Since Afghan refugees began coming to the United States in the early 1980s, the Afghan community of the San Francisco Bay Area has become the largest in the United States. This population copes with a number of stressors that negatively affect their health and psychological well-being. Based on an ethnographic study, we focus on the social context in Which Afghan refugees find themselves, describing Afghans' perceptions of their interactions with mainstream American citizens and health and social service providers. The theme running through all such interactions is information - its scarcity, character, and cultural differences m type, purposes, and means of transmission. Quotes from interview illustrate four types of problems: economic and occupational problems, health-care access, family and children's issues, and immigration issues/ethnic bias. Policy and program recommendations are applicable to other recent refugee populations that experience similar information problems With regard to the dominant society.

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cultural anthropology Afghanistan Communication Barriers social psychology refugee psychological aspect human communication disorder Refugees middle aged health service Stress, Psychological mental stress Aged ethnology Health Services Needs and Demand United States Humans family male female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics Article adult Social Environment Prejudice Anthropology, Cultural Health Services Accessibility health care delivery