Topic Abstracts

Capturing Health Needs of Asian Women in New York City - Noilyn Abesamis-Mendoza

More than one million documented and undocumented Asian Americans live in New York City (NYC); a little over half of which are women.  However, there is scant health research available on NYC Asian Americans.  In collaboration with community-based organizations and advocates, the NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health conducted a series of community health needs and resource assessments (CHNRA) among Cambodians, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, South Asian, and Vietnamese in NYC from 2004-2007. The primary purposes of these assessments are to determine: (1) The degree to which the health issues exist in ethnic-specific Asian American community; (2) the resources available; and (3) the best approaches to meet the needs of the these communities in New York City. 

Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered through outreach to social service, faith-based, cultural, health and civic organizations.  Questions included health status perceptions, health seeking behaviors, barriers to care, health resources available, patient-provider interaction, and best approaches to implement health interventions. 

377  surveys were administered and 53  focus groups/key informant interviews were conducted on Asian women.  Across all ethnic groups, rates for preventive health screenings were lower when compared to all NYC Residents. Chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular were identified as top concerns for all Asian women. The top health barriers identified were communication barriers with doctors or health professionals; time constraints, and high costs of healthcare.  Differences among the six Asian subgroups were related to perceived health status, sociodemographic characteristics, geographic settlement patterns in NYC, sources of health information, and establishment of networks and resources to support specific health initiatives. 

Findings identified priority health areas of focus for each community.  The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the use of these findings for the creation of ethnic-specific coalitions and subsequent pan-Asian initiatives in the areas of research and program development.

Collaborative Community-Based Strategies and Culturally Competent Approaches to Improve Genetic Literacy Among At-Risk Asian American Women - Deborah Hong

Asian Americans face economic, cultural and linguistic barriers in accessing mainstream health care services.  Particularly vulnerable are immigrant women who are pregnant or of reproductive age, and who may be at risk for bearing children with birth defects and genetic disorders.  Yet they lack access to culturally and linguistically appropriate genetics education and counseling services. The Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, with funding from the March of Dimes and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), developed culturally competent genetics education materials for Chinese and Korean immigrant communities in New York City. Workshop curricula and brochures were developed and pilot tested with input from community members and the health center’s genetic counseling patients to address the unique needs of the population.  At least four community workshops targeting 75-100 women and their families were implemented by bilingual-bicultural health educators.  Outreach efforts were complemented by a media campaign consisting of dissemination of materials at community events and publication of genetics education articles in major Chinese language newspapers. Dissemination efforts included partnering with national organizations and other community groups to distribute and publicize best practices and genetics educational materials to a regional and national audience. The initiatives resulted in an increase in access and availability of innovative genetics educational materials that facilitated informed decision making and increased uptake of genetics services by Asian immigrant families in New York City.  Experiences, as well as successes, challenges, outcomes, and best practices, in developing these initiatives will be shared.

The Balancing Act Between Career and Family Among Asian-American Women Mathematics Educators – Janet Liou-Mark, Sandie Han & Urmi Ghosh-Dastidar

The challenge of balancing a career and family has three mathematics Asian-American professors at New York City College of Technology searching for a healthy way to do so.  Our presentation will be a personal sharing of how we try to teach superbly, contribute to our department, institutions and communities, write stimulating, original research, and be actively involved partners, daughters, and mothers at the same time.

Having been successful in our career, we all have fallen into the “super woman” mentality, believing we can manage everything and we should manage everything…all with a smile.  Worse yet, we have placed an incredible expectation on ourselves to meet the expectations and demands of others.

The presenters will also lead discussions on the managing of pregnancies, post partum stress, child rearing as Asian American women professionals.  All are welcome to share their experiences.

What Does it Mean to Be 'Asian': Navigating the Adoptee Experience - Kimberly McKee

This paper will examine how the female Asian American adoptee negotiates the formation of an “Asian” identity as she encounters stereotypes and caricatures of Asian/Asian American women in American society as well as growing up in a transracial family.  Deconstructing the term “Asian American,” I will “queer” what it means to be an Asian American woman, understanding the hybrid identity that exists for adoptees as they navigate the borderlands.  In this context, I contend “Asian American” is a pan-ethnic term, including a multitude of ethnicities with different cultures, languages, and religions.  Although differences exist, Asians experience commonalities, forming the “Asian American” identity.  A social construct, “Asian American” establishes a discourse for Asians living in the United States, who identify as American, creating a framework for Americans of Asian origin to realize differences, which may seem incommensurable, facilitates a pan-ethnic Asian American movement. The “Asian American” identity allows persons of Asian descent engage dominant “American” discourse, by repudiating its projection of “foreign” on persons with visible markers of difference from Euro-Americans.

Queering notions of what it means to be “Asian American,” with the underlying assumption of a latent hybrid identity, I will deconstruct notions of what it means to be an Asian American woman for adoptees raised in transracial environments.  Understanding the fluidity of a social construct, such as “Asian American,” I intend to give adopted Asian American woman place in Asian American women discourse, which overwhelming overlooks the experiences of their adopted kin.  As adoptions from Asian countries continues, I find it necessary that the Asian American community reflect and understand how adoptees fit in the twenty-first century Asian American identity.

Sociocultural Aspects of Acculturation: Silent Voices of Chinese Immigrant Youth - Virginia M. Tong

For adolescent immigrants, leaving the security of their homeland to live in a new country can be an unsettling experience. These immigrant youth are part of  generation 1.5, who are the in-between group of individuals who are neither a part of 1st generation adult immigrants, nor a part of the 2nd generation Chinese born in this country of 1st generation parents. Generation 1.5 youth know that the ways of their parents cannot be, and are not their ways.  They find themselves frustrated and confused, questioning the once familiar values of their home culture while feeling threatened by and resentful of those of the new American one.

The anxiety generation 1.5 Chinese immigrant youth experience is based on the frustration of finding new and different ways to cope with life in a new country. As they acculturate, they develop a cross-cultural identity that is an amalgamation of their primary culture and that of the larger society.  As part of a study on the school's role in the group's acculturation, this presentation will discuss the interview responses Chinese high school immigrants shared about the social and cultural aspects of American life they believe will assist them in their adjustment. These findings are part of a research agenda that focuses on the process of acculturation of this generation 1.5 whose voices often go unheard as they attempt to unravel the complexities of their bicultural nature and create a new cross-cultural identity that supports them as they become socially adapted to their new lives in America.

Asian American Women in Public Administration - Jyoti Venketraman & Cynthia Brothers

New York City is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse cities in the world. The 2005 census reflects the changing demographics of the city due to increasing immigration from Asia and Latin America. Historically, racial and ethnic minorities have experienced various forms of social, political, and economic discrimination. Women of color, in general, face multiple barriers in their lives. Their capacities to negotiate these barriers are undermined by lack of culturally competent resources due to various failures (market, policy, private etc.). We conceptualize this as a "circularity of failures" which heightens the invisibility of women of color in public policy. This forms our conceptual lens of understanding the complex problems that Asian American women face in multiple areas.

As of 2005, 12 percent of New York City’s population is Asian American, and among them, Asian American women account for 50 percent. A prevalent stereotype of Asian Americans is that of a successful minority group that has made significant strides, especially in certain professional fields (science and engineering), and seems to be above the problems of poverty. However, Asian Americans are a heterogeneous group with a multitude of socioeconomic conditions, cultures, and immigration histories. A lack of political representation and access to policy-making power may perpetuate inequities. Furthermore, the manner is which data is collected, analyzed, and presented can hide multiple social disparities suffered by Asian American populations.

Studies have shown that talented and qualified Asians Americans do not reach the level where they can participate in policy decision making in federal government. At the state level, an Asian American holds only one seat out of the 246 seats available, when Asian Americans account for 6.2 percent of the state’s total population. Similarly, in New York City, currently only one city council member is of Asian American origin.

This presentation will examine whether Asian American women's voices have an impact on policy and decision-making at the New York City level. Discourse about the representation of a group's interests suggest there is no shared set of experiences that unifies all members of a particular group. According to Krislov (1974) and others’ theory of representative bureaucracy, visibility and voice in policy requires proportional representation of any given group in policy-making roles and public administration consistent with its demographic composition in the larger population. Using this theory as a guide, we will examine the representation of Asian American women in policymaking by reviewing the percentage of Asian American women in New York City government agencies, as well as the roles/positions they occupy within them. This will address the question of who represents Asian American women’s interests in city agencies, and whether Asian American women occupy positions in the public decision-making hierarchy that have the potential to impact policies that affect their lives.

We also aim to disaggregate the data by Asian ethnic subgroups as well as immigration status, which we believe will provide additional evidence of possible under-representation of Asian American sub-groups in public administration within New York City agencies.

Good Luck, Hard Work, and Family Support – Shuiqin Zhou

School systems in mainland of china will be briefly introduced. The challenges to pursue science/engineering major for Chinese women will be discussed. My personal experiences in chemistry field as a graduate student, a postdoc research associate, a senior chemist in a large chemical company, and a professor in college will be presented. The combination of good luck, hard work, and family support is the driving force for me to continue my interests in science researches. Time management is always important to enjoy both family and job.

Menu