Dear Readers,

With my own biological clock ticking, I realize how important it is for me to stay healthy. If I want to live long enough to fulfill all my educational and career goals, have time to have a family and even to become a grandmother, I must start taking better care of myself. But I soon realize, as many Asian Americans do, that we live in a country where health care and medical research are directed towards Caucasians. Drugs are approved by the government and prescribed to Asian Americans based on studies with generally all white test subjects. How do I know how these drugs will affect me as an Asian American? There’s certainly reason for worry. In addition, there is a widespread belief that certain diseases and/or conditions, such as depression, do not affect Asian Americans, but who’s going to tell that to our parents or our grandparents or those of us who may suffer in silence?

Health is not just about sickness but also about our way of life. How we live determines our health, whether it’s by engaging in healthy Asian practices or healthy American practices. Our lives can sometimes be a delicate balancing act between the two, like going to see an herbal doctor and a physician. Both ways of life have aspects that are good and bad for your health and choosing one over the other can sometimes mean rejecting the benefits of the other. While embracing both can bring the benefits of both into your life.

Rejection of Asian customs and lifestyles and the adoption of the so-called “healthier” American way is not the answer, nor is the alternative. Every culture has its own methods tried and true for maintaining health and coping with ill health. Both the Asian and the American customs and methods have their own value. The key is to keep an open mind and to be conscious of the value that both sides present in the enigma that is Asian America. How do we address health issues while respecting our unique cultural backgrounds, of being both Asian and American? I hope our readers find this issue enlightening about this important aspect of our lives.