NNS Spotlight: TV segment focuses on health in Hmong community | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Amanda Parrish
August 20, 2019
Editor’s note: This story is part of an occasional series that highlights groups and people worth knowing in Milwaukee. To nominate a person or a group, email info@milwaukeenns.org and put “Spotlight” in the subject line.
Three students from the Medical Collegeof Wisconsin have made it their mission to raise awareness of healthdisparities in the Hmong community through a partnership with Nyob Zoo
Milwaukee TV
James Wu, along with Jacey Sirinit andMai’ana Feuerborn, both second-year students and members of the MCW chapter ofthe Asian Pacific American Medical Association, put together five-minute healthsegments that air the last Sunday of the month at 8:30 a.m. on WDJT-TV (Channel58) or on WMLW-TV (Channel 49). The shows are later posted on Facebook.
“A lot of times, especially in Americanpolitics, a big group such as Asians are homogenized into one entity,” said Wu,a third-year medical student.
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He said problems can arise when the socioeconomic standing or health outcomes of only one Asian population, which may be better than the average American, are recognized.
“When that is used as a measuring stickfor all Asian populations, then a lot of populations that are less well-off arelost in the mix and not looked after, or their issues are not addressed,” Wusaid, adding that this is the case of the Hmong population in Milwaukee.
Hmong refugees from Laos started comingto the United States in 1970s following the Vietnam War. Wisconsin has thethird-largest Hmong population in the United States after California andMinnesota.
Wu pitched the idea for a televisionsegment centered on Hmong health topics to Thay and Dawn Yang, CEO and generalmanager, respectively, of Nyob Zoo Milwaukee TV.
The MCW students have put together fivehealth segments covering hypertension, alcoholism, depression, diabetes andhepatitis B and are planning five new segments. The segments are beingsponsored by Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Sirinit said the main goal of the show isfor its viewers to feel comfortable enough to reach out when they recognizesomething that may be a concern.
Health education, Feuerborn said, isimportant to create trust between doctor and patient.
“I like the TV program because it’s notabout sensationalizing or scaring people into going to the doctor,” she said.“I think a more powerful and maybe ethical way is to give people information andallowing them to make their own decisions confidently.”
About Amanda Parrish
Amanda, a student in the Diederich College of
Communication at Marquette University, 
is a reporting intern for NNS. She is especially
interested in covering environmental issues. You can reach her through email or
call the newsroom at (414) 604-6397.
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