Notes from a Curious Bystander (Part II – Filipino American Community Health Initiative of Chicago – FACHIC)

by Arnold De Villa
October 1, 2012
There are not so many Filipino American organizations that start as an offshoot of an academic pursuit. Something like this should be present in every Suburb and City of Illinois. Chicago has been fortunate that someone pursuing a degree in Medicine and Public Health from the University of Chicago chose to utilize the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship program to meet the health needs of the Filipino senior community. From that time thereon, since September 2007, Dr. Jane Jih has inspired other health professionals, academic leaders, and other Filipino-Americans from different age groups to form a non-profit organization primarily intended to improve the health and well-being, not only that of the Filipino Senior citizens group, but that of all Filipino-Americans residing in Chicago. Once again, my wish for them is to extend in every corner of the State and be present in every Suburb and City of Illinois.
Considering that the dominant career of Filipinos who recently migrated to the US is within the realms of health care (Nurses, Physicians and Physical Therapists), this organization has long been overdue. So if you are a nurse, a would-be nurse, a future physician, a current physician, or an ordinary citizen with a passion to serve others and with some interest to work with the Filipino ethnic group, I encourage you to visit www.fachic.net and learn a little bit more about them.
An article from the website of the Stanford School of Medicine explicitly stated that Filipino-Americans, especially the elderly, are not exempt from the disparities of the health care system. This means that there many amongst us who do not have access to health care despite the ironical fact that it is through health care that many of Filipinos became immigrants to the US. Health care is not restricted to address disease. It is also there to disseminate proper education in the promotion of our total well-being. The old cliché that health is wealth is moving towards bankruptcy. It seems that nowadays good health only belongs to those who can afford.
Is there a need to address issues of culture-specific health risks? Do Filipinos have unique concerns about their well-being? Yes and yes. There are anecdotal reports that cardio-vascular, hepatic and liver diseases have been steadily growing among Filipinos who reside in the US. This is quite different from the common maladies we used to have back in the Philippines which were mostly gastro-intestinal or respiratory in nature. Without infusing bias or prejudice, we can assume that certain diseases, illness or physical disorders are directly correlated to lifestyle and exacerbated through cultural practices. As Filipino Americans, we do have certain cultural practices, especially within the culinary and gastric habits, that make us prone to certain diseases that perhaps other cultures are not. For this reason, there is a unique need to address our culture-specific health concern.
If you are suffering from Type II Diabetes, for example, raise your hand. Do you know how you got it? Do you thoroughly understand what is wrong with you? Are you really doing what it takes to stop it from getting worse? Do you know of anyone who is finally going through the expensive, painful and time consuming process of dialysis? If you knew then what you did not know now, would you help that person avoid such a plight?
I commend FACHIC for what they are doing. Soon, when time allows and I find more space to do other things, I would surely involve myself in any of their activities. We cannot improve as people without addressing our health needs. We cannot improve as individuals when we are sick. And we cannot completely enjoy the total benefits of our life package without the continuity of wellness. When we address these issues as a group, the efficiency of finding solutions will be heightened and the process could even be fun. It is not a good experience to be sick, either alone or with someone else. But when the sick commingles with others (as long as the disease is not contagious), there is something in the social organism that somehow helps accelerate the healing process. Not that we would want to spread the misery of human malady. Rather, we would want to stop its further deterioration through the proper execution of human empathy and solidarity. This is where groups like FACHIC become indispensable and necessary for the community.
More than a year ago, I was fortunate to be involved in an academic project managed from a University in California. Although my role was narrowly focused on the technical and linguistic analysis of translating printed materials needed for the research, I somewhat learned and appreciated to realize the health care needs of would-be Filipino immigrants even before they left Philippine shores. It was a longitudinal study. I wonder at what phase they would be right now.
Either I did not read enough or I was not read enough, but I have not yet seen any response from what I wrote last week. Now that I remember, I think it was about a nursing organization, a group that claims to be the representative of the State of Illinois. If that group could connect to this group and in so doing get connected to other groups, then the dots that get connected could go miles and miles extending towards other groups. And if someone like you, a reader who perchance accidentally browsed on this article, decided to get in touch or just be in any of this group’s activities, or maybe just spread the word around, then more dots can be connected. This can only be better.
I am working the overnight shift. During breaks, I intermittently clicked some strokes on the keyboard until I finally finished this piece. The sun is about to be up. Soon my shift will be over. As I will try to go the bed while others start their day, I will think about my health. NO one wants to be sick. Are we doing what it really takes to be healthy? Good news. You are not alone. So reach out, get well, and have fun. Good night!