Issues Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up a diverse population that has experienced rapid growth and incredible demographic changes over the past 40 years. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders today are bilingual and monolingual, newly immigrant, native, sixth-generation Americans, young and old, indigent and high-income. Despite such differences, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders still share common problems when it comes to their health and health care. Past misperceptions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as “model minorities” continue to impact how they view their own health, how they access health care services, and how they are treated by the health care system. While advocates have made great strides in changing the health care field to become more culturally competent and sensitive, there is still a sense of low risk when it comes to the health of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Consequently, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders continue to under-utilize preventive care and over-utilize emergency services, and as with other racial and ethnic minority populations, experience significant disparities in health and health care. NAWHO is dedicated to changing this by educating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders about health issues, and by strengthening the systems that serve this population through partnerships and capacity building. Here at NAWHO's Virtual Resource Center, you can learn about some of these health issues and how they impact Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, as well as discuss them with our online community in Health Talk. Featured Issues |