Be the Source for Better Health: Improving AA and NHPI Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities, and Connections
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Heritage Month! This month is an opportunity to recognize the many ways AA and NHPI histories, cultures, leadership, and innovation have influenced all facets of life in the United States.
This year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority (OMH) is observing AA and NHPI Heritage Month through its theme, Be the Source for Better Health: Improving Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities, and Connections, which calls on each of us to understand how the unique environments, cultures, histories, and circumstances (known as social determinants of health, or SDOH) of AA and NHPI populations impact their overall health.
Data shows that health outcomes for AA and NHPI communities are impacted by a range of both shared and unique SDOH factors. OMH is committed to working with its public health and community-based partners to Be the Source for Better Health for AA and NHPI populations by providing quality, equitable, and respectful care responsive to their diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, economic and environmental circumstances, and health literacy levels.
National Theme:
Bridging Histories, Shaping Our Future
This year, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center have established a joint theme for AA and NHPI Heritage Month: “Bridging Histories, Shaping Our Future.” The 2024 theme is an homage to the ancestors of AA and NHPI people and invites all Americans to delve into the legacies, triumphs, and challenges that have shaped AA and NHPI communities.
Recognizing Diversity in the
AA and NHPI Population
Data collection and reporting practices often fail to measure and reflect the diversity of AA and NHPI experiences. This is why the collection and reporting of data by detailed AA and NHPI subgroups, known as data disaggregation, is so important.
- Data disaggregation is a priority in the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy to Advance Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for AA and NHPI Communities. Read more.
- Download and read OMH’s resource guides to learn about best practices to advance cultural competency, language access, and sensitivity toward AA and NHPI communities.
Get Involved in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Participate in conversations about health equity for AA and NHPI communities on social media by tagging @MinorityHealth on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram and using the hashtags #SourceForBetterHealth and #AANHPIHM.