title: Paradigm shifters, professionals, and community sentinels: immigrant community institutions' roles in shaping places and implications for stigmatized public health initiatives.
abstract: Immigrant community institutions are strategically positioned to facilitate or impede public health efforts in their neighborhoods and communities because of their influence over discourse regarding values and tradition. Their authority may be particularly relevant when stigmatized or sensitive issues, such as HIV or reproductive health, are addressed. Using qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze data collected from 22 Chinese and South Asian immigrant institutions in New York City, we examine attitudes about HIV, social change and tradition to delineate the different structural roles that Asian immigrant community institutions play in relation to the preservation of traditional values and culture in their neighborhoods and communities. Implications are explored for working with immigrant community institutions to conduct HIV-related work and other stigmatized public health initiatives in immigrant neighborhoods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA. john.chin@hunter.cuny.edu
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Torsten B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Neilands
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Joanne E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Mantell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D011634:Public Health; D018456:Reproductive Medicine; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D013240:Stereotyping