Official Statement

It is with heavy hearts and great mourning that we at National APAMSA now take a step back from the festivities of the Lunar New Year to respond to the tragedy that occurred the same weekend. On Saturday, January 21st, 2023, a mass shooting took place in Monterey Park, CA that killed 11 victims and injured 9 others. Just two days afterward, Half Moon Bay, CA likewise suffered a mass shooting that took the lives of at least 7 more people. Many of those who passed away were members of the AANHPI community.

We lament the horrors that unfolded at a time meant for celebrations and rejoicing with loved ones; we cannot know how unspeakably painful it must be for those who lost their loved ones that same evening. Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to all those in our AANHPI communities who must now endure such unbearable sorrows.

We respond to the Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay shootings with the recognition that they are tragically not the only ones that have disproportionately affected racial minorities generally and the AANHPI community specifically. The past year has seen far too many violent crimes, from New York City and Brooklyn to Laguna Woods and Buffalo. And earlier this month, an Indiana University student was stabbed for “being Chinese”. It is with great frustration and heartbreak that we must reiterate our condemnation of the senseless violence that endangers our communities. We continue to offer our support to all of our local chapters and members, especially in California and Indiana, and we encourage you to reach out with any specific ways we can be of service. Please also consult our list of mental health resources if you are interested in learning more.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, a broad piece of legislation with significant ramifications for inflation, climate change, and healthcare pricing, was officially passed through Congress on August 12th and signed into law on August 16th. 

Regarding healthcare, this progressive bill allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Additionally, Medicare now caps drug costs for seniors to $2,000 per year and insulin to $35 per month. The IRA also extends ACA subsidies beyond 2022 and through 2025, thus precluding premium increases for over 10 million people and the loss of insurance coverage for an additional 3 million people. Of course, these changes are not without downsides. Drug price caps are bound to reduce pharmaceutical companies’ revenue, disrupting the health economy. Extending ACA subsidies will increase government spending. Nevertheless, we believe the benefits of these changes outweigh the financial costs they bring.

Many of the IRA’s political dimensions are outside of National APAMSA’s scope. However, insofar as this bill relates to healthcare, we applaud its passage as a step forward in promoting healthcare access and affordability (see our Policy Compendium Resolution 10.001). As valuable for healthcare professionals to be committed to caring for underserved communities, we recognize there are limitations when patients cannot afford the care they need. We are thus excited to see new legislation continue to advance the health of our communities and the ability of our healthcare professionals to care for those in need. 

National APAMSA also looks future-ward to what work remains for us to accomplish. Although the IRA capped insulin prices to $35 for Medicare enrollees, it failed to extend that limit to all private insurance companies. Moreover, there are still 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid up to the 138% of the federal poverty level, thereby denying 3.7 million people healthcare coverage. The AANHPI community would see a roughly 25% reduction in uninsurance if these states were to expand their Medicaid coverage. We urge our policymakers to rectify these shortcomings and further protect the health of our communities through legislation.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) published an amicus brief on July 29, 2022, for the trials Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admission v. University of North Carolina. These trials, which have examined the constitutionality of the consideration of racial and ethnic identities in the higher education admissions process, are due to appear before the Supreme Court this upcoming cycle. 

National APAMSA has joined the AAMC in submitting its amicus brief, upholding the importance of affirmative action in these admissions processes. As affirmed in our policy compendium (Resolution 40.003) and in a 2019 joint statement with several other medical student organizations, APAMSA believes it is integral to the health of our communities and the welfare of the medical profession that there is racial and ethnic diversity within the physician workforce. 

Health disparities are rampant along racial and ethnic lines, and a diverse healthcare workforce helps our communities receive the care they need. As the amicus brief notes, the overruling of Supreme Court precedent defending affirmative action will likely dramatically decrease the number of racial and ethnic minorities in medical schools across the country. In light of the broader nuances surrounding each applicant and their experiences, a failure to consider these factors would undoubtedly hinder efforts to recruit capable and meritorious applicants of diverse backgrounds to medical schools. 

National APAMSA urges the Supreme Court to uphold its longstanding precedent of defending affirmative action. We believe that it is vital toward the well-being of our diverse communities and equity of our admissions processes.

Click here to read the amicus brief in full.

Following their leaked draft opinion on May 2nd indicating that they would be voting to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court officially overruled the landmark decision to protect the right to abortion on June 24th, 2022. Individual states will now have the authority to determine whether to permit or to ban abortions within their borders. We at National APAMSA stand firm in our previous statement that we published in response to the leaked draft opinion: Whether patients have access to abortion services should not depend on where they happen to live, but rather must be protected and upheld at the national level. Reproductive rights are impacted by racial and economic injustices, such that minority women, including those in the AANHPI community, are particularly burdened by impediments to reproductive health services. We lament with those who fear for their loss of healthcare access, and we call all other healthcare organizations to join us in denouncing this decision. We urge the policymakers in each individual state to fight for continued abortion services, just as we urge the Supreme Court Justices to reconsider their decision. APAMSA will continue to fight for our AANHPI communities and advocate for equality and social justice for all women.

A Supreme Court draft opinion leaked on May 2nd, 2022 indicated at least five Justices have voted to repeal the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and its subsequent 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision. The official vote will not be finalized until the end of June or early July, but it is crucial to recognize that overturning Roe would remove its 49-year-old protection of the right to receive an abortion. If this document is reflective of the Court’s coming decision and Roe is indeed overturned, maternal mortality rates will increase. Additionally, this may threaten the decisions made for other landmark cases and ultimately jeopardize access to birth control and other medical services. 

National APAMSA unequivocally denounces this egregious obstruction to safe and effective healthcare. Whether an individual has access to abortion and birth control should not depend upon where they happen to live. We believe that such services must be made universally available and defended as an unambiguous right at the federal level.

APAMSA recognizes, especially in regards to abortion, that we do not speak for the views of all of our members, let alone the views of all AANHPI medical students, healthcare professionals, or community members. However, as a healthcare organization committed to core values of patients’ autonomy and their rights to healthcare access and quality, especially within the AANHPI communities, we are obligated to speak out in defense of those values. 

Joining other healthcare organizations, we urge the Supreme Court Justices to reconsider their votes to prevent the immeasurable harm such a momentous decision would cause.

General Inquiries:
Daniel Pham
National Vice President of Advocacy
Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association
advocacy@apamsa.org

WASHINGTON – The House’s Energy and Commerce Committee passed the bipartisan South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act (“the Act”) on May 18th, 2022. APAMSA commends the progression of this important legislation. 

The Act, introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), would create grants annually within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for actionable public health interventions ranging awareness initiatives, educational materials, and research catalogs targeted at the South Asian community. 

Additionally, the Act would authorize the National Institutes of Health to conduct or support heart health research among the South Asian population and establish a clearinghouse and web portal of information on heart health.

Cardiovascular disease is widely known to be the leading cause of death in the United States, yet this issue is even more pressing among South Asian Americans. South Asians around the world (people from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) bear a higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and a higher mortality rate from ischemic heart disease than other populations. 

Importantly, Asian Americans have a lower ASCVD risk than other populations but only by disaggregating the data can it elucidate that the South Asian American population has a heightened risk of ASCVD. The increased prevalence of risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension in these communities is what drives this increased ASCVD burden in this population. The Act would provide grants for disaggregated research on ASCVD and related diseases for the South Asian American population.

APAMSA recognizes the importance of data disaggregation to further understand the unique challenges and public health burdens in our underserved communities, and this bill is a significant step in furthering that vision.

In the latest of a harrowing string of attacks, a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, California fell victim to a shooting on May 15th, 2022. Just the day before, Buffalo, New York suffered its own tragedy as a man shot and killed ten Black Americans at a grocery store, in what is currently being investigated as a hate crime. A few days prior to that, a shooting in the Koreatown of Dallas, Texas left three women wounded and is also being investigated as a hate crime.

We lament the fact that these horrifying events are but the latest of a recent string of violent acts, both against Asian Americans and otherwise. It is with heavy hearts that we find ourselves restating our opposition to gun violence so frequently. Yet we also take this opportunity to honor Dr. John Cheng, the 52-year-old AANHPI physician who had charged at the Laguna Woods shooter and, by his sacrifice, ensured that no one else died that day. He has demonstrated immense heroism and selflessness not only in the face of this crisis, but also throughout his faithful service to his community as a sports medicine doctor. We grieve for his wife and two children, just as we grieve for all of the families who lost loved ones over the preceding weeks.

Once more, National APAMSA offers its support to the local chapters and members of New York, California, and Texas during these frightening times, and we encourage you to reach out with any specific ways we can be of service.

On April 7th, 2022, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the US Supreme Court as the first Black woman, the second woman of color, and the third Black Justice in its 232-year history. APAMSA celebrates this monumental moment as the next step in building an increasingly inclusive society with greater representation of people of color in positions of power. 

Supreme Court Justice Jackson is one of many stepping stones for all minority communities. This is especially true when the issues important to communities of color, including that of AANHPI communities, are being decided. In particular, we renew our call for increased representation in the positions of prominence within medicine and academia. The diversity of our doctors must continue to grow for the sake of our minority communities, and our leadership is even more wanting for proper representation. We find hope in the current progress and are eager to see the path continue toward a more inclusive, just, and equitable society.

On the morning of April 12th, 2022, a man opened fire on the passengers of a subway train in Brooklyn, New York and ultimately injured 17 people before fleeing the scene. We at APAMSA grieve for the victims and acknowledge the fear that now strikes many New Yorkers’ hearts. We continue to denounce gun violence and reaffirm our support for comprehensive gun reform that would promote the health and safety of our communities. National APAMSA offers its support to all local chapters and its members during these frightening times, and we encourage you to reach out with any specific ways we can be of service.

On February 22, 2022, Governor Greg Abbott defined “gender-affirming care” as “child abuse” under Texas Family Code Sec. 261.001(1)(A)-(D) and issued an order for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to investigate these instances of “child abuse.” This order effectively criminalizes any gender-affirming care, preventing families from seeking said care and licensed professionals from providing it. Although the Honorable Judge Amy Clark Meachum issued a temporary injunction to these investigations on March 11, families trying to keep their transgender and nonbinary children safe are already feeling the impact. Many say they have been encouraged to leave the state, but more than half of Americans cannot afford even a $1,000 emergency expense, much less an interstate move. Even if they have the means, parents should never be forced into a situation to decide between their child’s safety and uprooting the family from their community. 

Texas is one of several examples of recent anti-trans and anti-queer legislation denying individuals the right to exist in their authentic gender and sexual identity. Similar bills have been passed or are under consideration in Arizona, Indiana, Tennessee, Kansas, Kentucky, Utah, Alaska, Idaho, and New Hampshire. In Florida, the Parental Rights in Education Bill – better known as the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill – seeks to outlaw all discussions on LGBTQIA+ content in kindergarten through third grade and restrict discussions in other grade levels to content deemed “appropriate.” It also requires educators to inform parents about LGBTQIA+ youth’s identities, “outing” the student even without their consent. This bill has passed in the Florida House (February 24) and Senate (March 8) and currently awaiting Governor DeSantis’ signature.

Last year, the Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA) released a statement of solidarity with the trans community and a call to action following anti-trans legislation in Arkansas and other states. Not even one year later, new anti-trans and anti-queer legislation continue to target a vulnerable population. Withholding or delaying gender-affirming care can lead to significant psychosocial distress and is not a neutral option. Nearly 1 in 5 LGBTQ youth and 1 in 3 trans or nonbinary youth attempt suicide in a given year, with discrimination – both individual and political – as a strong risk factor. 

In contrast, studies show that gender-affirming care can reduce emotional distress, improve their sense of well-being and reduce the risk of suicide. Numerous professional societies, including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Endocrine Society, espouse the efficacy of gender-affirming care for trans youth and adults.

The effects of anti-trans and anti-queer legislation are also felt keenly in our AANHPI communities. The Trevor Project, a non-profit addressing suicide prevention in LGBTQ youth, alone cared for approximately 9,000 AAPI LGBTQ individuals in 2020. Compounded by cultural and religious stigmas against discussing sex and sexuality, AANHPI youth are significantly less likely to disclose their LGBTQIA+ identity to their parents than the youth of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. They are also much more likely to experience feelings of isolation in predominantly white LGBTQIA+ spaces. 

Because anti-trans and anti-queer legislation like those in Texas and Florida particularly harm LGBTQIA+ youth, including those of AANHPI identity, APAMSA stands firmly against these discriminatory bills. We also support in solidarity with the Medical Student Pride Alliance (MSPA) and the broader LGBTQIA+ community.

As part of APAMSA’s mission to promote the health of the AANHPI community, we urge our members to take action in support of our LGBTQIA+ friends, colleagues, and patients. At our institutions, we can advocate for education on gender-affirming care and increased recruitment and retention of trans and gender-diverse students and faculty. In research, we can investigate understudied issues at the intersection of AANHPI and LGBTQIA+ identities. On a policy level, we can push for local, regional, and federal policies that recognize trans rights as human rights. We must also acknowledge that the ongoing injustice and discrimination against trans and nonbinary individuals do not exist in a vacuum; it coincides with numerous attempts to restrict access to abortion care and discussion of race and racism in schools. 

APAMSA reaffirms its opposition to discriminatory policies that undermine the health of marginalized individuals in AANHPI communities and beyond.

In solidarity,

Your APAMSA National Board