<p> The diagnostic category of PTSD does not capture culture-relevant symptomatology, that is, somatization, for Cambodian refugees in the United States. Somatization may function as a buffer against chronic PTSD symptomatology in Cambodian refugees because somatization represents a culture-specific coping strategy for this population. The purpose of the present study is to assess the correlation between somatization and degree of PTSD symptoms. The study also addresses the mental health disparities in the Cambodian refugee population in order to inform the literature on access to better trauma-informed mental health services. </p><p> Participants were recruited from community mental health agencies in Oakland, CA and Long Beach, CA. Two "data-gathering" groups of Cambodian refugees (<i>N</i> = 26) were administered a demographic questionnaire, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire-Revised (HTQ-R) and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire-20 (SDQ-20) in Khmer and English. The correlational relationship between demographic variables was also analyzed in order to explore contextual factors behind the findings of the study's main research question. Recommendations for assessment and treatment of PTSD in Cambodian refugees were then discussed based on the study's findings. Health care utilization by Cambodian refugees was examined and recommendations were suggested for improvement in public policy and health care services.</p><p> The hypothesis of this study that the level of somatization was inversely related to degree of PTSD symptomatology in Cambodian refugees was not supported. The Pearson Correlational Coefficient analysis produced a statistically significant positive relationship (<i>r</i> = .34) between somatization and traumatization in Cambodian refugees as measured by scores on the SDQ-20 and the HTQ-R. The role of specific somatoform symptoms in the chronicity of PTSD symptomatology was explored. The positive correlation found between the SDQ-20 and HTQ-R supported previous research, demonstrating the relationship between somatoform dissociation and higher PTSD symptomatology in Cambodian refugees. </p>

<p> This study examines how Vietnamese Americans perform identities that acknowledge their statuses as diasporic Vietnamese to construct and maintain specifically Vietnamese American communities. I argue that music, especially public forms of musical expression within mass media and locally staged cultural performances, is a crucial way for Vietnamese Americans across the diaspora to transmit markers of cultural knowledge and identity that give them information about themselves and the "imagined community" constructed through their linked discourses.</p><p> The argument is organized around two main ideas that focus on broad cultural patterns and locally situated expressions, respectively. First, music produced by the niche Vietnamese American media industry is distributed across the diaspora and models discourses of Vietnamese identity as different companies provide different visions of what it means to be Vietnamese and perform Vietnamese-ness on stage. I analyze the music variety shows by three different companies (Thuy Nga Productions, Asia Entertainment, and Van Son Productions) to argue that Vietnamese American popular media should not be seen as representing a single monolithic version of Vietnamese-ness; rather, each articulation of Vietnamese identity is slightly different and speaks to a different formulation of the Vietnamese public, producing a discursive field for diverse Vietnamese American identity politics.</p><p> Secondly, I show how identity is always performed in particular places, illustrating that Vietnamese Americans performing music in different places can have vastly different understandings of that music and its relationship to their identities. Using a Peircian semiotic framework, I articulate a theory of place-making in which places become vehicles for the clustering of signs and meaning as people experience and interpret those places and make meaning there. As people's experiences imbue places with meaning, people coming from similar cultural backgrounds may gain different attachments to those places and one another and thus different understandings of their identities as Vietnamese. I use two contrasting examples of Vietnamese American communities in Indianapolis and San Jose to show how people in each place construct entirely different discourses of identity surrounding musical performance based upon their positionality within the diaspora.</p>

<p> This thesis explores the transformative effects of immigration from the 1960s through the 2010s among women from Taiwan living in the County of Santa Clara. The study focused on three substantive areas: (1) early life experiences and factors leading to immigration; (2) shifts in social identities after leaving Taiwan (e.g., political, national, and ethnic self-concepts in various contexts); and (3) practices of child-rearing. Several methodological tools were employed during the data collection phase of the research process, including interviews, surveys, and participant observations. The findings of this study suggested a dynamic process of change in which informants adapted to, were affected by, and influenced their new milieus to varying degrees. Although a number of patterns were evident in the broader experiences of participants, the actual decisions (e.g., how to raise children) and individual changes (e.g., the choice of ethnic identification) were often unique. These findings add to the body of scholarly knowledge concerning the lived experiences of Taiwanese Americans and their distinct challenges, but they also suggest the need to extend theoretical discussions related to transnationalism, ethnogenesis, and parallel dual frame of reference for a clearer understanding of immigrant experiences in a rapidly changing American suburbia.</p>

<p> Since the end of the Civil Rights era, a new paradigm has emerged for understanding race and racism in American society. This neoliberal hegemonic discourse argues that systemic racism ended with the abolishment of formal, juridical racism and that any continued investment in race is both unnecessary and deeply problematic. Critical race theorists have named this framework color-blind racism. In recent years, color-blind racist discourse has been repackaged under a &#129;"post-race" label and the election of America&#129;'s first non-White president has only served to bolster notions that America might have somehow <i>transcended race</i>. </p><p> For college students, the undergraduate years are often a time of great intellectual, emotional, and spiritual upheaval and this instability makes college a prime site for examining individuals&#129;' meaning-making and identity formation processes. Students of color are no exception to this overall phenomenon and the literature on racial identity development speaks to the dramatic changes in self-concept that individuals of color often experience while attending college. One group of students of color, Asian American college students, are deeply understudied and there is little scholarly writing on Asian American college students' racial identity development process. </p><p> This dissertation is a qualitative study of the effects of color-blind racism on the racial identity meaning-making of Asian American college freshmen. Using a narrative inquiry methodology, the author conducted lengthy in-person interviews with nine participants. The emergent themes from the study indicate that the participants&#129;' racial meaning-making process was heavily laden with elements of the ethnicity paradigm of race, color-blind racist tropes, and Asian American racial tropes. The study results suggest that these participants&#129;' hold little in the way of racial identity consciousness, as Asian Americans, and that their heavy investment in ethnic identity works to support a color-blind racial frame. Furthermore, elements of color-blind racism and Asian American racial formation appear to interlock in unique ways to produce complicity with the logic of color-blind racism and support for key elements of White racial hegemony. Further research is needed on the effects of color-blind racism on the identity development of college students broadly, and on Asian American students specifically.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to partner with a host agency, locate a potential funding source, and write a grant to fund for a program called Prevention of Maltreatment to address the needs of Vietnamese families that are at risk for maltreatment. The program will be implemented at the Child Abuse Prevention Center located in Orange County, California. A literature review was conducted to examine Vietnamese families' parenting skills, understanding of child welfare system, and the barriers they encountered for child-rearing. The purpose of this Prevention of Maltreatment program is to educate Vietnamese families on child abuse, parenting tools, cultural differences and etc. The actual submission or funding of this grant was not required for the successful completion of the project.</p>

<p> This study describes the acculturation, dietary habits and health status indicators among first generation Filipino American immigrants and investigates the relationship among these variables. A non-experimental, quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional design (n=210) was used in the study. Acculturation was measured using the Short Acculturation Scale for Filipino Americans (ASASFA). Dietary pattern was measured using the Dietary Acculturation Questionnaire for Filipino Americans (DAQFA) and the Block's Short Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFQ). Health indicators included Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-hip ratio (WHR). Using the American guidelines, 36.6% women and 61.9% men were overweight or obese, 23.9% women and 19.7% men had increased waist circumference and 60.4% women and 67.1% men had increased WHR. Using Asian guidelines, overweight/obesity rates increased to 67.9% women and 86.9% men, increased waist circumference was 50.7% women and 50% men. Western dietary intake was significantly correlated with caloric intake (p&lt;.01), percent fat intake (p&lt;.05), BMI (p&lt;.01) and waist circumference (p&lt;.05). Caloric intake was significantly correlated with BMI (p&lt;.01) and waist circumference (p&lt;.01). Fat intake had a significant positive correlation with BMI (p&lt;.05). Filipino American immigrants have increased risks in diet-related chronic diseases including increased BMI, waist, WHR and increased fat intake. The results of this study provide health care providers with information on the importance of using appropriate anthropometric measurement guidelines in screening for health risks and the importance of dietary assessment and nutritional counselling in this population.</p>

<p> The purpose of this thesis was to develop a grant proposal to fund a support group for Asian Indian adults in the Orange County area of California. The goal of this group would be to increase decrease stigma about mental illness through the provision of mutual aid and psychoeducation. The Mental Health Association of Orange County was the host agency for this program. The funding agency selected was Kaiser Permanente Thrive in Orange County. </p><p> Based on the review of the literature, integrating concepts of collectivism, the Hindu religion, and explaining mental illness in the context of medical symptoms are all important components of the development of a culturally sensitive support group for Asian Indians. The program would encourage participants to share their experience with mental illnesses in the context of the Asian Indian culture. </p><p> The actual funding of this grant proposal was not necessary to complete the project.</p><p>

<p> This qualitative research study examines the effects of parental historical trauma on the educational aspirations and outcomes of second-generation Cambodian Americans. Twenty second-generation Cambodian Americans whose parents survived the Cambodian genocide (1975&ndash;1979) participated. The dissertation utilized the conceptual framework of historical trauma to navigate the research questions: 1). To what extent are children of Cambodian genocide survivors affected by the trauma their parents experienced and what form does this inherited trauma take? 2). What home experiences enhance or hinder academic aspirations and outcomes of the children of Cambodian genocide survivors? 3). What are the supportive networks and actions that foster hope and positive development for second-generation Cambodian Americans? The data were analyzed using qualitative methods and NVivo software. Three key themes were found. The first theme was unresolved trauma. As a result, parental guidance and an open relationship between parents and children were limited. The second theme was overprotection. It was a common behavior among parents who survived the genocide to want to shield their children from any unforeseen circumstances. The last key finding was a lack of communication between parents and children due to a language barrier. </p><p> Building on the findings of this study, it is recommended that schools with large Cambodian American populations should educate later generations about Cambodian history, including the Genocide, and provide dual immersion language classes. This would help to interrupt intergenerational trauma, reduce the language barrier, and allow students and their parents to find purpose and peace. Future research should explore the experiences of survivors, including survivors who lived through the genocide but did not suffer persecution. Such research could lead to truth and reconciliation.</p><p>

<p> Japanese Americans comprise approximately 20% of the State of Hawaii&rsquo;s population and Japanese is the most common language used by first-generation Japanese Americans. As a result, delivering effective care to Hawaiian residents means that providers must deliver services in a culturally sensitive manner. Accomplishing this aim becomes increasingly difficult within elderly populations, when patients are dealing with physical and cognitive limitations as well as cultural and language barriers. This study examined the question: How can Hawaii eldercare professionals improve patient eldercare services to Japanese immigrants, taking into consideration Japanese language and cultural norms? </p><p> This study utilized a qualitative grounded theory design. One elder daycare facility and one hospice were selected as the setting for the study. From these settings, four participants were recruited from the hospice and three were recruited from the daycare. Participants&rsquo; job titles included nurse, massage therapist, grief counselor, daycare director, and activity aide. Participants were asked to provide their demographic information, report on the services they deliver and patient communication practices they utilize, and share their views about quality of care and desired patient outcomes. The interview data were analyzed using open coding and axial coding, culminating in the creation of an integrated theory. </p><p> Examination of the study data indicated that delivering culturally sensitive eldercare requires efforts to (a) understand patients&rsquo; history, beliefs, worries, goals, and diagnosis; (b) educate patients to ease concerns and elicit self-supportive behaviors; and (c) respect and adapt to patients&rsquo; characteristics and needs. Recommendations for eldercare professionals are to improve education and training of all eldercare staff, promote Japanese facilities and Japanese eldercare programming, and expand caregiver roles. Additionally, more research is needed to confirm and extend the present study&rsquo;s findings&mdash;specifically using a much larger sample size, including patient and family perspectives, and examining differences among Japanese immigrant subgroups.</p><p>

<p> Intergenerational ethnic health disparities among Asian American young adults have been attributed to cultural, socio-environmental and dietary changes. The relationship between acculturation levels, social media use and dietary outcomes were analyzed using data collected from 137 Asian American young adults in California through an online survey distributed on social media and on-campus recruitment. Correlational analyses, <i>t</i>-tests and hierarchical linear regression were used to observe the predictability of (1) acculturation, (2) social media, and (3) both variables on Fruits and Vegetables (F&amp;V) outcomes. Most participants were bicultural, had daily social media use and 3.88 F&amp;V servings consumed. Acculturation levels significantly predicted F&amp;V servings, but not when adjusted for age and education level. No significant relationship was found between acculturation and social media use or social media use and F&amp;V outcomes. Food purchasing and health-information seeking behaviors were explored, reflecting possible implications involving online health literacy and multidimensional acculturation measures for future health and media studies.</p><p>