Chinese immigrants to the United States quickly learned they faced an uphill battle when it came to basic survival, yet they never quit fighting to make better lives for themselves and for future generations. Initially, Chinese gathered together in Chinatowns across the United States and maintained a high degree of heritage consistency. They were originally resistant to adopt Western concepts of medicine, but after time, began to incorporate both allopathic and traditional medicine into their concepts of health care (Chen 148–161).
The research strategy for this report involved utilizing the electronic Human Relations Area Files (eHRAF) database to Loo, 1991, p. k up a series of topics related to the health, welfare, and sickness …show more content…
The first San Franciscan Chinese family applied for unemployment in 1931 and just four years later, nearly one-sixth of the Chinese population of San Francisco received assistance (Nee, 1973, p. 136). By the end of the Depression, some Chinese attitudes about public assistance had shifted. Instead of viewing the government as an entity that did not owe its people anything, they started to believe it was the government’s responsibility to provide for the needs of the people (Nee, 1973, p. …show more content…
A lack of transportation, communication, finances, and fear of their own safety when leaving Chinatown further exacerbated the problem (Loo, 1991, p. 148). Most Chinese communities developed their own health care system.
Communities played a major role in helping the ill recover. Many people helped others obtain transportation or medicine, and offered emotional support to aid in the person’s healing. For many years, there was a large population unable to seek medical care at all. Many suffered from fatigue, malnutrition, tuberculosis, depression, and alcoholism. Until 1970, Chinatown in San Francisco only had one small facility for 40,000 people (Nee,