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Asian American Identity and Drug Consumption: From Acculturation to Normalization

NCJ Number
225735
Journal
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 7 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2008 Pages: 376-403
Author(s)
Molly Moloney; Geoffrey Hunt; Kristin Evans
Date Published
December 2008
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This article analyzes the relationship between substance use and ethnic identity in the narratives of young Asian-Americans in a dance club/rave scene.
Abstract
Results found three types of narrative invoked to explain drug usage among Asian-American club drug users. One group noted difficulties arising from their Asian-American identities, the experience of culture clash, and stresses associated with acculturation and Americanization and saw their own substance uses as an outgrowth of this. A second group viewed their drug consumption as unusual among Asian-Americans and saw their drug use as indicative of the degree to which they had grown apart from Asian culture and toward White/American culture. A third group did not see their identities as Asian-Americans, drug users, or Asian-American drug users as problematic; drug use was a normal, accepted, mundane part of their leisure time, not something they viewed as problematic, shameful, or unusual. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through in-depth face-to-face interviews with 206 Asian-Americans between 2005 and 2006 who were involved in the San Francisco Bay Area dance scene. Tables, notes, and references

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