Pathological Gambling Research Paper

When people hear the word gambling, people normally think of Las Vegas and casinos for a weekend of fun. But gambling is not all fun and games like in Vegas; it turns into a compulsion. In the Asian community, many Asian Americans gamble to celebrate, and it’s not usually seen as a serious problem. This has become an underlying dilemma for Asian Americans because gambling for enjoyment is one thing, but when it becomes a disorder, that is a serious issue. It is a prevalent among Asian Americans and we must understand that there are different types of gambling. Pathological gambling is a specific problem that many Asian Americans struggle with, and the Asian American community does not grasp the idea of pathological gambling due to shame of …show more content…
However, even with these high rates, there is a low of amount of Asian Americans who deny their pathological gambling problems and refuse to seek treatment. One reason for this is due to the model minority, where Asian Americans are seen as the perfect minority with high standards. Asian Americans feel obligated to live up to those standards, and if they do not live up to those standards, then they are seen as a disgrace. Thus, admitting to having a pathological gambling problem is shameful because there is a “stigma for Asians suffering from addictive disorders” (Fong). “Psychological and social factors, denial, guilt, or shame… all exacerbate the impact of problem gambling on the gambler, family, and community”(Fong). As a result, Asian Americans are more reluctant to seek treatment due to fear of being shamed and …show more content…
My mother immigrated to the United States in her twenties; she had left everything she knew to come to a country where she believed had more opportunity. She left behind her family, her friends, and her home to start this new life. She came to the United States hopeful and filled with dreams. However, it was not easy; she struggled to understand the American culture because she had grown up with something so different. It was hard for her to adapt and even learn a new language after knowing a laMy father is a refugee from Vietnam. During the fall of Saigon, he and his family had to escape the country. While he was escaping with his brothers, he was caught, beat, tortured, and thrown into jail. After a few months in jail, he was released, and soon he escaped again. This time the Viet Cong did not catch him, and he made it out to the Pacific Ocean on a motorboat. In the middle of my father’s journey, the boat’s motor broke, and he was stuck at sea for days. He watched people on his boat die due to starvation and sickness. To survive, he caught fish with his bare hands and ate the fish raw. Finally, another boat arrived and rescued them. They sailed to Thailand, and that is where he boarded a plane to fly to America. Throughout my father’s journey, he was physically and mentally tortured. When people attempt to ask about