Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is an ideal time to examine health disparities in the AAPI community and explore solutions to create a more equitable future for all Americans.

<h2>Focusing on the Health of AAPI Individuals</h2>

<p>
  Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month provides an opportunity to
  celebrate and acknowledge the unique cultures, history and richness the AAPI
  community contributes to our nation. It&rsquo;s also an important time to
  recognize the challenges AAPI individuals face. Here, we look at health
  disparities in the AAPI community and explore solutions to create a more
  equitable future for all Americans.
</p>

<h2>About the AAPI Community</h2>

<p>
  More than 24 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders live in the United
  States today. It&rsquo;s the fastest-growing racial group in the nation. By
  2060, an expected 46 million AAPI individuals will call the U.S. home (<a
    href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/29/key-facts-about-asian-americans/"
    target="_blank"
    >Pew Research</a
  >). The rich diversity within the AAPI community encompasses more than 50
  ethnic groups who speak nearly 100 languages and originate from 20 different
  countries!
</p>

<h2>
  Labels Like &ldquo;Other&rdquo; &ndash; The Sticky Subject of Aggregating or
  Disaggregating by Race
</h2>

<p>
  Because each person has a unique and diverse heritage, grouping individuals by
  race or categorizing separate cultures as one larger racial group like
  &ldquo;AAPI&rdquo; or &ldquo;other&rdquo; has significant flaws. This practice
  can compress cultural differences and create issues with self-identity and
  racial bias.
</p>

<p>
  On the other hand, examining data by racial groups can provide statistical
  insights and shed light on disparities. Many leaders within politics and the
  healthcare industry are pushing to collect detailed, thoughtful data and
  disaggregate existing data by race, ethnicity, language, etc. This move can
  help identify where solutions and services are needed most.
</p>

<p>
  One example from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation cites the importance of
  disaggregating data by race:
</p>

<center>
  &ldquo;A National Nurses United report on COVID-19 deaths among health care
  workers found that 31.5 percent of the registered nurses who had died of
  COVID-19 and related complications were Filipino, even though Filipinos make
  up just 4 percent of registered nurses in the United States. Only by
  disaggregating the data was this shocking and tragic disparity
  revealed.&rdquo;
</center>

<h2>AAPI Health Disparities</h2>

<p>With that in mind, recent data on health within the AAPI community shows:</p>



<ul>
  <li>
    Only 23.3% of AAPI adults with mental illness sought treatment in 2019;
    AAPIs seek mental health help less often than any other racial/ethnic group
    (<a
      href="https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Asian-American-and-Pacific-Islander"
      >NAMI</a
    >,
    <a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2019-nsduh-detailed-tables"
      >SAMHSA</a
    >)
  </li>
  <li>
    9.3% of Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) had health
    insurance, compared with 6.8% for Asian American communities in 2018 (<a
      href="https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Asian-American-and-Pacific-Islander"
      >NAMI</a
    >,
    <a
      href="https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/health-coverage-by-race-and-ethnicity/"
      >KFF</a
    >)
  </li>
  <li>
    10% of AAPI individuals have diabetes versus 8% of all U.S. individuals;
    disaggregating the data further shows 47% of American Samoans and 20% of
    native Hawaiians have diabetes (<a
      href="https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/health-equity/correct-count-matters-asian-american-pacific-islander-health"
      >AMA</a
    >)
  </li>
</ul>



<h2>Causes of AAPI Health Disparities</h2>

<p>
  The statistics above are only a snapshot of the health disparities AAPI
  individuals face. The many gaps in health equity are due to several underlying
  factors, which also vary across groups within the AAPI community (<a
    href="https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Libraries/AAPI_Resources.aspx"
    >AACAP</a
  >,
  <a href="https://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/aapi/health-disparities/">HHS</a>,
  <a
    href="https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Asian-American-and-Pacific-Islander"
    >NAMI</a
  >):
</p>

<ul>
  <li>Cultural stigma surrounding mental health illness and treatment</li>
  <li>Language barriers</li>
  <li>Lack of culturally-relevant patient education</li>
  <li>Cultural insensitivity and systemic racism</li>
  <li>Lack of disaggregated data</li>
  <li>Economic insecurity among some AAPI groups</li>
  <li>Lack of healthcare insurance</li>
  <li>Immigration status</li>
  <li>Religious beliefs</li>
  <li>Infrequent visits to western healthcare providers</li>
</ul>



<h2>Cultural Factors that Contribute to AAPI Health</h2>

<p>
  It is important to note that many healthcare choices of American Asians and
  Pacific Islanders are rooted in culture, religion and traditional medicine.
  AAPI cultural factors, such as a strong sense of community, belonging,
  connections and family bonds, are considered protective of health (<a
    href="https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Asian-American-and-Pacific-Islander"
    >NAMI</a
  >).
</p>



<p>
  Further, AAPI traditions passed down for generations, like acupuncture,
  massage therapy and meditation, have added to the health and wellness of the
  United States and contributed to our nation&rsquo;s evolving concept of
  preventive wellness and care.
</p>



<h2>How to Support Health Equity in the AAPI Community</h2>

<p>
  To ensure all individuals, including those in the AAPI community, have a right
  to wellness and healthcare, we can:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    Encourage state legislators to disaggregate health data by race, ethnicity,
    language, etc.
  </li>
  <li>
    Partner with organizations and initiatives that work to advance health
    equity
  </li>
  <li>
    Share resources and training with leadership, providers and staff to ensure
    cultural sensitivity
  </li>
  <li>
    Provide translators or translation apps for patients who are speakers of
    other languages
  </li>
  <li>
    Recognize that many patients may need their children nearby to translate for
    them
  </li>
  <li>
    Revisit patient education materials, forms, directions, website, etc. to
    ensure accessibility
  </li>
  <li>
    Research the contributions, customs, traditions and experiences of AAPI
    individuals
  </li>
  <li>
    Remember our nation&rsquo;s history of anti-Asian policies, including
    exclusion acts and internment camps
  </li>
  <li>
    Understand the resurgence of violence and racism AAPI individuals have faced
    recently due to the COVID pandemic
  </li>
  <li>Adopt diverse hiring practices</li>
  <li>
    Learn about any specific AAPI cultures represented by your patients,
    providers and staff
  </li>
  <li>
    Conduct surveys to learn about experiences, biases, needs and opportunities
    at your facility
  </li>
</ul>

<h2>AAPI Health Resources to Explore</h2>

<p>To learn more about the AAPI community and health equity, visit:</p>

<p>
  <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asian-health.htm"
    >CDC Statistics on the Health of Asian or Pacific Islander Population</a
  >
</p>

<p>
  <a
    href="https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Libraries/AAPI_Resources.aspx"
    >AACAP Asian American and Pacific Islander Resource Library</a
  >
</p>

<p>
  <a
    href="https://www.mhanational.org/issues/asian-americanpacific-islander-communities-and-mental-health"
    >MHA Asian American/Pacific Islander Communities And Mental Health</a
  >
</p>

<p>
  Those in the healthcare field have a unique opportunity to help ensure all
  patients, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, have access to the
  care they deserve.
</p>


Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Supporting Health Equity