Exploring the hypothesis of ethnic practice as social capital: violence among Asian/Pacific Islander youth in Hawaii.
BACKGROUND
Studies of youth violence have usually examined social capital using qualitative methods, but remain limited by small sample sizes. In addition, few studies examine violence among Asian/Pacific Islander (API) youth, even though they are one of the fastest-growing youth populations in the USA.


OBJECTIVE
To contribute to a better understanding of culture and ethnicity in youth violence among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by quantifying ethnic forms of social capital.


METHODS
We use an n = 326 sample of three API groups from Oahu, Hawaii. Defining social capital as ethnic practice, we test Filipino, Hawaiian and Samoan forms of youth social capital on intimate and non-intimate violence.


RESULTS
Bivariate findings associate lower violence with language ability among Filipinos, coming-of-age practices among Hawaiians, and community leader engagement among Samoans. Multivariate tests showed language to be the strongest correlation. Bivariate tests also suggested potentially risky forms of social capital.


CONCLUSIONS
results lead us to hypothesize that social capital that deliberately places individuals within their respective ethnic communities are risk-reducing, as are those that promote formal ethnic community structures. Those that formalize ethnic practice and social capital into commercial activities may be associated with higher risk of violence. Given the relatively small sample size and the exploratory approach for the present investigation, further research is needed to determine whether the findings can be replicated and to extend the findings of the present preliminary study.
Spencer
James H
JH
Department of Political Science, University of Hawaii, USA. jhs@hawaii.edu
Irwin
Katherine
K
Umemoto
Karen N
KN
Garcia-Santiago
Orlando
O
Nishimura
Stephanie T
ST
Hishinuma
Earl S
ES
Choi-Misailidis
Soojean
S
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D003415:Crime / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006254:Hawaii; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012933:Social Identification; D012944:Social Support; D012945:Social Values; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D014754:Violence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology