ABSTRACT
4 Objective: To provide key sociodemographic information about South Asian Americans (SAAs), including a historical overview and evolution of this population over time. Available data and statistics are also linked to key public health concerns in order to guide and facilitate the development of appropriate interventions aimed at improving the health and well-being of the South Asian community in the United States.
Key Findings: SAAs are a large and diverse community and one of the fastest-growing minority groups in the United States. Although they are among the most highly educated and highest income earners in the country, their success is not evenly distributed. There is a lack of detailed, disaggregated data available to reveal the unique characteristics of each subgroup of South Asians. There is, however, ample evidence to suggest that, while some SAAs are highly successful and have integrated well in the United States, other members of this population face a variety of obstacles, including difficulty in accessing and utilizing healthcare due to linguistic, cultural, economic, educational, social, and immigration-related issues.
Recommendations: Given the dearth of disaggregated data that would help to guide the development and implementation of culturally appropriate services, for SAA subgroups broad recommendations are offered that can be applied to SAAs as a whole. This includes raising awareness of and addressing the health needs of SAAs through more affordable healthcare coverage and development of more inclusive health policies and culturally appropriate services. Finally, there is need for more in-depth research to identify and address the unique needs of this fast-growing population.
