Asian American Communities and Health ─ Context, Research, Policy, and Action

This ground-breaking textbook examines Asian American health from a public health perspective. It provides an overview of the social, political, economic, and cultural forces that influence the distribution of disease and illness in Asian American communities. The book explores the diversity within the Asian community with respect to health seeking behavior and knowledge, socioeconomic status, educational level, cultural traditions, and specific health care needs and issues. By examining the contextual factors that impact health, the book seeks to facilitate a meaningful dialogue and identify creative solutions for health disparities faced by racial and ethnic minority communities.

Chau Trinh-Shevrin, DrPH, is the director of the New York University (NYU) Center for the Study of Asian American Health and assistant professor at the NYU School of Medicine.
Nadia Shilpi Islam, PhD, is the deputy director of research within the Center for the Study of Asian American Health at the New York University.
Mariano Jose Rey, MD, is the director of the New York University Institute for Community Health and Research and senior associate dean for Community Affairs at the NYU School of Medicine.

"…a recently published book that not only focuses on a growing and hugely diverse cultural group in the United States but also underscores the importance of context in any relationship between a clinician and patient." (New York Times, July 16, 2009)
“This commentary provides an in-depth and comprehensive contextual understanding of key issues influencing health in Asian American communities. It is a valuable resource addressing health disparities through ecological lenses and multilevel analyses and is congruent with the current movement toward a better understanding of the social determinants of health. The chapters are groundbreaking work of more than 40 leading researchers and community advocates. The book’s emphasis on understanding the social, cultural, and political context of the health of Asian Americans is relevant for a wide range of health professionals, social scientists, community advocates, and policy makers. It is also an excellent resource for faculty members and students interested not only in Asian American—related issues but also broader issues in vulnerable populations, public health, and social justice.”
— Health Promotion Practice
“The research literature regarding Asian-American health issues remains thin, funding agencies have been little forthcoming, and general understanding has been hampered by stereotypes and misunderstanding. These reasons make the new text Asian American Communities and Health: Context, Research, Policy, and Action a timely and important contributor to the understanding of Asian-American health concerns. The editors have a sophisticated view of Asian-American health issues and they have drawn together a collection of chapters impressive in their scope and depth. As a whole, the book addresses community health on multiple levels, including institutional and social factors affecting health, collaborative efforts for health improvement, and how age, gender, and sexual orientation factor into Asian-American health.”
— The Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health

Figures and Tables.
Foreword (Albert K. Yee).
The Editors.
The Contributors.
Acknowledgments.
PART ONE: SETTING THE CONTEXT: ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN THE UNITED STATES.
1. Toward a Contextual Understanding of Asian American Health (Nadia Shilpi Islam, Chau Trinh-Shevrin, and Mariano Jose Rey).
2. Social, Cultural, and Demographic Characteristics of Asian Americans (Winston Tseng).
3. Social, Demographic, and Cultural Characteristics of Pacific Islanders (Sela V. Panapasa).
4. Asian American Health Research: Baseline Data and Funding (Chandak Ghosh).
PART TWO: PERSPECTIVES: HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN AND SPECIAL POPULATIONS.
5. The Health of Children and Adolescents (Stella M. Yu, and Amita N. Vyas).
6. The Health of Women (Sora Park-Tanjasiri, and Tu-Uyen Nguyen).
7. The Health of Men (John H. Choe).
8. The Health of the Elderly (Tazuko Shibusawa, and Irene Chung).
9. The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning People Communities (Sel J. Hwahng, and Alison J. Lin).
PART THREE: FROM THE INDIVIDUAL TO THE INSTITUTIONAL: CRITICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING HEALTH DISPARITIES.
10. Complementary and Alternative Medicines (Darshan Mehta, and Ellen McCarthy).
11. Language Access (Marguerite Ro, Jinny Jihyun Park, and Deeana Jang).
12. Health Insurance (Ninez Ponce).
13. Racism and Discrimination (Gilbert C. Gee, and Annie Ro).
14. Occupational and Environmental Health (Pam Tau Lee).
PART FOUR: BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR ACTION: COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH.
15. Health Interventions (Grace X. Ma, and Gem P. Daus).
16. Community-Based Participatory Research (S. Darius Tandon, and Simona C. Kwon).
17. Promoting Community-Based Participatory Research at the Institutional Level (Chau Trinh-Shevrin, Nadia Islam, and Mariano Jose Rey).
18. Evaluation (Traci Endo Inouye).
PART FIVE: COLLABORATIVE STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING HEALTH.
19. The Workforce (Marguerite Ro).
20. Community Health Centers (Thomas Tsang, Kevin C. Lo, and Jeffrey Caballero).
21. Health Policy Advocacy (Deeana Jang, and Ho Luong Tran).
PART SIX: EMERGING HEALTH ISSUES AND RESEARCH PRIORITIES.
22. Disability (Peter J. Wong, and Lois M. Takahashi).
23. Oral Health (Kavita P. Ahluwalia).
24. Gambling Addiction (Timothy W. Fong).
25. Genetic Testing and Profiling (Joon-Ho Yu).
Afterword: The Reciprocity of Time.
David T. Takeuchi, Margie Kagawa Singer.
Index.