Black Lives and Asian Medicine

Abstract

This essay examines the intersections between Asian medicines, racial healthcare inequities, and social justice movements, and explains how they are illuminated by the interviews and essays in this special issue. Important themes include: how the protests following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 spurred US organizations of alternative, complementary, and integrative medicine to undertake antiracist initiatives; how acupuncturists have been working to properly acknowledge the contributions of African American practitioners in their historical narratives; and how acupuncture may be a useful tool for mitigating racial health disparities.

Integrative Health Equity: Definition, Principles, Strategies, and Reflections

“…Integrative health colleagues are advancing discourse and practice to raise awareness about cultural misappropriation; 14 to decolonize mindfulness; 15 , 16 and to elevate the radical and diverse social histories of acupuncture and of mindfulness. 17 - 20 Along with the increasing equity-focused research in our field, these trends move well beyond simply describing disparities towards identifying solutions and building a movement to advance integrative health equity.…”