Yale study reveals racism against Asian-American medical students
HARTFORD, Connecticut – A study led by the Yale School of Medicine has found that Asian-American medical students frequently face racism and often feel neglected in their training environment.
The study was triggered by personal experiences with racism during the COVID -19 pandemic, in which Asian Americans were exposed to prejudice because the virus originated in China.
The findings are based on research conducted at 17 medical schools in the U.S. led by Dr. David Yang of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Yale.
“We wanted to make sure we had a broad range of perspectives,” Yang said in the statement.
“So, we intentionally recruited students who are classically less represented in medicine, such as Vietnamese Americans and Filipino Americans, in addition to those who are more visible like Chinese Americans and Indian Americans.”
Because there is a lack of comprehensive studies on this topic, the study surveyed 25 Asian American students from diverse backgrounds, including Vietnamese Americans, Filipino Americans, Chinese Americans, and Indian Americans.
Key findings show that many of these students faced overt racism. Examples included patients insinuating that they carried the virus and inappropriate comments about their heritage.
In addition, students described feeling “invisible” because they were often mistaken for peers or simply generalized as “Asian.”
They also expressed concern about the lack of representation of Asian American experiences in medical curricula.
This exclusion, combined with persistent racism, led some to feelings of isolation, fatigue, and even suicidal thoughts.
Dr. Yang emphasized the importance of understanding the diversity of the term “Asian American,” which encompasses over 17 different groups.
He also emphasized the need to address the concerns of other underrepresented groups in medicine.
To create a more inclusive learning environment, the study sought to acknowledge the differences among Asian ethnicities in admissions and to increase the presence of Asian Americans in leadership and mental health positions.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
