Translation Services
About the Issue:
It is vital to recognize that language is the most prominent barrier to healthcare for Asian American immigrants. According to a 2015 Pew Research Center study, 42% of the foreign born Chinese population in the United States is considered proficient in the English language, compared to 92% of the U.S. born Chinese population (Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project, 2015). This hurdle discourages them from making appointments, locating the proper facilities, properly communicating with health professionals and understanding what their illness actually is. Though it may seem simple to do, hospitals should not hire interpreters to try and solve this problem because they, “…do not necessarily mean that the immigrant patient will procure quality care, as many individuals who must rely on interpreters fear that the interpreter will not respect their confidentiality within the larger Asian American community.” (Wooksoo and Robert, 2010) We can see that immigrant patients with limited English-speaking ability actually asked less questions about the state of their health with an interpreter than if there wasn’t one there. In order to solve this healthcare problem, we must help these Chinese immigrant Americans in a way that they feel is most beneficial, not by doing what others think is best for them. We must fully understand why there’s such a staggering difference in English proficiency between the immigrant and U.S. born Chinese population by realizing that the culture for immigrants is extremely different from the environment their kids grow up in here.
Our Solution
The best way we can recognize and appeal to the culture of Chinese American immigrants is by training our Asian American healthcare professionals to become more proficient in the Chinese language and in their understanding of the culture. According to Dr. Keefe and Kim’s study, “The presence of healthcare experts who are knowledgeable about Asian American culture and social conditions can help remove, or mitigate, the effects of the barriers… Asian Americans’ perceptions of a health provider’s cultural, gender, and linguistic sensitivity have been found to predict greater help-seeking behavior…(Fung & Wong, 2002)” (Wooksoo and Robert, 2010). From this information, one can assume that Asian Americans feel a sense of comfort when their healthcare professional is perceived to be extremely relatable to themselves because of culture or linguistic references/behaviors. Foerign born Chinese Americans would most likely benefit from encountering these “cultured” doctors because there wouldn’t be a need for anyone to translate their message for them to the physician, allowing for a personal connection. These patients may end up losing their urge to hide their ailments from doctors if this change does take place, which in turn, can lead to healthier lifestyles.
References:
“Chinese: Data on Asian Americans.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project, Pew Research Center, 8 Sept. 2017,
www.pewsocialtrends.org/fact-sheet/asian-americans-chinese-
Wooksoo Kim & Robert H. Keefe PhD and ACSW (2010) Barriers to Healthcare Among Asian Americans, Social Work in Public Health, 25:3-4, 286-295, DOI: