in this period, with the greatest effect observed for Chinese ethnic neighborhoods. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10903-021-01230-7.

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) hospitalizations and deaths have been in the forefront of healthcare and public health for the past two years. Despite widespread vaccinations campaigns, infection rates and serious illness and death remain high among immigrant and minority communities. There are many factors that increase the risk of hospitalization and death, including overall health of the individual as well as environmental and socioeconomic factors. Seven virtual listening sessions with 39 Asian American adults were conducted to assess acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. Lack of access, confusion on eligibility, distrust of mass vaccination sites, and fear of long-term side effects were primary barriers to vaccine acceptance. Perspectives on the vaccines varied by ethnic groups, with Bangladeshi and Yemeni participants more likely to have negative views. Our findings show that while national statistics of the broad category “Asian” indicate higher COVID-19 vaccination rates than other minority groups, there are Asian ethnic groups that may not follow these trends. These groups are important to prioritize as they may be at increased risk for exposure and severe illness. However, these groups can be difficult to access for reasons such as language barriers and cultural norms. Information from these listening sessions was used to create resources and programs to clarify misconceptions and increase access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Despite constituting nearly 7% of the population and being the fastest growing ethnicity in the United States, Asian Americans are often sidelined in national dialogue and scientific research (Budiman & Ruiz, 2022; Yip et al., 2021). Further, with anti-Asian discrimination on a rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to study discrimination, mental health, and racial identity of Asian Americans (Tesler et al., 2022). Although higher ethnic racial identity (ERI) has been extensively associated with better mental health (Rivas-Drake et al., 2014), the relationship between ERI and mental health is less salient among Asian Americans, possibly due to the foreigner objectification effect (Cheryan & Monin, 2005). According to the foreigner objectification effect, Asians are persistently stereotyped to be foreigners, leading to identity denial (Cheryan & Monin, 2005). Higher ERI has also been extensively associated with higher perceived discrimination, possibly due to those high in ERI being more vigilant for discrimination (Gong et al., 2017). However, among Asians the relationship between ERI and discrimination is less salient, also possibly due to the foreigner objectification effect (Cheryan & Monin, 2005). Biracial Asians account for 17% of the Asian population, and this percentage is projected to grow in the coming years (Budiman & Ruiz, 2022). According to marginality theory, biracial adolescents or those with a multiracial background are caught between two worlds, each with different racial traditions and power. This additional complexity causes biracial individuals to experience identity-related distress (Miller-Roenigk et al., 2021). Therefore, it is not clear whether ERI relates to either mental health or racial discrimination in ways comparable ways between monoracial and biracial Asians. The present study examines how associations between ERI, mental health and discrimination differ between monoracial and biracial adolescents in a sample of college students. We will also examine how biracial identity conflict, the degree a biracial person reconciles their different identities, moderates the associations between discrimination, ERI and mental health among biracial Asian college students. References Budiman, A., & Ruiz, N. G. (2022). Key facts about Asian Americans, a diverse and growing population. Pew Research Center. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/29/key-facts-about-asian-americans/ Cheryan, S., & Monin, B. (2005). Where are you really from?: Asian Americans and identity denial. Journal of personality and social psychology, 89(5), 717. Gong, F., Xu, J., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2017). Racial and ethnic differences in perceptions of everyday discrimination. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 3(4), 506-521. Logan, J. & Zhang, W., 2013. Separate but Equal: Asian Nationalities in the U.S., U.S. 2010. Retrieved from https://policycommons.net/artifacts/1356135/separate-but-equal/1968292/ on 24 May 2022. CID: 20.500.12592/h4kjhb. Miller-Roenigk, B., Peteet, B., McCuistian, C., & Kathleen Burlew, A. (2021). Ethnic identity, perceived discrimination, substance use and misuse among Black-White biracial adults. Substance Use & Misuse, 56(14), 2151-2159. Rivas‐Drake, D., Syed, M., Umaña‐Taylor, A., Markstrom, C., French, S., Schwartz, S. J., ... & Ethnic and Racial Identity in the 21st Century Study Group. (2014). Feeling good, happy, and proud: A meta‐analysis of positive ethnic–racial affect and adjustment. Child development, 85(1), 77-102. Tessler, H., Choi, M., & Kao, G. (2020). The anxiety of being Asian American: Hate crimes and negative biases during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 45(4), 636-646. Yip, T., Cheah, C. S., Kiang, L., & Hall, G. C. N. (2021). Rendered invisible: Are Asian Americans a model or a marginalized minority?. American Psychologist, 76(4), 575.

In the United States, Asian Americans are often stereotyped as Model Minorities (i.e., high-achieving, and well-off racial minorities). However, such positive stereotypes can have negative consequences (i.e., feeling depersonalized, negative emotions, poor mental health, cognitive deficits, and somatic symptoms). In addition, these positive stereotypes could cause people to not think Asian Americans do not experience racial prejudice/discrimination. Therefore, we aim to study how the Model Minority myth exacerbates the invisibility of anti-Asian racism or “raises the threshold” for detecting anti-Asian racism.

In the United States, Asian Americans are often stereotyped as being high-achieving, well-off, and high-status racial minorities, otherwise known as “model” minorities. The Model Minority stereotype has historically been weaponized by White Americans to pit minority racial groups against one another, which has led to interracial tension between the Asian and Black American communities. Specifically, the Model Minority stereotype of Asian Americans was used to justify Black Americans' violence and oppression. This can cause a lack of intergroup solidarity, which creates a barrier toward racial justice, as racially marginalized groups that work together to push back against oppressive systems and ideologies are better positioned to make change. Thus, the current study is important because, to understand how and when societal norms foster positive intra-minority relationships, it is important to examine how current stereotypes may hinder positive social relationships, such as allyship and solidarity, between minority groups.

This is a pre-analysis plan for an experimental study of whether group-based belief systems about the racial order influence Asian American partisanship. Do Asian Americans’ views about their own racial group, relative to other racial groups, influence their partisan views and identities? We introduce and test a psychological explanation for Asian American partisanship through stereotype internalization, focusing on two prominent racial tropes of Asian Americans: the model minority and perpetual foreigner stereotypes.

Understanding how knowledge and attitudes about colorectal cancer (CRC) screening differs among Asian immigrants is important for informing targeted health interventions aimed at preventing and treating CRC in this diverse population. This study examines how Asian subgroup and acculturation are associated with CRC knowledge and attitudes among Chinese and Korean immigrants in the United States (U.S.). Data come from the baseline survey of a randomized controlled trial to increase CRC screening among Chinese and Korean American immigrants living in the Baltimore-Washington DC Metropolitan Area (n = 400). We use linear regression to examine how Asian subgroup, time in the U.S., English-speaking proficiency, and ethnic identity are associated with CRC knowledge and screening attitudes, accounting for demographic variables, socioeconomic status, and health insurance status. Results show that greater socioeconomic status was associated with higher CRC knowledge, and socioeconomic status explained more of the variance in CRC knowledge than acculturation factors. Additionally, attitudes varied by Asian subgroup, with Chinese reporting lower CRC screening salience, worry, response efficacy, and social influence compared to Koreans. Findings suggest that in-language interventions aimed at increasing CRC knowledge and capitalizing on attitudes about screening can help to bridge disparities in CRC screening by socioeconomic status and country of origin. We discuss implications for future interventions to increase CRC screening uptake among Chinese and Korean immigrants in the U.S.

Objective Asian Americans are underutilizing mental health services. The aim of the current systematic review was to identify protective and risk factors of mental health help-seeking patterns among the disaggregated Asian Americans and to classify types of help. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines. The Health Belief Model served as the theoretical framework for this review. Thirty-four articles were reviewed, and the studies investigated one of the following Asian ethnic subgroups: Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Korean, or Vietnamese. Data were extracted based on the study characteristics, sample characteristics, and protective and risk factors to mental health help-seeking patterns. Results Predisposing factors like female gender, higher levels of English proficiency, and history of mental illness increased the likelihood for help-seeking across several ethnic groups. Interestingly, cues to action and structural factors were under-examined. However, cues to action like having a positive social network did increase the likelihood of using formal support services among Chinese and Filipinx participants. Structural factors like lacking ethnic concordant providers and access to healthcare served as barriers for Korean and Vietnamese participants. Discussion The findings showed a need for ethnic tailored approaches when supporting mental health help-seeking patterns. Asian ethnic group’s immigration status, acculturation level, and psychological barriers to help-seeking should continue to be emphasized. Psychoeducational groups can be beneficial to expand the knowledge base surrounding mental illness and to link group members to culturally responsive resources.

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a strong contributor to enhancing a healthy lifestyle and preventing numerous chronic diseases. As ethnic minorities engage in low levels of PA, psychosocial and activity-based interventions for sustaining PA are crucial. Methods: The 6-month intervention incorporated culturally tailored educational workshops and weekly PA classes at a community center. Educational workshops were led by six trained community health workers (CHWs). Participants (n=37) completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires regarding PA related self-efficacy, outcome expectations, social support, enjoyment, self-regulation, goal setting, and overall PA. Results: Following the intervention, study participants exhibited increases in weekly PA levels. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test revealed higher median scores for Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES), Identified Regulation, and Intrinsic Motivation. Positive changes were observed for Physical Outcome Expectations, Social Outcome Expectations, Self-Evaluative Outcome Expectations, Physical Activity Enjoyment, Social Support for Exercise Scale – Family, Social Support for Exercise – Friends, and Exercise Goal-Setting. Conclusion: Community-based PA interventions may provide potential benefits to Filipino Americans, an ethnic Asian minority group, in identifying exercise benefits, developing proper exercise goals, increasing motivation, promoting PA behavior, and facilitating long-term PA adherence.

Sociologists of education have relied on two primary frameworks for understanding educational inequality: status attainment and cultural capital. Both of those have been grounded in examining class inequality, and only more recently have started to pay more attention to racial/ethnic inequalities, and rarely to experiences of Asian Americans. This is a crucial omission. Asians represent one of the fastest-growing racial or ethnic groups in the U.S. Moreover, compared with other racial and ethnic groups, Asian Americans have quite unique experiences, from being treated as “culturally inferior” by mainstream society a century ago to being accoladed as “model minority” with desirable cultural traits. Their unique experiences can shape educational processes in ways that can provide novel insights and advance sociological theories of educational inequality. Analyzing nationally representative data, this dissertation includes three stand-alone empirical chapters, each of which is asking unique questions aimed to push further our understanding of educational inequality. Chapter 2 addresses the role of socioeconomic background in shaping educational outcomes, and in particular, recent findings suggesting that socioeconomic background may play a limited role in fostering educational success for Asian Americans. The findings indicate that peer influence helps to explain a substantial portion of the Asian-white difference in the association between family socioeconomic status and college enrollment. These findings offer novel insights into the role of peers in differentially shaping educational attainment processes across racial/ethnic groups. Chapter 3 engages with the literature on cultural capital, and in particular parenting practices related to concerted cultivation, to examine Asians’ advantage in college access. It finds that parenting practices associated with concerted cultivation do not contribute to explaining Asians’ advantage in college enrollment relative to their white counterparts. The results also reveal important differences across students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. These findings illuminate the limits of concerted cultivation and highlight the importance of expanding research on parenting to consider a range of racial/ethnic groups. Chapter 4 examines how students’ intention to pursue a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) field and the likelihood of graduating with a STEM degree vary at the intersection of race and gender. Results present a complex picture of the intersection of racial and gender inequality. Moreover, different mechanisms explain observed Asian-white differences between males and females. These findings reveal new patterns of inequality and highlight the importance of an intersectional approach for understanding inequalities in STEM education. Taken together, these chapters indicate the importance of incorporating Asian Americans in the mainstream social stratification literature. They not only shed new light on classical educational inequality theories, such as status attainment and cultural capital, but also inspire researchers to explore new mechanisms that are not considered in the traditional sociological theories on educational inequality.

Background: This study examines how neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) and ethnic composition are associated with breast cancer risk for Asian American women. Methods: We linked individual level data from a population-based case–control study of breast cancer among Asian American women with neighborhood level data in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area (cases: n = 118, controls: n = 390). Multivariable logistic regression models examined the association between nSES, ethnic composition, and odds of having breast cancer. Results: Asian American women living in neighborhoods with high nSES and high ethnic composition had the highest odds of breast cancer, compared to those living in neighborhoods with high nSES and low ethnic composition (OR = 0.34, 95% CI [0.16–0.75]) or in neighborhoods with low nSES and high ethnic composition (OR = 0.37, 95% CI [0.17–0.83]). Discussion: Neighborhood socioeconomic and ethnic contexts are associated with breast cancer for Asian American women. We discuss explanations and avenues for future research.

Purpose: Many East Asian Americans (EAAs) (populations originating from China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) experience unique challenges in managing their disease, including language barriers and traditional cultural beliefs, particularly among first-generation immigrants.. The purpose of this mixed-methods systematic review was to examine cultural perspectives of EAAs that influence dietary self-management of T2DM and identify education interventions and their approaches to enhance EAAs' dietary self-management of diabetes. Methods: A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted to examine EAAs' perspectives from qualitative studies and to identify education interventions and their approaches from quantitative studies. A literature search was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CINAHL, and Web of Science from 1995 to 2018. Sixteen studies (10 qualitative and 6 quantitative) met criteria for analysis. Thematic synthesis of qualitative data was conducted using a line-by-line coding strategy. Extracted quantitative data were assessed for cultural approaches used in the interventions and diabetes-related outcomes. Results: In the qualitative studies, beliefs about food impacted EAAs' abilities to adopt appropriate dietary recommendations for diabetes management. Requiring a specialized diet disrupted social harmony and made EAAs feel burdensome to others. Having bilingual and bicultural resources eased the stress of making dietary modifications. The most commonly incorporated approaches in diabetes education interventions were bilingual education and culturally specific dietary recommendations. Social roles and harmony were not discussed. Significant reductions in hemoglobin A1c and increases in diabetes knowledge were reported post-intervention. Conclusions: Beliefs about food, beliefs about social roles, and access to culturally competent care play an important role in dietary self-management of T2DM among EAAs. Understanding the cultural influences on dietary self-management of T2DM and tailoring interventions to meet the needs of EAAs are essential in effort to address the growing epidemic and improve patient outcomes.

The definition and measurement of filial piety in existing research primarily focuses on the narrow conceptualizations of Asian filial piety, which would inflate cultural differences and undermine cultural universals in how people approach caring for their elderly parents. Employing the Dual Filial Piety Model (DFPM), this study aimed to examine the relationship between filial piety and attitude toward caring for elderly parents beyond the Asian context. In our study (N= 276), we found that reciprocal filial piety (RFP) does not differ across cultures while authoritarian filial piety (AFP) does. We also found that collectivism, rather than ethnicity, predicted RFP and AFP, which in turn predicted positive attitude toward caring for elderly parents. Our work demonstrates the cross-cultural applicability of the DFPM and highlights the universal and culture-specific aspects of filial piety.

In this work, I, a second generation Vietnamese American, conduct an auto-ethnography of myself, my mother, and my grandfather on their political beliefs to gather qualitative data on shifting Vietnamese American political attitudes between generations. Through a series of interviews, I aim to determine to what extent Vietnamese American ethnic background has on individual political beliefs, if at all. Ultimately, I have found that it is not ethnic and racial identity that uniformly influence political affiliation; rather, it is the range of experiences in immigration and assimilation that affect said beliefs. I divide my findings into three core themes: the refugee experience, the Americanization experience, and the racial consciousness experience.

This qualitative study investigated Protestant Korean immigrants’ views on cadaveric organ donation through the analysis of in-depth interviews with thirty-two Protestant Korean immigrants in the United States. The interviews show a meaning-making process of cadaveric organ donation among study participants. They describe participants’ complex sentiments on cadaveric organ donation, based on a blend of Protestant, Confucian, Shamanistic, and Daoist views. This study shows how Protestant Korean immigrants can overcome potential fears of organ procurement, stemming from indigenous Korean contexts, and describes their religious views on the afterlife. The findings indicated that most participants held positive views of cadaveric organ donation because they considered organ donation to be an altruistic, life-giving, Christian spiritual practice for the benefit of others. I argue that Protestant Korean immigrants’ lived religion can lead them to overcome fear of indigenous Korean beliefs and to choose organ donation as a spiritual practice.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored the structural inequities facing communities of color and its consequences in lives lost. However, little is known about the COVID-related disparities facing Asian Americans amidst the heightened racism and violence against this community. We analyze the mortality toll of COVID-19 on Asian Americans using multiple measures. In 2020, one in seven Asian American deaths was attributable to COVID-19. We find that while Asian Americans make up a small proportion of COVID-19 deaths in the USA, they experience significantly higher excess all-cause mortality (3.1 times higher), case fatality rate (as high as 53% higher), and percentage of deaths attributed to COVID-19 (2.1 times higher) compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Mounting evidence suggest that disproportionately low testing rates, greater disease severity at care presentation, socioeconomic factors, and racial discrimination contribute to the observed disparities. Improving data reporting and uniformly confronting racism are key components to addressing health inequities facing communities of color.

Th e impact of the COVID- 19 global pandemic to American communities extends beyond physical health problems to include political, economic, education, business, mental health, and social relation impacts. This essay, based on a summer and fall 2020 place-based research project collaboration between Purdue Honors College students and the Purdue Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center, examines impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to the Asian and Asian American communities. Th e research asks what the impacts of COVID-19 are to Asian/American communities, how COVID-19 anti-Asian racism is unique or not unique, how the Asian American communities have collectively responded to the racism connected to the pandemic, and how Asian American communities displayed solidarity with other communities during this difficult time in public health and racial justice. Th e essay connects extensive media and archival research to detail COVID-19 impacts in the areas of health and wellness, job security, and social/racial justice. The essay then documents the persistent history of stereotyping and racism to Asian/American communities particularly in the midst of larger changes in political, national security, or public health situations. The next part of the essay provides an analysis of the rising number of reporting centers utilizing different platforms to counter the experience of racism. Finally, with the tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd that sparked forms of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, the essay examines specific online and offline eff orts in regard to Asian and Asian American solidarity.

As colleges and universities commit to creating and sustaining a more inclusive and equitable community, it is important to understand how the role of identity intersects with the existing processes of socialization and development. An identity-conscious practice is the process of realizing that who we are informs and impacts how we act, interact, and see the world around us. In particular, how identity should be considered as part of bidirectional socialization. Understanding socialization as bidirectional means that organizations can contribute to healthier communities that not only retain scholars but also engage with the identities and experiences of their students. This paper explores the ways in which doctoral students of color, in particular, Asian American and Pacific Islanders, experience the socialization and development processes through the lens of race; identifies the key organizational challenges; and provides recommendations for how colleges and universities can move towards a more inclusive and equitable community. This paper advances a framework for an identity-conscious model of the formation of scholars.

Disordered eating is a public health problem because it’s highly prevalent, dangerous, and costly. More research about its risk factors and mechanisms is needed to address this problem and prevent disordered eating among high-risk populations, particularly understudied ethnic minorities. The present study contributes to the limited existing research on acculturation and disordered eating among Asian American college students who represent an understudied and high-risk group. The sample consisted of 245 Asian American (primarily East and Southeast Asian American) college students who provided data on their acculturation status, internalization of thin and muscular body ideals, body surveillance, body shame, and disordered eating. Results show that after controlling for gender, both cultures are positively associated with internalization of the muscular body ideal, but only the Asian culture of origin is associated with disordered eating. Additionally, path analysis results show that Asian culture of origin has a significant total effect on disordered eating as well as a significant indirect effect on disordered eating, mediated by thin body ideal internalization. While American culture does not have a significant contribution to body ideal internalization or disordered eating, it interacts with Asian culture of origin and put participants with high levels of both cultures at a greater risk for muscular body ideal internalization. Findings highlight the importance of cultural context in the understanding of body experiences and disordered eating among Asian American college students and have implications for the prevention and intervention of these problems in this high-risk population.

During the prison boom of the 1990s, the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) prison population in the U.S. exploded by 250 percent. Although they occupy a relatively small portion of the total prison population, AAPIs are one of the fastest-growing groups of incarcerated peoples nationwide. Yet, the experiences of this racial “Other” in the carceral system remain marginalized within the canonical studies of mass incarceration and Asian America. Using 20 in- depth interviews, this research seeks to understand how formerly incarcerated AAPIs experience reentry into their families and communities. Drawing upon carceral and critical refugee studies, I adopt the militarized refugee to reveal the ways in which the legacies of U.S. militarism and transpacific displacement constitute the conditions of reentry for formerly incarcerated AAPIs. I highlight three key aspects in their reentry that demonstrate the ongoing presence of militarism in their lives – living in limbo, cultural shame, stigma, and silence, and knowledge as a site of healing and resistance. These findings demonstrate the need to move beyond traditional reentry frameworks, to which I conclude with thoughts as to how reentry programs and spaces may rethink ways to better support formerly incarcerated AAPIs as they reenter our communities.

Author(s): Gee, Kevin A; Cooc, North | Abstract: Schools can play an influential role in the victimization experiences of Asian American youth. We investigated the extent to which characteristics of schools—their disciplinary structure, guardianship role, and the opportunities for exposure to victimization they provide—related to whether Asian American adolescents were physically or socially victimized. Our sample included 1,303 adolescents (M age = 14.8 years) from six waves of the School Crime Supplement of the National Crime Victimization Survey. Results from logistic regression models show that disciplinary structure and guardianship, in the form of school security measures, were unrelated to victimization. Asian American adolescents with supportive peers had lower odds of physical victimization (odds ratio [OR] = 0.16; p l .01) while those exposed to school gangs and physical fights had higher odds of social victimization (OR = 2.90; p l .001 and OR = 4.97; p l .01, respectively). Our findings underscore the need for schools to consider strategies beyond commonplace school disciplinary structures and security measures to protect Asian American adolescents from victimization.

BACKGROUND: Prior research suggests that stress plays role in the etiology and progression of hypertension. To lend a more accurate depiction of the underlying mechanisms between stress and hypertension, this study aims to assess the associations between perceived stress and hypertension across varying levels of social support and social network among Asian Americans. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data on 530 Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese Americans recruited from a liver cancer prevention program in the Washington D.C. – Baltimore metropolitan area. RESULTS: Hypertension prevalence was 29.1%. Individuals with high perceived stress were 61% more likely to have hypertension compared to those with low levels of perceived stress (Odds Ratio (OR): 1.61, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.15, 2.46). There was no evidence that social support and social network acted as effect modifiers. Social support had a direct beneficial effect on hypertension, irrespective of whether individuals were under stress. The relationship between perceived stress and hypertension was modified by gender and ethnicity whereby a significant positive association was only observed among male or Chinese participants. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the importance of understanding the associations between stress, social support, and hypertension among Asian American subgroups. Findings from the study can be used to develop future stress management interventions, and incorporate culturally and linguistically appropriate strategies into community outreach and education to decrease hypertension risk within the Asian population.

This article calls on ethnic studies scholars to question how the public university remains intact as an unproblematized social model of advancement by interrogating the necropolitics of the public university—the collateral damage that the academic industrial complex incurs in securing advantages for some. Bui reads Asian American studies and its scholars against neoliberal claims by the University of California to provide a “better life,” in so doing challenging the precarious privilege of Asian Americans and constructions of the “model minority.”

Lisa See is a phenotypically White woman who has found popular success as a Chinese American author writing about Chinese and Chinese American characters. See’s appearance, though, often causes both readers and critics to react negatively to her writing and the idea of her authorship. This thesis therefore uses See’s unique authorship as the primary example in investigating the impacts that cultural expectations about authenticity, authority, and “ethnic” authorship have on writers of “ethnic” literature and receptions of their work. Little scholarship has been published about See, and many scholars and popular critics who do discuss her criticize her work as Orientalist or dismiss her work as Chinese American literature. This paper suggests that understanding and analyzing See as a multiracial author – not a White or Chinese American author – best allows for a nuanced understanding of her authorial choices. Additionally, this thesis argues that teaching See’s works in college literature courses by using a combination of Megan Boler’s pedagogy of discomfort and Henry Giroux’s border pedagogy may help guide students in critically investigating complexities of race, ethnicity, and personal identity. By leading students to more nuanced understandings of race, ethnicity, and multiraciality, we may better prepare informed and responsible student-citizens who can revolutionize cultural notions of race and ethnicity.

Background When coping with HIV-related challenges, family support is the first line that Asian Americans living with HIV (AALHIV) lean on; however, few studies have explored the dyadic aspects of family support among AALHIV. We aimed to explore the dyadic aspects of family support among AALHIV and their family caregivers. Methods From September 2017 to January 2020, we recruited 18 dyads among AALHIV and their caregivers in Los Angeles and New York City by the purposive sampling method. Using qualitative dyadic analysis of semi-structured, in-depth interviews, we explored dyadic aspects of family support among participants based on Fitch's Supportive Care Framework. Results We found that AALHIV obtained support from family caregivers to cover the domains of their physical, psychological, spiritual, informational, social, and practical supportive care. This dyadic analysis indicated congruence in most supportive care; however, there were also dissimilar in the support perceptions. Conclusions Our findings exemplify the physical, psychological, spiritual, informational, social, and practical support from AALHIV and their family caregivers. When developing a culturally sensitive intervention for AALHIV, we need to consider the different aspects of the support. Especially, family support can enhance patients–providers' relationships as well as health engagement with HIV care.

Author(s): Park, Junghyuk Davis | Abstract: This paper examines how the films Spa Night (2016), The Tiger Hunter (2016), and Gook (2017) showcase a burgeoning diversity of ways Asian Americans can express masculinity. More specifically, the paper will delve into the depictions of strength through marginalized masculinity in Spa Night, resistance against remasculinization narratives in The Tiger Hunter, and toughness through soft masculinity in Gook. The aforementioned films are placed in analytical conversation with academic theories within the disciplines of Asian American Studies, Gender Studies, and Film Studies to highlight how each film’s respective characters demonstrate the described forms of progressive masculinity. In doing so, the films expose how cinema has historically shaped the public’s understanding of Asian American masculinity and uncover how a recent group of independent films from the Asian American film movement has showcased the variety of ways in which masculinity can be conceptualized and represented by Asian Americans to challenge traditional conceptions of gender.

Asian Americans have made substantial progress from being seen as a foreign threat during times of high anti-Asian sentiment to their current image as legally recognized U.S. citizens that can vote and run for office; however, there still exists significant representation challenges created from electoral policies and politics that pose barriers between Asian Americans and elected office. This article will analyze the progress and struggle of Asian American political representation through a legal, political, and electoral lens and support solutions that break down these barriers to Asian American political power. Much of this discussion about obtaining Asian American political power requires familiarity with the racial stereotypes of Asian Americans such as the “perpetual foreigner” and the “model minority” stereotypes,since many voters often incorporate stereotypes into the evaluation of their candidates. Three strategies (multiracial campaign platforms, panethnic campaign fundraising, and Voting Rights Act expansion) will be presented that will take these stereotypes into account and provide a path to Asian American representation.

Confusion regarding affirmative action programs combined with ambiguous and secretive college admission processes have generated a growing resentment amongst the Asian American community specifically in the ways that they view other racial and ethnic minorities. Although affirmative action is popularly believed to disadvantage Asian Americans, this paper makes the case that the false narrative of affirmative action is more harmful to Asian Americans than affirmative action programs themselves because of how these misconceptions generate intense divisions within the Asian American community. After a brief personal preface, this paper establishes the historical origins of the affirmative action myth as well as introduces research that shows how negative portrayals of affirmative action are misleading. After discussing the current consequences of repealing affirmative action in college admissions, the second part of this paper investigates contemporary views of affirmative action from both students and parents who identify as Asian American. Lastly, this paper discusses applications of the research findings to modern Asian American movements towards self-determination.

The study examined generational differences between Asian American daughters and their mothers to assess the degree in which these differences have on the quality of their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education. The participants of this study aimed at individuals identifying as college-aged Asian American women. Each participant took an online survey and voluntary interview regarding their experiences navigating their sexual and reproductive health in close reflection of their quality of SRH education from their mothers. The results show that most participants recalled getting little to no communication with their mothers on sexual and reproductive health, and indicated that they have some degree of reservation when it comes to discussing these topics with their mothers presently. Upon consideration of these findings, maternal communication of sexual and reproductive health topics should be destigmatized in order for their daughters to have a more comprehensive education on these topics in adolescence. It is critical for mothers to understand the long-term benefits of properly educating their daughters on the importance of sex and reproduction so that they can develop a positive perspective on SRH as adults.

What would data disaggregation for Asian Americans look like, and why does it matter? Disaggregating the broad category of “Asian” or “Asian American” into subgroups which take national or ethnic origin into account can help to illuminate the disparities present between different Asian American communities. This would allow for a more accurate assessment of need and thus equitable resource allocation for historically disadvantaged groups, for instance Southeast Asian refugee populations such as the Lao, Cambodian, Hmong, and Vietnamese. In this paper, I will discuss the concept of Asian American panethnicity and how it negatively impacts marginalized subgroups by perpetuating the “model minority” myth, masking the disparities revealed in disaggregated data on educational attainment, for example. I will then use Rhode Island’s 2016 “All Students Count Act” as a case study to explore the debate surrounding this issue, arguing that data disaggregation to substantiate the need for affirmative action should not be considered race-based discrimination, but a race-conscious practice that can support and facilitate success in more disadvantaged Asian American communities.

The pandemic has rearticulated racial discourses in unprecedented ways and at an accelerating pace. The resurgent protests of Black Lives Matter demand fundamental changes in the criminal (in)justice system and racial relations in the US beyond the Black–white dichotomy. In this paper, I argue that our current shared struggles require a new form of internationalism against the rapid right-wing turn of global hegemonies that does not draw lines between the simple binaries of “East vs. West,” “white vs. Black,” or “authoritarianism vs. democracy,” but in the interconnected fights against the militarized police state, neoliberal capitalist order, Han supremacy, and the continued impacts of Euro-American coloniality.

Under diagnosis and treatment of mental health illnesses lead to chronic presentations and consequences. Multiple factors contribute to gaps in treatment, including the role culture plays in the development or suppression of help-seeking behaviors (HSBs). In the Asian community, conversation and recognition of mental health and its disorders are considered shameful. This review presents an analysis of literature to identify barriers to mental health treatment pronounced in Asian populations and discusses how culture influences these barriers and treatment-seeking behaviors, particularly in the context of the Asian-origin Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. It is the purpose of this review to discuss Asian American underutilization of mental health services and understand the factors the contribute to psychiatric care resistance in Asian communities.

This report describes initial results from a multi-stage project to manualize and adapt an indigenous therapy, Chinese Taoist Cognitive Psychotherapy (CTCP), for dissemination in the United States context. Study aims were to (a) integrate cultural adaptation and implementation science frameworks to manualize and adapt the original intervention and (b) explore the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the modified intervention, renamed Taoist Cognitive Therapy (TCT), in a sample of Chinese immigrants with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Incorporating bottom-up and top-down adaptation approaches, we involved Chinese American clinician stakeholders and experts in Taoist philosophy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and GAD to help identify cultural and contextual barriers and solutions to enhance treatment acceptability and implementation. Five treatment-seeking Chinese American immigrants (average age = 43.2 years) with a primary diagnosis of GAD completed 14–16 sessions of TCT. Two participants also had secondary diagnoses of major depressive disorder. Changes on primary measures of worry and anxiety were assessed for statistical and clinical significance using reliable change indices (RCIs; Jacobson and Truax, 1991) and comparisons to normative data. In this sample of patients with limited prior exposure to Taoism, results found evidence of feasibility and acceptability of the modified intervention, with strong endorsement of Taoist principles at termination. Statistically and clinically significant improvements in anxiety, worry, psychological inflexibility, and emotional avoidance were found only for the participants without comorbid depression. Results suggest that Taoist principles of acceptance and flexible adaptation to natural laws may be helpful to Chinese immigrants coping with anxiety. However, additional treatment modifications may be required to address the low self-efficacy and fatalism expressed among those with comorbid depression.

On March 8, 2020, there was a 650% increase in Twitter retweets using the term “Chinese virus” and related terms. On March 9, there was an 800% increase in the use of these terms in conservative news media articles. Using data from non-Asian respondents of the Project Implicit “Asian Implicit Association Test” from 2007–2020 ( n = 339,063), we sought to ascertain if this change in media tone increased bias against Asian Americans. Local polynomial regression and interrupted time-series analyses revealed that Implicit Americanness Bias—or the subconscious belief that European American individuals are more “American” than Asian American individuals—declined steadily from 2007 through early 2020 but reversed trend and began to increase on March 8, following the increase in stigmatizing language in conservative media outlets. The trend reversal in bias was more pronounced among conservative individuals. This research provides evidence that the use of stigmatizing language increased subconscious beliefs that Asian Americans are “perpetual foreigners.” Given research that perpetual foreigner bias can beget discriminatory behavior and that experiencing discrimination is associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes, this research sounds an alarm about the effects of stigmatizing media on the health and welfare of Asian Americans.

BACKGROUND: Immigrants tend to live in areas with higher co-ethnic density, and the effect of neighborhood ethnic composition could be particularly salient for health. This study explored associations between neighborhood ethnic composition and self-rated health among Asian immigrants. METHODS: We analyzed data collected at baseline from 670 Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants enrolled in a lifestyle intervention trial. Residential addresses were geocoded and combined with neighborhood socio-demographic profiles based on census data. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine neighborhood ethnic composition and self-rated health. RESULTS: Independent of individual-level factors, living in neighborhoods more densely populated by whites was associated with poor/fair self-rated health. Neighborhood household income and density of participants’ own ethnic group were not associated with poor/fair self-rated health. DISCUSSION: More research is warranted to disentangle reasons why Asian immigrants living in white-concentrated neighborhoods reported poorer self-rated health, including investigating effects of discrimination, relative deprivation, and availability of social resources.

We analyze official state primary election returns from a subset of states with large populations of Asian American and Latino voters to evaluate their candidate preferences and participation rates going into the 2020 general election.