Date of Completion

5-5-2023

Degree Type

Honors Thesis

Discipline

Political Science (POLS)

First Advisor

Dr. Jennifer Ramos

Abstract

This research aimed to examine Asian Americans and their perceived barriers to healthcare access. Asian Americans, due to not being a homogenous ethnic group, experience health disparities that are different to those that other ethnic groups experience. Compared to whites in America, Asian Americans are less likely to have job-based insurance coverage and because of this are then less likely to be insured (Brown et al., 2000). Additionally, the most common perceived barriers to accessing healthcare for Asian Americans are cultural attitudes, financial and socioeconomic status, as well as language barriers. These barriers found in the literature served as the primary barriers that were investigated throughout the course of this study. Thus, the goals of the study were to determine whether these perceived barriers are the actual barriers that this large community faces and which of the barriers identified is the most difficult to overcome. This was done through interviews with individuals who identify as ethnically Asian currently living in America. Due to the large number of Vietnamese-identifying participants, this study aimed to also pinpoint barriers that may be unique to this ethnic group.

It was found that the most common barriers experienced by participants were financial, transportation, and time barriers. However, the most difficult to overcome were deemed to be both time and financial barriers as is consistent with previous literature. It is vitally important to conduct research on this topic to ensure that healthcare providers and health institutions alike are aware of these disparities in order to better serve this community through the enactment of new policy changes or adjusted procedures and protocols.

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