The Health, Mental Health, and Social Service Needs of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California
Summary: Health data for Asian Americans (AA) and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) are often grouped into an "overall" category. However, when the data for each ethnicity within AA and NHPI populations are looked at individually, or disaggregated, wide variations in health are obvious.
The onset of COVID-19 has amplified the importance of disaggregating AA and NHPI health data. The coronavirus has taken a specific toll on the physical and mental health of these communities, with increased verbal and physical attacks on Asians taking a mental and physical toll, and the demand for on-site essential workers – many of whom are NHPI – exposing them to higher rates of illness and death. Being aware of variations in need within the AA and NHPI populations is critical to understanding how to improve their health.
This report published jointly by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the University of California, Riverside, uses pooled 2019–2020 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) to identify trends in social service utilization and gaps in accessing social and mental health services for specific AA and NHPI communities in California and compares them with data for six other major racial and ethnic groups. Categories studied include housing and poverty, public program utilization, access to and use of health care, mental health, health behaviors, reproductive health and nonconsensual sex, food insecurity, child care and preschool, and caregiving.
This report includes the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, when relevant measures are available in the data set, as well as other data from public opinion sources such as American Experiences with Discrimination Survey from AAPI Data and Momentive.
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