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Asian American Psychology

Current Perspectives

• No Author/Editor data available

• Price: $120.00 $108.00
• Binding: Hardback
• Pages: 688
• Published by: Psychology Press
• Publication Date: 1st August 2008 (Available for Pre-order)
• ISBN: 978-1-84169-769-7

About the Book

This is the first textbook accessible to undergraduate students and those with minimal exposure to Asian American psychology. Concepts and theories come to life by relating the material to everyday experiences. The book further engages the reader through its inclusion of activities, discussion questions, exercises, clinical case studies, and Internet resources. Current perspectives and key findings from the psychological literature as well as content from Asian American Studies and related disciplines (history, literature, media, etc.), provides a unique cross-disciplinary understanding of Asian Americans' experiences. Asian American Psychology features contributions from the leading experts and emerging scholars and practitioners in the field. The great majority of the contributors have also taught Asian American psychology, further enhancing the text's accessibility. Each chapter is self-contained allowing instructors to pick and choose the topics that they regard as most salient to their students.

The book opens with a review of the roots of Asian American Psychology including a history of Asian Americans in the U.S. and a review of the scientific methods that serve the field. Part II addresses the cultural worlds of Asian Americans and the implications on psychological well-being. This section reviews such things as racial and ethnic identity theories, implications of spirituality and religion on Asian Americans' daily lives, and how Asian Americans negotiate the multiple aspects of their identity. Part III examines the psychological experiences of Asian Americans through the lens of gender and its influence on individuals and their relationships including the heterogeneity of Asian American families and the developmental challenges faced throughout the lifespan. The next section explores emerging experiences of Asian Americans including the challenges that parents face in raising children in America, Asian American adoptees, and patterns of immigration that have led to changes in socio-emotional development and parent-child relationships. Part V addresses salient life experiences that shape the psychological well-being of Asian Americans such as the prevalence and resulting consequences of racism and how Asian Americans cope with discrimination and the psychological impact that result from moving to a new country. The text concludes with an examination of the physical and psychological well-being of Asian Americans and the major medical concerns facing them.

Intended as an undergraduate/ beginning graduate level introductory textbook on Asian American Psychology taught in departments of psychology, Asian American and/or Ethnic studies, counseling, sociology, and other social sciences, the current examples from clinical practices will also appeal to clinicians and other community mental health workers committed to learning about Asian Americans.

Reviews

'...the scholarship and quality of the writing was excellent....since there are few books that are as comprehensive ...especially at the undergraduate level, I believe that this would be a good book for students ...in Asian American studies, Asian American psychology, or psychology in general .... the book makes an important contribution to the Asian American Psychology literature.' - Arpana G. Inman, Lehigh University

Table of Contents

Part 1. Foundation and Roots of Asian American Psychology. C.H. Liu, J. Murakami, S. Eap, G.C. Nagayama Hall, Who Are Asian Americans? An Overview of History, Immigration and Communities. F.T.L. Leong, A. Gupta, History and Evolution of Asian American Psychology. A. Saw, S. Okazaki, Research Methods. S.J. Lee, A.N. Wong, The Model Minority and the Perpetual Foreigner: Stereotypes of Asian Americans. L. Uba, What Does That Behavior Mean? Postmodern Perspectives. Part 2. Balancing Multiple Worlds. B.S.K. Kim, Acculturation and Enculturation of Asian Americans: A Primer. T. Chang, K.-L.K. Kwan, Racial and Ethnic Identity. G.G. Ano, E.S. Mathew, M.A. Fukuyama, Religion and Spirituality. K. Nadal, Colonialism: Societal and Psychological Impact on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. G. Chen, Managing Multiple Social Identities. Part 3. Gender and Intimate Relationships. C.I. Hall, Asian American Women: The Nail That Sticks Out is Hammered Down. D. Iwamoto, W.M. Liu, Asian American Men and Asianized Attribution: Intersections of Masculinity, Race, and Sexuality. Y.B. Chung, A. Singh, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Asian Americans. G. Chen, S.C. Kim, Sexuality. M.K. Ahluwalia, L.A. Suzuki, M. Mir, Relationships in the Asian American Community: Dating, Partnerships, and Arranged Marriage. S.Y. Kim, J. Su, L. Yancura, B. Yee, Asian American and Pacific Islander Families. Part 4. Next Generation. D. Hayashino, S.B. Chopra, Parenting and Raising Families. R.M. Lee, M. Miller, History and Psychology of Adoptees in Asian America. Y. Tsong, Y. Liu, Parachute Kids and Astronaut Families. K.L. Suyemoto, Multiracial Asian Americans. Part 5. Social and Life Issues. A. Alvarez, Racism: "It Isn't Fair". G. Aoki, J.S. Mio, Stereotypes and Media Images. E.C. Wong, J.D. Kinzie, M. Kinzie, Stress, Refugees and Trauma. S.M. Lowe, Asian Americans and Academic/Career Development. K. Chen, C.L. Philip, Asian American Activism, Advocacy and Public Policy. Part 6. Health and Well-Being. S. Ladhani, S.-H. Lee, Physical Health and Wellness. O. Meyer, M. Dhindsa, C. Gabriel, S. Sue, Psychopathology and Clinical Issues with Asian American Populations. K. Kawamura, T. Rice, Body Image among Asian Americans. C. Yeh, A.K. Arora, Asian American Indigenous Healing and Coping. N. Tewari, Seeking, Receiving, and Providing Culturally Competent Mental Health Services: A Focus on Asian Americans.

About the Author(s)

Nita Tewari (Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, Southern Illinois University, 2000) is a second generation Indian American whose parents emigrated from India about 40 years ago. She was born in Los Angeles County, was raised and resides in Orange County, California. She completed her bachelor’s in psychology from the University of California, Irvine and her doctoral internship at the University of California, Los Angeles Student Psychological Services. She has served in the positions of Research Psychologist at California State University Long Beach, Clinical Researcher at the University of California Irvine, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Staff Psychologist in the Counseling Center and Adjunct Faculty in the School of Social Sciences and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). She has taught Asian American Psychology at UCI, has provided clinical services to university students and published in multicultural psychology on Indian/South Asian American and Asian American mental health. In 2002, she co-founded the South Asian Psychological Networking Association (SAPNA), a listserv and website dedicated to connecting individuals interested in South Asian American mental health concerns. Dr. Tewari has also served as the past Co-Chair of the Division on Women for the Asian American Psychological Association and served as a writer for Audrey Magazine. Her interests also lie in women's issues, the professional/personal life balance and parenting. She is currently working as an independent scholar, in the community and promoting diversity in the elementary school system while being married and raising her two children.

Alvin Alvarez (Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, University of Maryland, 1996) immigrated to the US from Cebu, Philippines when he was five and was raised in Long Beach, California. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California