Community Connections and Health among Vietnamese Refugees and Immigrants

In states with large concentrations of Vietnamese immigrant populations, such as California, Virginia, Texas, and Louisiana, the Vietnamese-American community is commonly regarded as monolithic entity, one built on the common denominator of language and country of origin. Accordingly, policy makers and community service providers perform outreach to and target a homogenous-seeming Vietnamese immigrant community for such services as mental health, health promotion, civic participation, or economic assistance. Yet, amongst Vietnamese-American individuals, actual interest and participation in “the community” is based on a more limited, immediate view of community. This narrower sphere of community may depend on a wide range of factors, including personal history, socio-economic status, kin network, gender, and age. In this presentation, we will present data from: 1. qualitative interviews (adults aged 18 and 65); 2. online 25-item survey questionnaire (N = 230) – that reflect how Vietnamese-Americans define community, social networking, family and social reliance, personal and group trust, and community leadership. 3. Photo-voice illustration of community relationships. We will discuss the impact these perceptions and beliefs may have on the capacity and response within the Vietnamese community toward effective community change and development for quality delivery of social services and health promotion.