| dc.description.abstract | Even as the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, Asians remain an underrepresented and understudied group. Moreover, research on Asians in the United States has been limited to traditional immigrant destinations. Thus, a gap exists in our understanding of the variations in mortality patterns among Asian ethnic groups. This study addresses that gap by examining the variations in key health indicators among the six largest Asian ethnic groups in the United States—Chinese, Filipinos, Asian Indians, Vietnamese, Koreans, and Japanese. Utilizing data from the All Counties Multiple Cause of Death File (2016) and the American Community Survey (2012-2016), I analyze health differentials among disaggregated Asian groups at national and regional levels—with particular attention to the difference between the West and Midwest-South regions. I focus on socioeconomic status, geography, and nativity as key factors to explicate the patterns of health inequality among various Asian groups. I find that life expectancy differences among Asian groups do not follow a socioeconomic gradient. Additionally, I find that for four of the six ethnic groups in the study, those who live in the Midwest-South exhibit a life expectancy advantage over their counterparts in the West. | |
