Social Support

Family and Community Support: Informal Support

Family support remains an important resource for many racial/ethnic minority communities. Families remain the central location through which culture is defined and interpreted. The importance of family and being able to rely on the family for support remains a core social value among many Asian American families. Filial piety, a central value to many Asian societies, is exemplified by the expression of responsibility, respect, sacrifice, and family harmony that regulates [Page 1257]children's attitudes and behaviors toward family-based support.

Three-generation Asian American family having dinner. Filial piety, a central value to many Asian societies, is exemplified by the expression of responsibility, respect, sacrifice, and family harmony that regulates children's attitudes and behaviors toward family-based support. The family provides important source of support for many racial and ethnic minority communities and provides the central location through which culture is defined and interpreted.

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Like Asian American families, Latina/o families exhibit high levels of family support. The concept of familism is about placing the needs of the family above individual concerns. The support in Latina/o families can be from multigenerational households and an extended kinship network. A frequent explanation for what appears to be better health for Latinas/os has been a higher degree of family support among Latina/o families. Several research studies have found positive mental and physical health benefits of family support for Latinas/os.

The importance of family within African American communities is crucial to understanding African American culture. Traditionally, an individual's “family” incorporates the entire community, with particular emphasis on group effort. Historically, this type of mutual aid system among extended African American family members has provided emotional and financial support. Multigenerational households within African American families traditionally have provided support to both the young and the frail and ultimately help buffer the negative effects of stress.

African American congregations are also essential to providing social support on a variety of levels. For example, church members act as an extension of the nuclear family, providing services such as meal preparation, child care, and counseling in times of crisis. African American churches have been a center for information, and they have been used to promote cancer awareness and provide preventative health screenings. Additionally, the physical church itself also symbolizes a gathering place for forming strong political and social identities.

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