Introduction
Asian Americans are always shown to have a relatively low rate of substance abuse among all the ethnic groups in the US (Kim, Ziedonis, & Chen, 2007). In fact, studies suggest that Asian American youth are more vulnerable for emotional and social difficulties than youth of other races or ethnicities (Wong et al. 1998). As a group of immigrants, Asian American youth often face acculturation stressors like low self-esteem, high depression and anxiety and social isolation, and more and more studies have reported various behavior problems among Asian American youth, like gang activities (Zhang, 2002), a rapid increase in juvenile crime (Le, 2002) and a significant increase in violence.
The substance usage among Asian American youth keeps at a low level. However, a recent study indicates that there has been an increasing trend in substance abuse among Asian American youth. Asian American youth are proved to have the heaviest level of alcohol drinking among examined racial and ethnic groups (Kim et al., 1995), and the rate of smoking among Vietnamese American adolescents (37.7%)was proved to be close to the smoking rate among Vietnamese American adult males (43.2%) (Wiecha, 1996). In terms of ecstasy usage, although the usage declined after 2002, it has been increasingly used among youth since 2005, and Asian Americans were found to have the second highest rate of ecstasy use among all the ethnic groups (McCabe et al., 2007), as well as the fastest increase in the rates of usage among all the four major ethnic groups (White, African American, Hispanic/ Latino and Asian American and Pacific Islands) (Strote et al., 2002). To sum up, results of studies on substance usage among Asian American youth are inconsistent.
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Wong, F. Y., Huang, Z. J., Thompson, E. E., De Leon, J. M., Shah, M. S., Park, R. J., & Do,T. D. 2007 Substance use among a sample of foreign-and US-born Southeast Asians in an Urban Setting. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 6(1), 45–66.
Wiecha, John M. 1996. “Differences in Patterns of Tobacco Use in Vietnamese, African- American, Hispanic, and Caucasian Adolescents in Worcester, Massachusetts.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 12 (1): 29–37.
Wong, Paul, Chienping Faith Lai, Richard Nagasawa, and Tieming Lin. 1998. “Asian Americans as a Model Minority: Self-Perceptions and Perceptions by Other Racial Groups.” Sociological Perspectives,41 (1): 95–118.
Zhang, Sheldon X. 2002. “Chinese Gangs: Familial and Cultural Dynamics.” 219–36 in Gangs in America III, edited by C. Ronald Huff. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
The article by Min Zhou titled "Are Asian Americans becoming "white"? was relatively interesting as it provides a look at a different perspective of Asian Americans regarding immigration. I found it particularly interesting to learn that Asian Americans are considered to be white in equal opportunity programs; however, the race is still seen as different from Americans of European ancestry. Furthermore, I was not shocked to read that Zhou described the Asian American race as the "model minority." When first looking at the reading, I was shocked by the title because I thought it was a little exaggerated. I believe the author could have chosen a more suitable phrase rather than "Asian Americans are becoming white"; however, it does provide significant
For 20 years, Asian Americans have been portrayed by the press and the media as a successful minority. Asian Americans are believed to benefit from astounding achievements in education, rising occupational statuses, increasing income, and are problem-fee in mental health and crime. The idea of Asian Americans as a model minority has become the central theme in media portrayal of Asian Americans since the middle 1960s. The term model minority is given to a minority group that exhibits middle class characteristics, and attains some measure of success on its own without special programs or welfare. Asian Americans are seen as a model minority because even though they have faced prejudice and discrimination by other racial groups, they have succeeded socially, economically, and educationally without resorting to political or violent disagreements with the majority race. The “success” of the minority is offered as proof that the American dream of equal opportunity is capable to those who conform and who are willing to work hard. Therefore, the term ...
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Ying, Y, & Han, M. (2007). The longitudinal effect of intergenerational gap in acculturation on conflict and mental health in Southeast Asian American adolescents. American journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77(1), 61-66.
Described by journalist Amy Uyematsu as “victims--with less visible scars--of the white institutionalized racism”, Asian Americans faced similar, if not more brutal xenophobia and racism than African Americans especially given the circumstances and historical context. The post-WWII era unified blacks and whites against a common enemy and created an assimilated group that triggered the path towards racial equality--or in other words: the makings of a more equal and integrated society for blacks and whites. However, with post WWII Japanese resentment, the Vietnam War, and the Korean War, impressions of Asian Americans in the United States declined as those for African Americans rose. Moreover, the voice of Asian Americans often went unheard as they assimilated into a “White democracy”. As a result, the emergence of the “Yellow Power” movement began as a direct influence from...
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...-American descents are approached with problematic instances that brings them to substance usage will provide enough evidence to display the critical situation of substance abuse, let alone coping mechanisms. With treatment tools, support, and trust, these individuals can find assistance in this problematic field.
Wu, Ellen D. "Asian Americans and the 'model Minority' Myth." Los Angeles Times. 23 Jan. 2014. Los Angeles Times. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. .
In this paper I will be sharing information I had gathered involving two students that were interviewed regarding education and their racial status of being an Asian-American. I will examine these subjects’ experiences as an Asian-American through the education they had experienced throughout their entire lives. I will also be relating and analyzing their experiences through the various concepts we had learned and discussed in class so far. Both of these individuals have experiences regarding their education that have similarities and differences.
Tobin, Kimberly. Gangs: An Individual and Group Perspective. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.
As a minority, coming from an international country to a foreign nation has been the most crucial decision that my family has concluded to live the possibility of the "American Dream". However, growing up as an Asian-American student wasn’t simple; I was faced with the challenge of malicious racial slurs, spiteful judgment, and unjustified condemnation that attacked my family's decision to come to America.
I also researched instances of counter actions taken by Asian Americans to protest against these negative images. My research also has examples of Asians that have succeeded in breaking through the racial barriers in the media. The results show that even though racial stereotyping still exists in various forms of mass media, there are signs that show noticeable improvement in allowing a more balanced image of Asian Americans. Statement of the Problem There are close to 12 million Asian Americans living in the United States (U.S. Asian, 2000). Asian Americans are considered one of the fastest growing minorities (Pimentel, 2001).
Before I analyze how my social location has influenced my experiences, I need to talk about my family’s demographic characteristics in comparison to our community and the larger U.S. society: In my hometown, Asians make up the third largest racial group (23%). Whites make up 51.3% and H...
...ming Explosion of Teenage Crime," Policy Review, Winter 1995, Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002, (202) 546-4400
Drug abuse has been a major issue in the United States. It has dated back to the 1800’s. Drug abuse has also been strongly influenced on our youth. Drug addiction has resulted from drug abuse. Drug addiction leads to an increase in crimes due to the cost of many drugs sold on the streets. Drug addiction is a disease which needs medical attention to overcome. There are different types of drugs that are classified in different categories, which will be discussed below. The United States is constantly fighting to control drug abuse. First, let’s talk about the history of drug abuse.