Wednesday, 14 May 2003 This information supplements handouts. 1. Welcome and Introductions Beth Giesting, executive director of the Hawaii Primary Care Association, opened the meeting at 10:00 AM and welcomed the thirty-two attendees. She introduced Ann Marchetti and Marisa de la Luera from the Covering Kids & Families National Program Office. 2. Major Project Updates * Our "Get Teens Covered by Health Insurance" report that documents our successful August 2002 campaign has been published. Copies are available--send an email to coverkids@aol.com with your name and address. * Hawaii Covering Kids will sponsor community workshops statewide to train outreach workers who work with families how to complete Med-QUEST's application. Details will posted on our web site this summer. 3. Presentations: Working with Immigrant Families from China, Vietnam, and the Philippines We learned about several rich and diverse cultures of Asia. a. Philippines by Arnold Villafuerte Note: You can click here to download an updated PDF version of his presentation: Communicating and Working with Filipino Immigrants. * Philippines archipelago is comprised of 7,000 islands and 70 different dialects. * There are approximately 50 million people living in the Philippines. There is a large population of people living in cities because of employment and opportunities. * China, India, Spain, and U.S.A. influence Filipino culture. * Sense of belonging and family strengthened by Filipino traditions are important. * Education is a high priority because it brings career advancement and stability. * The eldest child is considered the caretaker of younger siblings and eventually the family breadwinner. * Often the wife controls the family's finances; this is important for outreach workers who need income and asset information to know. * Health problems in Hawaii's Filipino population include high incidence of diabetes, high cholesterol, prone to gout and kidney stones, smoking, cardiovascular disease susceptible to thyroid cancer, obesity, substance abuse, spousal abuse, and dental caries b. China by Chio Yee Ho and Vietnam by Le Thu Duong * Chinese and Vietnamese cultures are relatively similar. * In China, Mandarin is the national language but there are over 150 dialects * The French colonized Vietnam, however today it is an independent country and there is only one language. * The Chinese and Vietnamese New Year follow the lunar calendar. One month before the New Year, everyone cleans and decorates their homes and prepares food to represent good luck and fortune. * Two signs used to decorate Chinese homes have characters representing longevity and prosperity. * Chinese do not eat meat on the first day of the New Year, visit family and friends on day two, and stay home on day three. If someone visits on the third day, it is believed you will argue and bring bad luck. * For clinics, it is important to recognize Chinese New Year because it is considered bad luck to receive immunizations during the New Year month. * Lion and dragon dancing are culturally practiced because it releases evil and brings good spirits. * Anyone who attends a funeral cannot attend a Chinese or Vietnamese wedding ceremony on the same day because it is bad luck. * Brides wear red at their weddings to represent good luck. During the reception money is pinned onto her clothing.