February 21, 2025 | Vol. 54, Issue 4

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

Health

Wang YMCA sign outside building

Gyms provide lifeline during pandemic, contribute to physical health

Photo courtesy of Hongyu Liu While many gyms temporarily closed down at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, they incorporated many innovations to continue serving their communities during the past year. Spaces like the Wang YMCA and Downtown Crossing’s Planet Fitness are no exception. Although many Chinatown residents may have been reluctant to leave their houses during this time, representatives from these gyms acknowledge that physical wellness leads to mental health and that workout facilities can foster social interaction. […]

yellow sign American flags Chinatown rally

Mental health resources in the age of anti-Asian hate

The increasing prevalence of anti-Asian hate crimes threatens Asian Americans’ physical safety and endangers our mental health. The AAPI 2020-2021 National Report documented 3,795 anti-Asian hate incidents in the US from March 2020 to February 2021. Exposure to and fear of racism can lead to race-based traumatic stress. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) encountered difficulties seeking mental health care due to cultural stigma, language barriers, and insufficient access to culturally informed care. Pandemic-related stress, whether […]

Tufts Medical Center address smoking issue in local communities

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) By Tufts Medical Center Tufts Medical Center’s (Tufts MC) Asian Health Initiative (AHI) was established in 1995 to identify health priorities of particular concern and importance to the local Asian community and to work collaboratively with local community-based organizations to address those health concerns. AHI’s focus in the past few years have been on tobacco/nicotine prevention and cessation support as a mechanism to combat the leading causes of death in Chinatown: heart disease and lung cancer. In 2020, Tufts […]

Turn the boat around: Understanding how to avoid the risks of Type 2 Diabetes

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Imagine we are on a river boat cruise. Sailing along, enjoying a beautiful relaxing day in the company of family and friends. None of us notices the changing current. No one has looked ahead to see the rocks or the waterfall we’re approaching. We have no time to turn around or get to the safety of the shore.  Diabetes is like that. We sail along not noticing the rise in blood sugar, sometimes until it is too late. Luckily, […]

Bicultural awareness necessary in addressing depression and mental health among Asian Americans

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Warning: potentially triggering and sensitive content. Includes talks about depression, thoughts of self-harm and suicidal tendencies.  Under the climate of hate and anti-Asian sentiment, it is even more important to take care of one’s mental health. According to a study conducted by the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), Asian Americans have a 17.3% overall lifetime rate of any psychiatric disorder, yet are three times less likely to seek mental health services compared to white Americans.  Emily Chen, […]

Tufts Medical Center vaccinates staff member

Chinatown prepares for MA Phase 3 vaccine distribution

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。)  On April 19, the City of Boston will be moving into Phase 3 of the coronavirus vaccine distribution, meaning that individuals 16 years of age and older will be eligible. According to Health and Human Services Chief Marty Martinez, Asian Americans in Boston are getting vaccinated at a similar rate as white residents, and with the new phase approaching, he said that he is hopeful there will be strong vaccination turnout from this population. “For people of color across […]

Ask Dr. Hang: Psychoeducation Column

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。)  By Hang Ngo, Psy.D. I’ve been having a lot of mixed feelings about the recent shootings targeting Asian women in Atlanta, and as an Asian woman myself, I’ve been feeling scared about going outside by myself. How can I deal with all my feelings, when I don’t even know how to verbalize what these feelings are? Everyone is different in how they react to shocking and tragic events, especially events like hate crimes. The shootings in Atlanta may stir […]

Dr. Zhuo Geng discusses colorectal cancer in Asian Americans

Asian Americans have low screening rates for colorectal cancer

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) March is Colorectal Cancer (CRC) awareness month. Colorectal cancer affects the colon and rectum, which make up the large intestine located at the latter end of the digestive tract. CRC is the third most common cancer in the United States and the second most common type of cancer within the Asian American community. Sampan interviewed bilingual gastroenterologist Dr. Zhuo Geng, Gastroenterologist, at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center Digestive Disease Center to learn more about the disease. Originally from Shandong province, […]

Amidst new state initiatives, bilingual senior home residents reflect on overcoming vaccine hesitancy

For weeks, a coalition of local organizations and medical professionals have urged Governor Charlie Baker to prioritize the state’s minority and immigrant communities during COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Further slowing vaccination efforts, vaccine hesitancy stemming from historical health inequities persists among eligible seniors in those communities. Two Chinese residents of the Brown Family House, who received the COVID-19 vaccine as part of Phase 1 of Massachusetts’ rollout plan, spoke to Sampan about the experience and why they overcame their vaccine hesitancy. […]

Tufts Medical Center talks COVID-19 vaccine efficacy & roll-out

About a year since the first outbreak of the coronavirus, vaccines countering the virus have finally begun rolling out. However, there has been a lot of confusion and concern about the efficacy of the vaccine and the method in which it is available to the public.  Sampan had the opportunity to interview Dr. Helen Boucher, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Tufts Medical Center (TMC) to address some of these concerns. Dr. Boucher has been at the frontlines in managing responses […]

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