SILENT TRAUMA: Diabetes, Health Status, and the Refugee --- Southeast Asians in the United States

The impact of type 2 diabetes on Southeast Asian (SEA) communities in the United States—a group that includes Cambodians, Hmong, Laotians, and Vietnamese—is driven by cultural, historical, and logistical factors. Understanding these factors is a fi rst step in identifying potential
interventions. Though there is great diversity within the SEA subgroup, its members are united by a strong sense of their respective communities and a reverence for local leaders. Effective programs to overcome barriers to type 2 diabetes prevention and control must capitalize on these strengths, while taking into account the unique requirements of this population.

The purpose of this book is to
1. Increase awareness among health care providers, decision makers, and organizations serving
Asian Americans of the risk for type 2 diabetes in SEAs and potential impacting factors.
2. Highlight data collection issues, barriers to care, and special health care needs, and introduce successful models in reaching Southeast Asian populations.
3. Identify resources available to organizations, government agencies, health care providers, and others who work with SEAs in the United States.