Hyphen Talks API Health

Did you know that many health problems and disabilities among API communities like postpartum depression and diabetes often go unreported? Lack of information and resources, combined with cultural stigmas, prevent many Asian Americans from seeking help. As a result, diagnosis rates for illnesses are significantly lower for APIs compared to white Americans, and statistics show that health services are severely underutilized by Asian American communities.

We at Hyphen, a volunteer-run Asian American culture and politics magazine, want to incite change by doing what we do best: Telling stories and starting conversations. Our next print issue will be called “The Health Issue,” which we believe will contribute to greater well-being in our communities.

The Health Issue will help break the silence that sadly continues to shroud sickness in shame. The articles will begin a dialogue. They will validate those who have survived disability. And most of all, they will inspire people to act — to get checkups, to spread knowledge among their loved ones, to encourage others to live healthily and take advantage of available resources.

Your support through our Indiegogo campaign will help us ease the suffering and stigma experienced by those with illness and disability. Hyphen and API communities are counting on you.

What We Want to Talk About

The following topics are only a few of those that will be tackled in our Health Issue:

• Postpartum Depression — The Asian American women featured in our article never thought that postpartum depression (PPD) could happen to them. Because none of them were screened for PPD or educated by doctors and other health providers about the disease, the women had to suffer for far too long before they sought treatment. In our feature article, these women are speaking out publicly for the first time to fight the silence and stigma imposed upon PPD sufferers.
• Diabetes — Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. In our article, we further explore how Asian Americans are at a much higher risk for type 2 diabetes, with data showing that for this group, risk starts at a much lower weight and younger age compared with the general population.
• Sex-selective abortion bans — Hyphen Health Editor Dr. Monica Hahn discusses the impact of sex-selective abortion ban legislation on Asian American communities with Shivana Jorawor, Program Director for Reproductive Justice at National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF).
• Health Tips from Our Grandparents — Hyphen staffers share little-known tips from our grandparents, from the most effective medicinal plants to treat thinning hair, to the best chicken soup broth recipe for the common cold!

What We Need & What You Get

The breakdown of our needed budget is as follows:

While Hyphen works to adapt and meet our readers’ needs in today’s increasingly digitized media landscape, we still believe in the beauty and tangible experience of reading colorful, well-designed magazine pages. Our continued dedication to print sets us apart from other publications — we are forward-looking, yet we also maintain the highest of traditional print standards.

Donate today for a chance to receive gifts from prominent API artists and writers who are making waves in the community. Perks include a one-on-one chat with Kristina Wong, a comedian and actor known for her one-woman show about depression in the API community, Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

You could also receive a copy of journalist and culture expert Jeff Chang’s new book on the history of race relations in the U.S. Who We Be.

And of course, if you donate $20 or more, you will receive a copy of our newly-released Health Issue.

Other Ways You Can Help

Another way you can help is by spreading the word! Share the link to our campaign with all your friends and fam. Urge and encourage them to donate.