Yellow, in Peril: How public health discourse on tuberculosis (TB) reveals, refines, and reinforces the racial stigmatization of Asian Americans

In this paper, I argue that while public health discourse on tuberculosis may reveal existent epidemiological trends in and among particular social groups, the discursive framing of this data unnecessarily racializes the disease. More specifically, public health discourse uses frameworks of "othering" and an imagined transnationalism to reflect but also refine and reinforce historicized stigmas of Asian Americans as non-normative, perpetual outsiders, and disease carriers. I assert that this discursive raciliazation of TB superficially constructs a causal link between Asian Americans and the incidence of TB in America and consequently results in significant social and political costs for many Asian Americans. Ultimately, I propose alternative frameworks for public health discourse on TB that might more effectively address the epidemiological problem and better avoid the structural costs experienced by Asian Americans and other marginalized groups.

Name thesis:degree_name

BA

Level thesis:degree_level

bachelors

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Comparative American Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

Oberlin College Honors Theses

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Dellplain, Laura

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lee, Shelley

• American History
• American Studies
• Asian American Studies
• Asian Studies
• Epidemiology
• Health
• Health Sciences
• Minority and Ethnic Groups
• Public Health
• Social Structure
• Tuberculosis
• TB
• Asian Americans
• immigrants
• public health discourse
• transnationalism
• racialization

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=oberlin1339100153

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:oberlin1339100153