Asian-American population growing, flourishing in Austin
Asian-Americans first came to what is now the United States as early as the 1560s and are now the fastest-growing demographic in Austin. According to the Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce, Travis County is the thirdmost populated county in Texas for Asian-Americans, at an estimated 6.8 percent. Asians make up 6 percent of Williamson County. Almost one of five Asians in Greater Austin is Vietnamese. Our city is taking notice of this growing population and is finding ways to best serve this large demographic.
I migrated from Vietnam to the United States in 1975 when I was 18. During our first months in America, we lived in a tent in California, where I watched Red Cross volunteers work tirelessly day and night to provide support to the immigrants.
While watching them, I dreamed of someday helping others as well. Through my 33 years with Seton Healthcare Family as a nurse and our work with the Vietnamese Health Fair, my wish has come true.
Austin’s Vietnamese community recently held its annual health fair at Lanier High School. I’ve had the pleasure of leading the Seton fair team for 14 of the 16 years that we’ve participated, and have seen attendance climb from fewer than 50 visitors to more than 400.
Each year, attendees receive free flu shots, health screenings, dental and vision services and critical education about health issues affecting the Vietnamese community.
Many don’t realize that the Vietnamese population has unique health issues and is susceptible to chronic conditions like hepatitis, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension and mental illness. We educate attendees on warning signs and the damage these diseases can cause.
While some issues are genetic, we’ve also found that because the Vietnamese population frequently eats seafood, we are more vulnerable to contracting hepatitis. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Asian-Americans; screening measures through services like Seton’s Big Pink Bus can detect cancer in its early stages.
A portion of attendees are not insured, so the health fair is an opportunity for doctors and nurses to bring care to the community outside of the hospital and connect them with services that can improve their lives.
The health needs of Austin’s Vietnamese population — like those of Austin and the rest of the U.S. — have changed. We are becoming older and more diverse. Caring for the elderly has created an interesting challenge. Many Asian-Americans choose to care for their aging relatives at home instead of in a nursing home because of family traditions and a language barrier with healthcare providers.
Like many immigrant parents, my father stressed the importance of education, which is one of the reasons I went on to earn my nursing degree from the University of Texas and eventually my master’s in nursing leadership and management from Walden University. Asian immigrants play an important role in helping Austin’s economy thrive — and the influx of new Asian-American citizens brings bright and motivated people into our community with many going on to choose hard-to-fill jobs like nursing.
Each year, my health care colleagues and I strive to provide more resources for the Vietnamese community. I’m grateful to the Seton staff, and the nurses and physicians who volunteer their time and talents. Seton’s mission to care for those we serve with a special concern for the poor and the vulnerable is a huge undertaking.
I never thought I could fulfill it on a personal level until we became involved in the health fair and I began seeing firsthand what the community needed to continue to flourish. I’m overjoyed with how far we’ve come.