Health and Aging
Overview
Limited English proficiency and poverty prevent too many Southeast Asian American community members from receiving the care that they need. The traumatic experiences of war, genocide, and displacement left many Southeast Asian Americans with physical and mental health conditions that have gone untreated. Certain Southeast Asian American groups suffer disproportionately from hepatitis B and cervical cancer. SEAAs also have disproportionate experiences with mental health challenges, including major depression, PTSD, and other anxiety disorders. SEAAs also have disproportionate experiences with mental health challenges, including major depression, PTSD, and other anxiety disorders. Unfortunately, most state and federal health systems fail to tease out data on Southeast Asian Americans from “Asian Americans” overall, making it difficult to understand and address these disparities.
SEARAC fights to protect access to affordable health care coverage and promotes culturally and linguistically appropriate health and mental health care to address health disparities for our Southeast Asian American immigrant and refugee communities. SEARAC also calls for the disaggregation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community data to equip communities and policymakers with accurate and targeted data-driven interventions. Our health work focuses on building the advocacy capacity of community-based organizations to advocate for systemic changes to deliver the health services our community needs.
Southeast Asian American elders have some of the highest rates of limited English proficiency of any ethnic group, and are more likely to live in poverty. SEARAC supports community-based organizations across the country who serve and support our elders. We also collaborate with the Diverse Elders Coalition to uplift the needs of diverse elders of color, native elders, and LGBTQ+ elders.
National health and aging news: READ MORE
California health and aging news: Read more
Key Resources
General health
- Southeast Asian Americans Speak Out to Protect Affordable Health Care Webinar on February 21
In this webinar, health advocates review the attempts made in 2017 to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), present key findings from SEARAC’s Protect Our Health Care comment card campaign, and discuss next steps and how community members can get involved.
- Southeast Asian Americans Speak Out to Protect the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion
Report based on over 350 comments collected by Southeast Asian Americans across the country about why they support the ACA and Medicaid expansion.
- The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Pakistani, & Vietnamese Americans
National Council on Asian Pacific Islander Physicians report from 2015. A census-data based report highlighting the health-related disparities among various Asian subgroup communities.
- National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care
Also known as CLAS standards, these guidelines are established by the Office of Minority Health.
- A Practical Guide to Implementing the National CLAS Standards: For Racial, Ethnic and Linguistic
Minorities, People with Disabilities and Sexual and Gender Minorities
This toolkit is designed for use by health care organizations, including health plans, provider practices and hospitals, states and communities, that have decided to improve health equity and implement the National CLAS Standards.
- California Cancer Facts & Figures 2017
American Cancer Society. Includes disaggregated data showing the top five most common cancers for multiple Asian American sub-groups, plus Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
- Action for Health Justice Health Enrollment Glossary
Glossary of approximately 100 of the most frequently used and confused health care related terms in 12 Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
aging
- Diverse Elders Coalition’s Resources for Providers: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers Toolkit
This toolkit offers topline information on what providers need to know, and key pieces from our comprehensive training curriculum, Caring For Those Who Care: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers. Whether you’ve already attended one or more of our trainings, or this is your first time looking into what’s available to help you support diverse family caregivers, we think you’ll find these resources to be invaluable in building a more welcoming, supportive practice. *The Caring For Those Who Care: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Family Caregivers Curriculum, as well as this toolkit, were created by the 6 members of the Diverse Elders Coalition, with generous funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation
- Aging with Health and Dignity: Diverse Elders Speak Up
In 2016, the Diverse Elders Coalition partnered with Caring Across Generations to collect nearly 5,000 comments from our communities about what we need to age with health and dignity. Comments were collected in six languages from all 50 states and provided a snapshot of the challenges of aging in communities of color, LGBT communities, and American Indian/Alaska Native communities. - Southeast Asian American Elders #TellACL
Infographic describing the socioeconomic and linguistic characteristics of the older Southeast Asian American population, along with quotes collected during the Diverse Elders Coalition’s #TellACL campaign.
- Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States Aged 55 Years and Older
This National Asian Pacific Center on Aging data brief describes the population, nativity, and linguistic characteristics of older Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
- Securing Our Future: Advancing Economic Security for Diverse Elders
This report from the Diverse Elders Coalition, authored by the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, describes the issues facing elders of color and LGBT elders, who together will represent a majority of older adults in the United States by 2050. The report also offers policy recommendations in several areas key to the well-being of older people, including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, health care reform, and more.
Latest national health and aging news:
SEARAC Condemns Ruling Striking Down Some ACA Preventative Services
ACA Open Enrollment Period Begins
SEARAC, CPEHN, The Cambodian Family, and Partner Organizations Across California Celebrate Our Right to Heal
SEARAC celebrates passage of Inflation Reduction Act
SEARAC Celebrates Rep. Judy Chu’s Resolution Recognizing May 10th as AANHPI Mental Health Day
Latest CA health and aging news:
Join SEARAC in Sacramento for Third Annual Right to Heal Event on Sept. 19
Voices Unheard: Uncovering the Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian American Youth
Lao Fresno Community Shares Mental Health Needs during Listening Session
Register for “Right To Heal: Centering Mental Health Multi-Racial Equity in California”
Medi-Cal’s Health4All Older Adults Fact Sheets