Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation attendees will increase their level of cultural competence and gain specific skills for working with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. Participants will be able to describe tobacco prevalence in the AAPI population, as well as cultural barriers to tobacco control efforts. Participants will be able to identify five action steps in working with AAPI communities.
Abstract: The East Bay Asians Against Tobacco (EBAAT) Champion Project provides a model for organizations to build sustainable partnerships with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. This workshop will provide tools for programs, organizations, or coalitions to involve AAPI’s in tobacco control.
Despite ten years of funded tobacco control in California, mainstream organizations continue to have difficulty reaching communities of color. The challenges of reaching immigrant communities are even more complex. New approaches are needed to increase diversity in the tobacco control movement in a way that actively involves AAPI’s.
EBAAT works to eliminate disparities by bridging the gap between mainstream tobacco control advocates and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community based organizations (cbo’s). Our efforts began with a needs assessment survey of AAPI cbo’s to determine the direction of project activities. Four AAPI cbo’s were selected as “Champion Organizations.” These Champions are respected institutions in their communities. Through capacity building, Champion Organizations were able to integrate tobacco control into their activities on an ongoing basis. The EBAAT/Champion partnership has established effective tobacco prevention services in communities that are normally difficult to reach because of cultural and linguistic barriers.
Participants will increase their cultural competency by engaging in a cultural activity; learn about tobacco use and prevention in AAPI communities through lecture and discussion; gain tools to build relationships and collaborations through presentations and examples; and design action steps relevant to their own programs.
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