The U.S. health care system is challenged to provide effective, equitable, and efficient care for its citizens. The past decades have witnessed profound concern about the quality of care Americans receive, the equality of care across racial ethnic communities, and the escalating costs of private and public coverage. These concerns apply to the…

Examines the relationship between social factors and low birth weight and the ways in which disparities in socioeconomic status have been addressed over time, and assesses the effectiveness of efforts to reduce low birth weight occurrences. The authors discuss the steps required to reduce persistent disparities in low birth weight. (GR)

There are many contributing factors to the mental health problems of minority groups. For example, the intergroup and intragroup diversity that exists between and among minority groups has not been recognized and controlled for by social and behavioral scientists. There are also certain social-psychological factors which predispose these groups to…

In adjusting to their new environment, Hmong refugees to the United States have attempted to preserve cultural traditions while accommodating the demands of American society and culture. The Hmong refugee background includes a tradition of close family ties and self sufficiency in the Laotian hinterlands; a history of war, hardship, and drastic…

A compilation of five readings uses the Chicano perspective to analyze the interaction between Mexican American families, their children, and the institutions charged with the child welfare concerns of the society, and to attempt to reverse the existing negative and destructive views that lead to insensitive and ineffective services. A variety of…