Asian American Representation in the Healthcare System

 Rommel Martin, Verrazzano Class of 2021, completed major in Nursing 

As a Filipino kid growing up in New York, I thought of myself as different from others. At home, my family spoke a completely different language from English, ate traditional Filipino food, and followed Filipino customs and traditions that seemed out of the ordinary to me at the time. However as I got older, I began to embrace my Filipino identity and accept all of the customs that came with it. I am proud to be a Filipino-American.

Living in the United States, I realize how difficult life can be for Asian American families. The U.S health care system is difficult to navigate, especially for those who cannot effectively communicate. Due to my family’s inexperience with English, they have had issues of communication with health care providers. Because of this most health care experiences for my family have been negative.

One of my biggest inspirations to become a nurse is my uncle. In his teenage years, my uncle and the rest of my family moved to the United States from the Philippines. Through stories told by my family, they have experienced hardships associated with work and health care. When my uncle decided to go to nursing school, he quickly learned about the health care industry, which made it easier for my family.

For my Capstone project, I wanted to highlight the unique experiences of Asian Americans, specifically in the health care sector. Prior to beginning this project, I never thought about the need for research in Asian Americans and their health experiences. I learned that they are under-represented in the United States, despite being one of the fastest, growing populations. There is a lot of action and research to yet be done, such as calling for under-represented populations to participate in clinical trial and research projects. This will allow for health-care professionals to expand their knowledge and improve nursing and medical care for these populations. If I were to continue to pursue this research, I would interview my Asian patients and create a patient satisfactory survey specialized towards them. The survey would include aspects of culturally competent care and health literacy. Overall, as an Asian registered professional nurse, I want to become an advocate for underrepresented populations in the United States, beyond the Asian population.