Introduction
In the US, there are several ethnic communities that reside in different parts of the country. The population consists of Americans, Asian Americans, Indian Americans, Latinos, and African Americans. Over the past years, the various groups have been experiencing a number of social challenges that affect their well-being in society. Some of the problems encountered include racial discrimination, poverty, healthcare availability, civil rights, domestic violence, and unemployment. Currently, these problems have become rampant requiring federal, state, and other agencies to provide needed support to the affected groups. The social problem is making the people remain unproductive thus contributing to a miserable lifestyle. The increasing aspects of social issues such as racial prejudice and unemployment have undermined unity, hostility, suffering, and suspicion among the disadvantaged social group in the community.
Asian Americans consist of multiracial social groups with Asian ancestry in the US. They include Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Pakistani, Filipino, Malaysian, and Korean. These categories of people report their races as Asian on the census. The population of Asian Americans in the US is about 24 million which is approximately 6.5% of the US population (Wang et al., 2020). In the country, Asian American faces significant social problems that affect their societal well-being in the US. Some of the challenges are increased poverty, racial discrimination, and limited access to healthcare facilities. The named issues are key factors contributing to the low living standards experienced by this group of people in the US.
Poverty Issue
A number of social groups belonging to Asian Americans are living below the federal poverty level. The research indicates that Asian Americans are less represented thus making it difficult for the government to access their social welfare to initiate active programs for their support. Even though there are assumptions that a large number of the community has a high income, about 6.8% and 39.4 of Filipino and Burmese respectively are experiencing extreme poverty (Wang et al., 2020). The community consists of different subethnic groups with varied economic statuses and education levels. The variation is a major factor contributing to the poverty cases among them. The conditions are making the people unable to access the necessary resources and other relevant services they need to help them eradicate the prevailing poverty.
Based on the research study conducted by the NYC opportunity, Asian Americans recorded the highest poverty rate compared to other ethnic groups in New York City. The findings indicated that the group is receiving insufficient funding to support their social welfare. The group access limited direct aid to enable them to attain the necessities. Some of the significant factors facilitating lack of funding to the group include aspects of stereotypes which suggest that the social group does not require public assistance. Similarly, the issue of the language barrier is making them miss appropriate outreach programs that can ensure they secure the necessary social support. The under representations of Asian Americans in various social welfare programs make them lag behind in terms of eliminating the growing poverty. Their small population makes it challenging for the government and other agencies to research and collect constructive data which can be used to initiate outreach programs and offer necessary support to them.
Racial Discrimination
Racial prejudice is a major social problem facing Asian Americans in the US. Over the years, the group has registered several discriminations that limits their ability to secure social services in the country. For instance, people of Asian origin find it difficult to access high-paying job opportunities thus making the majority to be under-employed. Similarly, following the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have faced intense racial judgment in the US (Chen et al., 2020). From the year 2020, the social group has reported overwhelming cases of work termination, excessive physical distancing, and violence in public places and offices where they are employed. The increasing aspect of discernment is due to the spread of the virus which the majority believes originated from Asian countries.
The perception and the continuous media blame on the Asian people have made the community experience extreme stigmatization. Asian Americans have been facing anti-Asian comments on different social media platforms that portray them as the direct link to the deadly virus. The most targeted ethnic category of Asian America is the Chinese people. The group is seen as a threat to the Americans hence other communities tend to seclude themselves from them.
Healthcare Issue
The Asian American group is experiencing significant health disparity in the country as compared to other ethnic communities. For instance, research findings about the social group indicate that majority of the Asian Americans do not have personal doctors. They are more likely to forego physician appointments due to the high cost associated with it. Moreover, the community is having higher child mortality rate than its white counterparts. This is due to the limited prenatal care service they receive in the hospital facilities. In addition, Asian American women have reported increasing cases of breast cancer than other ethnic classes. The incident is caused by the inability to conduct prior screening to identify the possibility of cancer prevalence. Other common health risks encountered by the group include hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, liver diseases, and smoking problems. Some of the factors facilitating the dominance of the named condition are the cultural barrier, limited health insurance, and infrequent visits to healthcare facilities.
Social Issues among American Male
In the current American society, American men are facing significant social challenges that affect their well-being in the community. Some of the problems directly impact their families and the community as a whole making them a concern for the public. Some of the common social challenges American males encounter include drug addiction, increasing rate of unemployment, and domestic violence. These issues make it difficult for men to coexist peacefully with their counterparts in society.
Currently, the rate of substance abuse among American males has increased significantly. Most men are opting to use illicit drugs such as marijuana and cocaine to manage the daily stress they face. The practice has made the majority of men addicted to drugs leaving them less productive in society (Rodriguez et al., 2020). A good number of male teenagers are addicted to substances making them unable to undertake their education programs accordingly. The rate of school dropout amongst the category is increasing exponentially which is a threat to the well-being of society. The behaviors affect the related families that bear both the economic and emotional burden.
Following the economic downturn in the country, the rate of unemployment has surged significantly. Since most families are provided by a male, a lack of job opportunities is making them unable to obtain the necessities for their loved ones. Failure to give the family adequate food, clothing, and other luxuries are causing the American men to strive to the extreme point leading to anxiety and depression. The situation caused family tension, social isolation, and stigma among American men. Furthermore, the individuals are not able to interact effectively with their peers prompting a decline in social outings.
In addition, domestic violence is rising significantly among American communities. Over the past years, a number of American men have engaged in serious domestic abuse including assaults. Currently, incident of homicide among different families leading to premature deaths has been reported across the country. The occurrences are linked to social media and video games influence that most men spent time watching and practicing. The problem is a growing concern that is a threat to the lives of many people including young children in society.
Advocacy Organizations
In order to offer necessary human services to curb the prevalence of the named social issues, various agencies have formulated programs to support disadvantaged groups. The organizations perform various roles such as financial support, educating and sensitizing the communities on related issues and how to overcome them. Some of the renowned entities that enhance and support human services in the country include Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
HRSA Advocacy Agency
HRSA is a body formed by the US department of health and is located in North Bethesda Maryland. The organization is responsible for improving access to better healthcare services for the social groups which have insurance issues and are isolated. The organization has invested heavily in healthcare services to increase the required workforce to enhance access to care services in marginalized communities (Pourat et al., 2019). Furthermore, the organization provides funding programs to enable communities to access the necessary services. HRSA promotes telehealth a practice that is essential for the Asian American group that is most affected by issues of racial discrimination. In addition, it funds community health centers which are significant in enabling the disadvantaged group to obtain the services at their doorstep.
SAMHSA Advocacy Agency
SAMHSA organization is a public service organization formed by the US Department of Health and Human Services located in Rockville, Maryland. The agency’s focus is to improve the various aspects of well-being which include physical, financial, spiritual, emotional, occupational, social, intellectual, and environmental to facilitate and enhance the quality of life (Knopf, 2022). Furthermore, they offer relevant training programs necessary to equip people with the ability to tackle different challenging conditions. In addition, it advocates for a drug-free workplace which is significant in lowering substance abuse in the country. By focusing on mental programs, the agency is helping people, especially American men to overcome possible mental issues that can result in domestic violence.
Appropriate Strategies for Human Services
Forming Coalitions
Since the social problem is a concern for the whole community, forming a coalition with different people within the society will be essential for increasing awareness. For instance, Asian Americans consist of various sub-ethnic groups, to make sure each of the categories receives the necessary changes, it will be necessary to work together with the representative of such groups. The approach will enhance the strength and thus increase the ability of the individuals as a society to access the government programs and other direct supports (Diller, 2018). For example, forming a coalition with Japanese, Chinese and Pakistani will create a large number making it possible for them to receive funding and other federal government incentives.
Integrating Services
Generally, the issues affecting disadvantaged communities are correlated and can be addressed together. In other words, managing one problem has the potential of reducing the other aspect that is challenging the community. For instance, when the prevalence of poverty is reduced, the likelihood of improving the health status of the respective group is high. Once an assessment is conducted to identify social issues facing Asian Americans such as poverty and the inability to access healthcare services, integrating nutrition and economic programs will be vital in curbing the spread of such problems. The approach will be effective for human service providers because it will allow for proper planning and tackling related issues in the community hence limiting excessing expenditure.
Incorporating Participation of the Disadvantaged Group
The focus of human services is to address the various challenges people face in the community. To make the practices effective, the respective individuals should be allowed to participate in the intended programs. For instance, managing the aspect of drug abuse and domestic violence requires the providers to actively engage the American males suffering from the issues to make them feel part of the change (Diller, 2018). The strategy will ensure the groups remain focused and committed to the necessary improvement. This approach is fundamental because it will reduce the aspect of withdrawal, especially in training programs aimed at impacting behavioral change.
Conclusion
Most disadvantaged groups in the US such as Asian Americans suffer significantly from a number of social issues. Problems such as poverty, racial discrimination, and the inability to access necessary healthcare are making the social group more vulnerable. Similarly, American males are encountering various challenges including drug abuse and domestic violence which are affecting their well-being in society. Different organizations such as HRSA and SAMHSA have been advocating for improvement in the social wellbeing of the groups in the society. The agencies have initiated several programs to ensure the communities attain the necessary services.
References
Chen, J. A., Zhang, E., & Liu, C. H. (2020). Potential impact of COVID-19–related racial discrimination on the health of Asian Americans. American Journal of Public Health, 110(11), 1624-1627.
Diller, J. V. (2018). Cultural diversity: A primer for the human services. Cengage Learning.
Knopf, A. (2022). House spending committee adds funding, other requests for SAMHSA. Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, 34(27), 1-4.
Pourat, N., Chen, X., Lee, C., Zhou, W., Daniel, M., Hoang, H., & Sripipatana, A. (2019). Assessing the impact of patient-centered medical home principles on hypertension outcomes among patients of HRSA-Funded Health Centers. American journal of hypertension, 32(4), 418-425.
Rodriguez, L. M., Litt, D. M., & Stewart, S. H. (2020). Drinking to cope with the pandemic: The unique associations of COVID-19-related perceived threat and psychological distress to drinking behaviors in American men and women. Addictive behaviors, 110, 106532.
Wang, D., Gee, G. C., Bahiru, E., Yang, E. H., & Hsu, J. J. (2020). Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in COVID-19: Emerging disparities amid discrimination. Journal of general internal medicine, 35(12), 3685-3688.