Substance Abuse Among Asian Americans Essay

Substance abuse is difficult to treat no matter the background someone comes from, but adding sociocultural influences from diverse cultures can add an even more difficult element when it comes to effective prevention and intervention strategies. The United States is a melting pot of diverse cultures, with the Hispanic population accounting for “one-half of the nation’s growth” (Steven & Smith, 2013, p. 328). When it comes to treating Hispanic individuals for substance abuse issues, one needs to be aware of the cultural differences and acculturation issues that are characteristic of this culture. Clinicians who work with the Hispanic population need to understand their cultural values and respect their diversity so that barriers to treatment can be overcome.

This may seem beneficial for Asian Americans at first; however, the model minority myth is actually detrimental to many segments of the population. This is especially true of recent immigrant Asian Americans. These individuals become deprived of resources because they are expected to have the same level of success as Asian Americans who have already lived in the U.S. for generations. Even in academia, the model minority myth causes Asian Americans to be understudied and misunderstood. Because Asian Americans are perceived to be successful and well-integrated individuals, Lee et al. (2001) show how there is “not enough research” that investigates Asian American mental health (160). In other words, even though some current data show higher rates of mental illness among Asian Americans, the model minority myth has distracted scholars from studying Asian American mental health. Thus, to ensure that Asian

Asian American parents believe in keeping many of their issue within the family which makes them reluctant to seek services. Because of this culture believe, Asian Americans utilize mental health services at a lower rate compared to other Americans (Sue, 1994). Socially sanctioned claims concerning Asian American's social character or integrity helps to explain why they don't utilize services as often as other Americans. Counselors can work to lessen the effects of racism and discrimination that have impacted Americans by expanding their knowledge of discriminations experiences of Asian American's and

Keep in mind that there are differing ethnicities within the races that we claim. For example, there are not just Asians, there are Chinese and Koreans that have different percentages of addiction for each. This is important to point out so that we take into consideration the diversity that exists within regular terms. Amongst men and women, men were reported to be the highest drug users, while drug use in LGBT populations presents no conclusive evidence of rates in substance abuse. However, some evidence seems to suggest that the LGBT population in particular are higher drug users then the rest of the population. This is likely because LGBT people face more discrimination in life which leads to shame and depression and then addiction to escape the pain. This chapter also points out that denial and secrecy commonly characterize alcoholism and drug abuse in all populations. Drug use in mental illness happen because people start to self treat what they think is wrong with them, then this leads to addiction. Alcohol rates in diverse populations very a lot in different races. When it comes to treatment and recovery in the different diverse populations there are many ways to recovering them that suits their

In and around most large cities in America, the rising substance abuse epidemic has brought about a renewed interested in determining the root cause of substance abuse, the effects of substance abuse on individuals and societies, and the substance abuse treatment modalities that achieve the best outcomes. In reviewing the current research on substance abuse there seems to be no one clear cause of substance abuse disorders, although there is strong evidence that a number of life circumstances may predispose an individual to a substance abuse disorder, as well as a number of protective factors that may reduce an individual’s risk of developing a substance abuse disorder. One important risk factor that is commonly associated with substance

In a study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health (2003), researchers addressed mental health disparities between communities of color and the White community in several areas of health and well-being. Results indicated that although the amount of Asian Americans and African Americans students living in Greater Minnesota is relatively small, they reported much higher levels of several key risk behaviors than do their counterpart. More specifically, African Americans tend to score twice as worse as their White counterparts in most areas (sexual activity, fighting, emotional distress, smoking, drinking, family ties, activities, and etc.).

Drug abuse is worldwide problem and one that has plagued the United States for decades. Drug abuse negatively impacts not only the individual user, but also our society as a whole. The fight to prevent the manufacturing and trafficking of illegal drugs into the country has made very little impact on its accessibility to those that wish to partake. According to the National Drug Control Budget Report for 2015, the President of the United States request $25.4 Billion in Fiscal Year 2015 in order to reduce drug use and its consequences in the U.S. (National Drug Control Budget, 2014). In addition to enormous amount of money the federal government has pledged to fight this social problem, there are numerous organizations and institutions committed to keeping people off drugs and rehabilitating those fortunate enough to have survived their use. Two organizations working to do solve the problem of drug abuse and the associated destructive behaviors are the Drug Abuse Resistance Education also known as D.A.R.E. program and Narcotics Anonymous.

After the Immigration Reform Act of 1965, United States Congress liberated the restrictions placed on Asian-Indian Immigration and over 300,000 Indians emigrated from India (Helweg 1990). Since then, the Asian-Indian population has surged to become the second largest immigrant group in the United States after the Mexican population (Migration Policy Institute 2014). The main reasons for immigration not only include financial reasons, but also growing professional opportunities, educational advancement, social freedom, thriving economic opportunities and political independence. The traditional Indian culture portrays women to be obedient, forbearing, nurturing and soft-spoken (Mehta 2009). American culture, on the other hand, encourages women to be independent, incites individualism and has much more flexible perspective toward male and female gender roles. According to assimilation theory, which is the process by which ethnic, racial and cultural distinctions are absorbed from one subordinate group to the cultural ways of the more dominant group, Asian-Indian immigrants are likely to assimilate at least some degree of the American culture (Mehta, 2009). According to Portes and Rumbaut (1996), learning the language and culture of the dominant society marks the beginning of acculturation process. Acculturation is defined as the adaptation of

Multicultural population has different values, beliefs, and traditions that influence stressors and eventually, substance use. The role of a person in a family, income, and education are the various factors that lead to repression, oppression, and inadequacy. Consequently, it acts as a barrier in the recovery from addiction.

Stephen Kulis, Flavio Francisco Marsiglia, and Donna Hurdle (February 25, 2011) Gender Identity, Ethnicity, Acculturation, and Drug Use: Exploring Differences among Adolescents in the Southwest. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3045088/

Asians living in the United States may be stereotyped as traditional, lacking in communication, rude and as an immigrant of color. Moreover, they are portrayed and understood by many as prototypically feminine (Schug, Alt, Lu, Gosin, Fay, 2015). The racial prejudice faced by the Asians in US can be manifested in the form of subtle microagression and persecution. This widespread stereotype of Asian Americans can render them more prone to victim of discrimination which may subsequently led them to psychological distress and other mental health problems. The findings of racial discrimination have suggested that discrimination can give rise to multifarious health problems Findings regarding racial discrimination have been consistent in revealing

In the United States many different nationalities and culture have come to reside by immigrating to this country. Although in the past being an immigrant in this country was often faced with hardship and discrimination the dream of a better and more promising future in America has always enticed people from places far and wide. Such has been the case with people from Japan and Arab countries. The differences in policies and treatment in the US varied, but their reasoning behind why their migrated is almost always for a more prosperous life. This paper aims to make a comparison at the two groups by providing information on why they migrated and examples of interaction between the two. It will further examine past and present policies and its effects on unsuccessful and successful adaptations to American culture of people. And I will finally formulate my personal prediction for each group 's future in the United States.

Within the last few decades, there has been a great influx of Asians who have migrated to the United States. In 1985, Asian immigrants made up less than half of the total immigrant population, many of which have settled in New York City and California. The “selective phenomenon” known as migration has been impelled by the “demographic, economic, social and psychological attributes” of the location (Desbarats 305). Migration on a global scale is influenced by factors such as available alternatives to those considering the move, how much distance is covered, ways of transportation and the state policies, both complex and restrictive, that oversee who enters and

The culture and diversity in East Asia is fascinating. China has the highest number of population in the world. There are over one billion people that make up almost a quarter percentage of the population of the world. The country’s culture is based off of

Asian Social Science; Vol. 8, No. 12; 2012 ISSN 1911-2017 E-ISSN 1911-2025 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education