
Grace YooSan Francisco State University | SFSU · Department of Asian American Studies
Grace Yoo
Ph.D., M.P.H.
About
92
Publications
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Introduction
Skills and Expertise
Additional affiliations
January 1996 - present
Education
September 1994 - December 1999
Publications
Publications (92)
Objective:
Filipino Americans have greater risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related complications compared to other Asian populations and non-Hispanic Whites. There are few diabetes intervention studies focused on Filipinos and limited evidence regarding the best recruitment strategies for this hard-to-reach population.
Methods:
This article e...
Breast cancer rates among Asian American women are increasing. Despite this, there are limited studies on help-seeking among this population. Through a qualitative exploration, this paper examines the help-seeking experiences of Asian American breast cancer survivors. Asian American women (n = 52) with early-stage breast cancer were interviewed. Fi...
Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) among older Asian American immigrants (AA) is a growing concern. Asian Americans represent 9% of diagnosed diabetes. Very little is known on how older Asian American immigrants with T2D navigate diabetes management, in particular the role of family support. This qualitative study examines Chinese and Filipino Americans, the tw...
There has been growing interest in Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) as a tool to build community and increase teaching effectiveness for faculty in institutions of higher education. This paper seeks to understand qualitatively the impact of an Ethnic Studies FLC on increasing faculty capacity to improve pedagogy and better serve undergraduates w...
Introduction:
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is prevalent among Asian Americans, yet limited health care studies report on the recruitment and retention of this population. This study focuses on recruiting Chinese American dyads for family support of T2D management.
Method:
This is a descriptive study using active and passive recruitment strategies. Dyad...
Objectives: The use of e-cigarettes is on the rise in the United States (US). An understudied facet of e-cigarette use is the influence of social groups. The purpose of the present article is to examine the role of social groups in the use of e-cigarettes among Asian Americans. Methods: We conducted 12 semi-structured interviews of Asian Americans...
Community service learning is a high-impact practice that nurtures retention and graduation among undergraduates. Professor Yoo is a medical sociologist trained in public health who worked with the Auntie Sewing Squad during the pandemic to create facial coverings. Professor Jeung is a sociologist who cofounded Stop AAPI Hate in March 2020. Through...
Creating and maintaining meaningful, educational, and culturally engaging service learning partnerships between Asian American studies programs and Asian American community-based organizations (CBOs) is both challenging and rewarding. The Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University was founded in partnership with both studen...
Anti-Asian racism and violence dramatically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, recent studies and reports are showing that the health and well-being of Asian Americans are negatively affected. To address this urgent problem, the field of health education and public health must be equipped with the critical frameworks and concepts...
Breast cancer rates among Asian American women are increasing. Despite this, there are limited studies on help-seeking and social support in this population. This paper examines qualitatively the trajectory of help-seeking among Asian American breast cancer survivors. A subsample of Asian American women (n = 52) from a larger study of spirituality,...
While all cancer patients face a bewildering array of treatments, side effects, and emotions, several researchers have shown that African American women with breast cancer experience greater stress and burdens because of unmet supportive needs associated with psychological distress, financial distress, and lower physical/functional well-being. Soci...
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to explore the motivations that encourage Asian Americans to use ENDS. In addition, it seeks to evaluate the underlying implications of Asian cultural beliefs and values that influence the use of ENDS. Methods: We conducted 12 semi-structured in-depth interviews among Asian Americans. Data were analyzed usin...
Creating and maintaining meaningful, educational, and culturally engaging service learning partnerships between Asian American studies programs and Asian American community-based organizations (CBOs) is both challenging and rewarding. The Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University was founded in partnership with both studen...
This study (1) examined the effects of religiousness/spirituality and social networks as predictors of depressive symptoms in older Korean Americans and (2) compared the best predictors of depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 200 older Korean Americans residing in the New York City area in 2009. Best-subsets regression a...
p class="Pa7"> Background: Filipino Americans have the highest risk for obesity-related type 2 diabetes and related complications compared with all major Asian American subgroups. Identifying effective interventions to improve Filipino health outcomes are needed to reduce this health disparity.
Objective: To assess the acceptability and cultural...
Objective
This paper summarizes the barriers and challenges in cancer care reported from a validation project of a self-management intervention handbook from Chinese-American cancer patients with limited English proficiency (LEP).
Methods
Seven health-care providers (HCPs) and 16 Chinese-American cancer survivors with LEP were invited to validate...
Although the physical and emotional impact of surgical removal of partial or complete removal of the breast as well as effects of breast cancer treatment on the individual have been well documented, little research is available on sexuality and sexual health of breast cancer survivors in a relationship context. Sexual health concerns of breast canc...
Background and Significance: One in 12 Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) are infected with hepatitis B (HBV). APIs represent one-third of the population in San Francisco. San Francisco Hep B Free (SFHBF), a citywide collaboration, works to educate physicians and the community on the importance of hepatitis B among APIs through increasing awareness...
Few studies have examined predictors of quality of life (QOL) of breast cancer survivors over time. Breast cancer survivors (n = 116) were asked to complete measures of QOL, mood, spirituality, and social support every 6 months from 2 to 4 years post treatment. Overall QOL at 4 years was predicted by previous physical and functional well-being, the...
Background: Asian Americans have the highest prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the US. The San Francisco Hep B Free (SFHBF) campaign aimed to increase awareness and access to HBV education and services among Asian Americans in San Francisco. Purpose: We sought to examine attitudes and knowledge among Asian Americans regarding HBV at baseline...
In recent years, breast cancer rates among young Asian American women have been increasing. Despite increases in breast cancer among young Asian American women, little is known about how this population copes throughout diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. This study was a qualitative exploration of how young Asian American women cope with breas...
With the growth in engineering/technology industries, the United States has seen an increase in the arrival of highly skilled temporary migrant workers on H1B visas from various Asian countries. Limited research exists on how these groups maintain family ties from afar including caring for aging parents. This study explores the experiences and chal...
While spirituality and religious practices are important in coping with illness or other crises, there are few ways of assessing support that people receive from members of their spiritual communities. The goal of this study was to validate a new spiritual support subscale for the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale (MOS-SSS). Questions for...
This study examined the interactive effects of social network support and depressive symptoms on life satisfaction among older Korean Americans (KAs). Using data from a sample of 200 elders in a large metropolitan area (M
age = 72.50, SD = 5.15), hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the interaction between social network support and...
Asian Americans are disproportionately affected by hepatitis B (HBV) infection. In the USA, one in ten Asian Americans is infected with HBV. The purpose of the study was to explore knowledge, fears and follow-up care among Asian Americans chronically infected with hepatitis B. A sample of 154 completed an online survey which included demographic in...
More than 1.3 million Korean Americans live in the United States, the majority of them foreign-born immigrants and their children, the so-called 1.5 and second generations. While many sons and daughters of Korean immigrants outwardly conform to the stereotyped image of the upwardly mobile, highly educated super-achiever, the realities and challenge...
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer for women regardless of race/ethnicity. Women of color are diagnosed at later stages and experience greater mortality than their White counterparts. However, there has been comparatively little research on coping with breast among racial/ethnic minorities at time of diagnosis, during treat...
Background. In the United States, more than 50% of the 1.2 million living with hepatitis B infection are Asian Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2013). In the city of San Francisco, Asian Americans make up 33% of the population and the city itself has the highest rate of liver cancer in the nation (United States Census Bu...
Few studies have examined the role of religion and spirituality among African American breast cancer patients. This study explored how African American women cope with breast cancer through religious and spiritual practices. Forty-seven African American women who had completed treatment for breast cancer participated in in-depth interviews about th...
As a rapidly growing population, America’s Asian community is gaining increased attention from the research and policy sectors. This large, diverse group tends to be viewed as a single entity, yet its subgroups reveal great variety in terms of health, from disease rates and mortality rates to attitudes toward illness and access to care.
The Handbo...
In 2010, there were 1.7 million Korean Americans in the United States (U.S. Census, 2010). As a racial/ethnic group in the U.S, they face disparities in health care access and health status. Korean Americans continue to have the highest uninsured rates, limiting their access to care. This chapter will provide a brief overview of Korean immigration...
Background: A recent Institute of Medicine report recommended increased public awareness about hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) who are disproportionately affected by HBV and burdened with approximately 80% of all liver cancers caused by this virus. Approximately 1 in 10 APIs are infected with HBV. As 32% of San Francis...
Many Filipinos have a powerful adherence to Catholicism. However, little is known about spirituality and religious involvement of Filipina Americans who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Ten (n = 10) in-depth qualitative interviews with Filipina immigrant breast cancer survivors identified prayer to be the most common religious practice, foll...
Introduction: A cancer diagnosis is a shock to the individual, his or her family, and his or her extended support system. All of a sudden a person's mortality is recognized. The cancer patient goes through a metamorphosis from being a person who is cancer free (or healthy in general) to one with a life-threatening illness. Coping with the diagnosis...
Introduction
In reviewing data from a national study, conducted in May 2009, of mothers and their feelings about the candidacy of Barack Obama for President, we saw a narrative emerge about his identity as a mixed race African American. Some of the mothers who responded themselves identify as mixed race, others identify as the mothers of mixed race...
Obama and the Biracial Factor is the first book to explore the significance of mixed-race identity as a key factor in the election of President Obama and examines the sociological and political relationship between race, power, and public policy in the United States with an emphasis on public discourse and ethnic representation in his election. The...
Compared to any other racial/ethnic group, Asian Americans represent a population disproportionately affected by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, a leading cause of liver cancer. Since 2007, the San Francisco Hep B Free (SFHBF) Campaign has been actively creating awareness and education on the importance of screening, testing, and vaccination of...
Compared to other racial/ethnic groups, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese American women experience high incidence rates of cervical cancer but low rates of cervical cancer screenings. This study examines the behaviors and attitudes towards screening in young Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese American women (n = 304) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Re...
One in ten women over the age of 65 will develop breast cancer. Despite this high incidence of breast cancer among older women, social support for them is often inadequate. This paper describes a qualitative study of the impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on older women from racially/ethnically diverse populations and their subsequent need for soc...
Korean immigration peaked in the mid-1980s, so that large cohorts of post-1965 immigrants are now approaching or entering retirement. As the baby boomer generation ages, few studies have examined how the lack of retirement savings and eldercare plans combined with cultural expectations such as filial piety may pose challenges for aging Korean immig...
Chol Soo Lee's wrongful incarceration in 1973 became the focal point for the first broad-based political coalition in Asian American history. Many of the young activists who led the successful campaign for Lee's release and exoneration went on to pursue idealistic careers in public service. More than twenty-five years after Lee's release from priso...
Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality for all women in the US. Current research has focused on the psychological relationship and not the sociological relationship between emotions and the experience of breast cancer survivors. This paper focuses on the emotion work involved in self-disclosing a breast cancer di...
Prayer is becoming more widely acknowledged as a way to cope with cancer. The goal of this study was to compare differences in use of prayer between breast cancer survivors from different ethnic groups and examine how use of prayer is related to mood and quality of life.
This study used a mixed methods design. One hundred and seventy-five breast ca...
The passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, H.R. 3734, ended eligibility for all immigrants to federal means tested entitlements including federal cash assistance, food stamps, and Medicaid. Underprivileged elderly immigrants were specifically targeted. This article examines how older immigra...
As an ethnic group, Korean Americans have one of the highest uninsured rates in the U.S. (Brown et al., 2000). Through in-depth interviews (n=14) and surveys (n=268), this study found that one-third of the sample was uninsured. High premiums prevented the uninsured from purchasing health insurance. Although health insurance has been a strong predic...
Many women are incorporating spirituality as a way of coping with cancer. However, few studies have examined the role of spirituality in mood and quality of life among breast cancer survivors from different ethnic groups.
One hundred and seventy-five women who had completed treatment for breast cancer participated in in-depth interviews about their...
Little is known about the health benefits and the factors that influence physical activity among older adults from ethnically different backgrounds. The aim of this article is to provide a sociocultural context for understanding aging, health, and physical activity among older Korean Americans. Studies that focused on physical activity and exercise...
The passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Op- portunity Act (PRWORA) of 1996 has major implications for low- income Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) populations. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the research currently examining the impact of welfare reform on AAPI recipi- ents and the welfare-to-work servic...
The passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWORA) of 1996 has major implications for low-income Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) populations. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the research currently examining the impact of welfare reform on AAPI recipients and the welfare-to-work services av...
To examine, among older Chinese and Korean immigrants: (1) the concept and measurement of perceived social support; (2) levels of social support and psychological well-being by living arrangement; and (3) whether social support is positively related to psychological well-being.
A convenience sample of 200 self-identified Chinese and Koreans, aged 6...
Our objective in this study was to examine how family social-support expectations have changed among older Chinese and Korean U.S. immigrants.
Fifty-two Cantonese- and Korean-speaking immigrants older than 60 years participated in eight focus groups. Transcripts were translated into English. Themes were developed based on a coding structure and com...
This study explored social support domains and actual sources of support for older Chinese and Korean immigrants and compared them to the traditional domains based on mainly White, middle class populations. Fifty-two older Cantonese and Korean speaking immigrants participated in one of eight focus groups. We identified four similar domains: tangibl...
Asian American organizations efforts to save older Asian Americans welfare benefits that were compromised by the Clinton administration's passage of welfare reform are examined. Key informants affiliated with various Asian American organizations (N = 27) completed telephone interviews mostly comprised of open-ended questions regarding welfare refor...
The welfare reform law of August 1996 signed by President Bill Clinton put an end to immigrants’ eligibility of federal means tested entitlements. The rollbacks on welfare are the most drastic for older, low-income Asian immigrants who are on Supplemental Security Income. The article’s focus is in on national Asian American organizations who are in...
On August 22, 1996, President Clinton signed the welfare reform law that ended eligibility for all immigrants to federal means tested entitlements. Poor elderly immigrants on Supplemental Security Income were specifically targeted. This article documents how the print media responded to these policy changes. The following are the major research que...
Focuses on editorial coverage in terms of two elements, volumes and themes. Uncovers themes from editorial articles in order to document who speaks and constructs such ideas. Uses contact analysis attempts to reveal hidden messages within the texts. Suggests that the findings demonstrate the influence of the press in terms of policy decision-making...
Journal of Asian American Studies 4.2 (2001) 182-186
Forever Foreigners or Honorary Whites: The Asian Ethnic Experience Today. By Mia Tuan. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1998.
Struggles for Ethnic Identity: Narratives by Asian American Professionals. Edited by Pyong Gap Min and Rose Kim. Walnut Creek, California: Alta Mira Pr...
On August 22, 1996, President Clinton signed the welfare reform law that ended eligibility for all immigrants to federal means tested entitlements. Poor elderly immigrants on Supplemental Security Income were specifically targeted. This article documents how the print media responded to these policy changes. The following are the major research que...