Kim's Story
English
Vietnamese
Kim’s father was forced to escape to the United States from Vietnam, in the wake of the war. He located his family and brought them to Minnesota. Kim shares her love for her father and wonders whether the stigma about hepatitis B in the Vietnamese community prevented him from telling the family and seeking medical care earlier. She celebrates his gentle spirit, and suggests that access to culturally and linguistically appropriate resources could have prevented his death from liver cancer.
Discussion Questions and Answers:
Why does Kim talk in her story about her family’s history of immigration to the United States? (Health disparities often prevent immigrant communities from being able to access services; this can be a factor in hepatitis B education and treatment.)
Kim gives several reasons for why her father may have failed to reveal his hepatitis B status or seek treatment. What are they? (Fear that people would avoid him, gossip about him, or refuse to hug him or use utensils that he has recently used)
Kim celebrates her father’s courage in living until the end. What does she say about how the stigma in her community might be addressed, and where might resources be made available? (Vietnamese-language health-education resources and information about testing and treatment can be made available not only at health centers serving the community, but also at gathering places like churches, markets, and restaurants.)
Kim's story is available in English and Vietnamese.