About

Our mission is to advance equity, inclusion, and wellness by dismantling systemic racism and the model minority myth in medical research and the healthcare system. We envision a society where all individuals, including within the AAPI community, have their medical needs and holistic wellness ensured. aaMpLiFY Health continues to empower young scholars and community leaders that advocate for systemic change in the medicine field and support their individual initiatives to amplify awareness of the needs of the AAPI and promote community health. We encourage and support young scholars, activists, and community organizers to undertake ongoing projects and initiatives in any forms and on any AAPI-health-related topics

Diversity in Medicine Matters

People who participate in a clinical trial should be representative of the groups of people who will use the same therapy. This is particularly critical because AANHPIs, like other racial and ethnic minorities, disproportionately experience higher rates of many medical conditions, including diabetes, mental illnesses, certain types of cancer and infectious diseases. Failure to include racial and ethnic minorities, including AANHPIs, women and LGBTQIA+ persons, can create a false belief that a therapy that works for one group works just as effectively for all.

AAPIs are Missing in Medical Research

The reasons why communities of color and other groups are underrepresented in clinical trials are as diverse as the population of the United States.

  • AAPIs trace their heritage to more than 50 different countries and speak more than 100 different languages. This linguistic diversity imposes challenges in conducting medical research, from recruitment to retention. Language access is cited as the number one barrier for AANHPIs to participate in clinical trials.
  • Research data on AAPIs is often insufficient, either from not being collected at all or from having data aggregated together. This lack of disaggregated data and subgroup nuance obscure how specific medical conditions affect various populations within the group.
  • Immigration-based health insurance coverage restrictions frequently exclude AAPIs from coverage.
    Due to a lack of specific data and cultural competency, providers may fail to discuss clinical trials with their patients and/or mistakenly believe that AAPI patients are unaffected.

Challenges to Access Health Care

AAPIs encounter cultural and linguistic barreris that hinder or prevent them from accessing available health care services. Most AAPIs with limited English proficiency struggle to navigate US healthcare and communicate with their providers. Many Asian Americans assume that their doctors are unfamiliar with their culture and values, which prevents them from seeking proper care.

 

In addition to racial and national origin discrimination, which has increased in recent years as a result of the previous administration’s policies, AAPI immigrants face significant barriers to accessing basic and necessary public programs to which their tax dollars contribute, such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other means-tested benefits programs. As a result, recently arrived immigrants, particularly those facing financially challenged situations, have few options for accessing health care unless they opt for high out-of-pocket expenses.