Asian Americans are the largest group of newly immigrants that arrive from Southeast Asia and Fareast Asia. According to Pew Research Center, in 2011 Asian Americans make up about 18 million people, which is 5.8% of the total United States population. Even though Asian Americans may have much in common, they are also made up of diverse cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. Coming from an Asian family, Vietnamese to be exact, we do not prioritize our health as often as we should. Instead we focus more on our career and education because it is important for us to be able to have financial security to support our family. Asian Americans are not the highest in educational attainment, but are still distinct from the lower end of the spectrum. Being higher than the average of receiving less than a high school education, I found it very important to be informed and well educated with the available healthcare given to us. Luckily for me, I have the opportunity to study in the health field, so I will have a more in depth understanding of the importance of annual checkups and vaccinations. It is also crucial for us younger generation of Asian Americans to encourage and explain our older generation the importance of preventative healthcare. Asian Americans tend to have the highest rate of cancer, specifically for Asian American Islanders where it is the #1 leading cause of death.
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They face higher risks for lung, thyroid, prostate and liver cancer; they also face greater risks for obesity related diseases such as heart failure and diabetes. In the presentation, the graph shows a trend in increased type 2 diabetes for Asian immigrants to America. One reason they are more prone to these particular diseases may be due to the vastly high intake of carbohydrate found in American food. Their bodies might react more rapidly and responsively to certain food, which eventually may cause adverse health effects such as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. It also surprises me that although Asian Americans have the lowest cancer screening rates, we are still projected to carry the second most invasive cancers. One example is found to be lung cancer, which is quite prominent in the Vietnamese culture. I have experienced a few of my relatives and distant cousins who are diagnosed with lung cancer. It is quite shocking to have guessed that Vietnamese people are four times more likely to have cervical cancer even though this was dated back in 1988-1992. This brings to my attention maybe not all of us are getting proper preventative care, which may reflect why Asian Americans are …show more content…
In my hometown, it is very common for us to be diagnosed with Hepatitis B due to environmental factors and improper clinical equipment. From the charts in the PowerPoint, screenings have prevented a lot of cancer outbreaks. This is very important to my family, especially for me and my brother because my mother once was diagnosed Hepatitis B at an early stage. Even though she had HPV, she was not showing any symptoms. Without the emphasis on screenings, the possibility to allow the virus to carry and can heavily affect my mother, my siblings, and myself. My siblings and I would probably both end up with liver cancer if my mother was not properly screened. I believe there are a lot of ways we can prevent serious problems by taking early actions with preventative screening and alternatively keeping up with our health through proper diets and
They face higher risks for lung, thyroid, prostate and liver cancer; they also face greater risks for obesity related diseases such as heart failure and diabetes. In the presentation, the graph shows a trend in increased type 2 diabetes for Asian immigrants to America. One reason they are more prone to these particular diseases may be due to the vastly high intake of carbohydrate found in American food. Their bodies might react more rapidly and responsively to certain food, which eventually may cause adverse health effects such as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. It also surprises me that although Asian Americans have the lowest cancer screening rates, we are still projected to carry the second most invasive cancers. One example is found to be lung cancer, which is quite prominent in the Vietnamese culture. I have experienced a few of my relatives and distant cousins who are diagnosed with lung cancer. It is quite shocking to have guessed that Vietnamese people are four times more likely to have cervical cancer even though this was dated back in 1988-1992. This brings to my attention maybe not all of us are getting proper preventative care, which may reflect why Asian Americans are …show more content…
In my hometown, it is very common for us to be diagnosed with Hepatitis B due to environmental factors and improper clinical equipment. From the charts in the PowerPoint, screenings have prevented a lot of cancer outbreaks. This is very important to my family, especially for me and my brother because my mother once was diagnosed Hepatitis B at an early stage. Even though she had HPV, she was not showing any symptoms. Without the emphasis on screenings, the possibility to allow the virus to carry and can heavily affect my mother, my siblings, and myself. My siblings and I would probably both end up with liver cancer if my mother was not properly screened. I believe there are a lot of ways we can prevent serious problems by taking early actions with preventative screening and alternatively keeping up with our health through proper diets and