This widely adopted text synthesizes an extensive body of research on Asian American personality development, identity, and mental health. Uba focuses on how ethnocultural factors interact with minority group status to shape the experiences of members of diverse Asian American groups. Cultural values and norms shared by many Asian Americans are examined and common sources of stress described, including racial discrimination and immigrant and refugee experiences. Rates of mental health problems in Asian American communities are reviewed, as are predictors and manifestations of specific disorders. The volume also explores patterns in usage of available mental health services and considers ways that service delivery models might be adapted to better meet the needs of Asian American clients.

The aggregation of various Asian American ethnic groups into one homogenous block and the comparatively sparse amount of research on Asian Americans creates of one the most misunderstood groups in American society and scholarship. The aim of this dissertation is to study one Asian American ethnic group, Korean Americans, and to find the relationship between their ethnic identity formation and academic achievement. Other factors such as socialization, the role of the church, and religious identity are also investigated within the framework of the theories of second culture acquisition (SCA). Specifically, the alternation model was chosen because of the nonhierarchical nature of this two-dimensional model in which both Korean and American cultures could coexist whereby one culture does not necessarily have to be lost in order to acquire another. This quantitative study samples from Korean American students attending Bible study classes within ethnic Korean churches across two states. A battery of survey measures designed specifically for Korean Americans is used to test for ethnic and religious identity as well as socialization. To replicate academic achievement, two reading and two mathematics tests are also administered to the 45 participants. The results revealed that an additive phenomenon occurred in which students who were multicultural and/or are members of a Korean organization were shown to achieve higher scores on the achievement tests. These outcomes held true even on the reading tests when compared to students who only adhered to an American identity in which they only spoke English. The data also revealed the importance of the mastery of dual languages, in this case Korean, whereby those with higher levels of fluency exhibited increased test scores. Disaggregating Asian Americans and finding the mechanisms driving academic outcomes revealed the unique complexities and interactions of ethnicity, culture, history, migration, and language which influence and characterize one Asian American ethnic group. Using an in-depth and singular approach to studying Asian Americans revealed more piercing insights than relying on generalizations and “model minority” tereotypes as the lens with which to view this diverse group of peoples.

First Published in 2009. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Asian Americans are the fastest growing minority group in the United States. When Asian immigrants arrive in the United States, they regularly encounter a vast number of difficulties integrating themselves into their new culture. In Handbook of Mental Health and Acculturation in Asian American Families, distinguished researchers and clinicians discuss the process of acculturation for individuals and their families, addressing the mental health needs of Asian Americans and thoroughly examining the acculturative process, its common stressors, and characteristics associated with resiliency. This first-of-its-kind, multi-dimensional title synthesizes current acculturation research, while presenting those concepts within a clinical framework. In addition to providing an in-depth look at both past and present research and offering directions for future topics to explore, the book also offers a range of practical tools such as research scales to measure levels of acculturation, interview techniques, and clinical approaches for special populations including children, the elderly, and their families. Thought-provoking and informative, Handbook of Mental Health and Acculturation in Asian American Families will enhance the understanding of the clinical and sociocultural problems Asian Americans face, providing clinicians with all the necessary insights to better care for their patients.

The Korean American community is one of the major Asian ethnic subgroups in the United States. Though considered among one of the model minority groups, excelling academically and professionally, members in this community are plagued by unaddressed mental health obstacles. In Understanding Korean Americans’ Mental Health: A Guide to Culturally Competent Practices, Program Developments, and Policies, the editors, Anderson Sungmin Yoon, Sung Seek Moon, and Haein Son, examine a variety of mental health issues in the Korean American community, including depression, suicide, substance abuse, and trauma, and convincingly connect these challenges to cultural stigma and racial prejudice. The editors argue that this population and its mental health needs are neglected by current approaches in mainstream mental health services. Alarmingly, the very cultural values that help make up the Korean American community are contributing to its members’ reluctance to seek care, counting both familial and communal shame among the most pressing culprits. This book supports these claims with statistical realities and seeks to gather the relatively scarce research that does exist on this topic to underscore the heightened prevalence of mental health issues among Korean Americans, and the contributors make recommendations for more culturally competent practices, program developments, and policies.