We at IU School of Medicine would like you to join us in recognizing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month—a celebration of the historical, cultural and present-day contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. This month we’ll honor Asian American and Pacific Islander trailblazers of the past, celebrate current AAPI physicians, health researchers and educators, and encourage leaders of the future.
As health care providers and practitioners, it is important that we also recognize social trends and health disparities that impact the well-being of the AAPI community—and work to offer culturally competent care.
For example, pandemic-fueled anti-Asian racism led to a sharp increase in hate crimes against the AAPI community in the United States in 2020. Recognizing that AAPIs seek mental health care at the lowest rate of any racial or ethnic group, these trends have a significant impact on the AAPI community and inform relevant research and care.
AAPI community members also hail from multiple countries encompassing the entire Asian continent, Native Hawaiians, and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. This diversity is an especially relevant feature of the AAPI community as members are often aggregated into one group, and data is extrapolated to the aggregate, leading to harmful stereotypes and health disparities.
To learn more about offering culturally competent care to the AAPI community, please visit:
- Mental Health Recommendations for Treating AAPI Community Members
- Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
- Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in South Asians in the United States: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Treatments: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
- 31 Stories for 31 Days of AAPI Heritage Month
