to communicate their statuses to their families, ultimately eliminating the isolation many feel as a result of hiding their status. Marquez emphasizes that Life Foundation makes itself available and transparent to all the nationalities within the Hawaiian community. “A lot of people here say, ‘I don’t see myself in that and it doesn’t apply to me,’” he said of past marketing materials sent to Life Foundation from mainland United States. They had no visual representations of the Asian and Pacific Islander American communities, leading the community to feel underrepresented. Therefore, in a recent campaign, “Stand Up to HIV,” Life foundation featured local Filipino, Hawaiian and Samoan girls to reflect its diverse community. Chin said the quality and quantity of HIV resources for the API population varies upon geographic location in the United States. New York has suitable resources, considering its large Asian population, but rural areas and smaller cities with a
growing Asian population are not adequately serviced, he said. Chin ultimately believes the answer to eliminating the stigma is within the community. He was the chief investigator of a five-year study that examined religious organizations’ — predominantly Christian churches and Buddhist temples — contribution to the HIV stigma and how religious leaders could ultimately use their positions to combat it. Chin and his team are collaborating with religious leaders to talk about HIV in a non-stigmatized way, allowing others to openly partake in HIV conversation without thinking it is inappropriate. This feat, however, has been met with some apprehension. “Some of them are really timid about it, because they think there would be disapproval if they got involved,” he said. But Chin remains hopeful. The people within these religious organizations are fairly representative of the immigrant communities, who are a vulnerable group already, he said.
May 19 marks the National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which is designed to recognize and support Asian and Pacific Islander communities in dealing with HIV/AIDS. Marquez notes how important this day is for Hawaii, especially due to its huge Asian and Pacific Islander population. “Because there is Asian Pacific Islander attached to it, we have to recognize that HIV/AIDS does affect our community,” he said. “Even though it’s just one day, it’s still one more day it’s being talked about.” Jenkins, who has been HIV-positive for nearly three decades and was once reluctant to face his own HIV status, believes people universally need to not only become educated but also empowered to face their HIV status. “Knowledge is power,” he said. “You have to do the right thing for yourself and everyone around you.”
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