It’s NOT all in your head: Redefining AANHPI mental health

We love that May weaves an intersecting path between two causes we are passionate about. May is dedicated to Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) heritage and mental health awareness. 

When we think of heritage, we often think of our ancestors as far back as we know of them, and how their courage and decisions in life have played a role in where we are today. Though we think of heritage as something in the past, it has a foothold in our present, helping us understand our identities and communities better in the current setting. 

Acknowledging our heritage helps us deepen our self-awareness. As young adults growing up in a country different from that of our ancestors, we sometimes feel various shifts within us; like we are a bottle holding in multiple feelings and thoughts about ourselves and the world around us, with the bottleneck being finding a connection between what we feel with a large body of knowledge and acceptance. Learning more about our heritage can be the thread that ties our conflicting views together, helps us understand why we have certain feelings around specific causes, and grounds us in our beliefs. 

Heritage has a tangible and intangible side to it. Our traditions, rituals, and food can be seen and felt, and show the world the unique ways we live out our heritage. The intangible parts of our heritage such as myths, and memories give us strength and perspective, sometimes individually and other times collectively as a family or community. 

What often gets spoken about less is the mental makeup of our communities. Like heritage, this gets passed on as well. But unlike food and rituals, this may only be talked about infrequently, or not at all. 

The maze that is AANHPI Mental Health 

So what does mental health look like for our communities? 

We all know that one relative who will willingly speak at length about the ache in their back but stays silent when it comes to talking about their mental health. 

Speaking up about mental health is new across the board, and has gained traction only in recent years. In addition to how new this topic is, our communities have always considered talking about mental health as taboo. Lack of knowledge in our communities has elders thinking of any mental health condition as “crazy”. 

The AANHPI community is made up of over 40 distinct ethnicities, each with its own unique identities and approaches to mental health. Certain communities are more susceptible to certain mental health conditions. For example, 33% of Korean American adults are more likely to experience symptoms of depression and Asian American adoptees struggle feeling of 'who they are, what is their identity?', the late Martha Satz, a professor at Southern Methodist University who intensively studied and wrote about transracial adoption psychology, says this is called “genetic bewilderment”.

It has also been found that second-generation Asian Americans are more likely to experience mental health disorders than first-generation immigrants. The disparity of mental health experiences across generations makes it more challenging to bring up the topic with our parents and elders. 

Our parents had to grow up in a society that expected them to display model minority behavior. The model minority myth was perpetuated in the 1960s projecting Asian Americans as polite, law-abiding, hardworking, and well-adjusted to the North American lifestyle. This internalized notion harms our communities as the expectation placed on us is to be docile and obedient. In some elders’ eyes, speaking up about your mental health rocks the boat they helped steady by being quiet and well-behaved for decades.  

The physical toll of mental health 

True to the saying “The body keeps score”, what goes on in our heads can show up in our bodies. Take minority stress for example, this model can be applied to many different groups of people where minorities exist. In the context of immigration, minority stress shows up by way of immigrants facing stress and anxiety spikes due to their identity in certain social environments where they feel doubtful about showing up authentically. 

Studies show that when people from minorities experience prejudice and discrimination, their bodies generate stress responses like high blood pressure, which over the long term can affect their physical health. 

Discrimination and unfair treatment have a direct correlation to depression, clinical anxiety, and mood disorders. Even the smallest of microaggressions add up and leave an effect on the body.  

While mental health is personal, the support we get for it is influenced by public realms. The work done by coalitions such as Stop AAPI Hate is important; it seeks to deconstruct the systems that allow stereotypes about Asian communities to persist. Their efforts show people that our communities are vulnerable to social harm and need government policies that cater to the needs of our communities. 

Find resources made for you 

Apart from being able to raise mental health concerns with loved ones, what makes it more challenging is finding spaces in the U.S. medical system that can accommodate our needs while being sensitive to our cultural upbringing and perceptions of our families. For instance, while talk therapy is a great way to work through mental health challenges, having a therapist who can understand the cultural expectations set on you makes a difference to your comfort level in opening up.  

Additionally, other factors like harmful stereotypes, preconceived notions, and lack of insurance make the quest to reach professional mental health help harder. 

Center your outreach within the backdrop of your upbringing and identity. The National AAPI Mental Health Association and Asian Mental Health Collective have a compilation of resources and professional leads for your journey. Asians for Mental Health is another great resource for finding culturally aware therapists to work with you. 

Sometimes, just being aware of mental health conditions that our communities are susceptible to makes all the difference in being able to hold space and an empathetic listening ear for a friend or family member who may need it. Look for literature on AANHPI mental health or immigrant voices; this could help certain perspectives or feelings inside you fall into place as you piece together a part of your immigrant heritage with your current mental health. 

Don’t hesitate to look after and talk about your mental health and lean on your community at Asian Girls Ignite when you need a safe space.

Finding strength in our weakest moments

In our weakest moments, we discover a strength we never knew existed. Every stumble and every setback becomes an opportunity for growth, sparking courage and allowing resilience to bloom within us.

It’s perfectly okay to feel vulnerable; it’s in those moments that our true humanity shines through. Remember, you’re never alone in your struggles. Your strength lies in your ability to rise, even when it feels impossible.

Embrace these challenges as they shape you into a stronger, more resilient version of yourself. Each step forward, no matter how small, is a testament to your courage and determination. Keep pushing forward, and let your inner strength guide you through life's toughest battles.

Illustrator Julia Kestner, said

“As a Japanese American who’s lived with depression for as long as I can remember, it took me a long time before I was able to talk about mental health and seek help. Growing up, I was never able to openly talk about my mental illness and I carried a lot of internalized shame for years. When I finally started going to therapy, it literally saved my life.I know so many of us are unable to seek the help that we need. There’s so much stigma surrounding mental illness, especially in Asian cultures. This is why organizations like Asian Girls Ignite are so important - I know it would have made such a huge difference in my life if I had access to an organization like theirs when I was growing up.”

At Asian Girls Ignite, mental health and wellbeing is the driving force behind everything we do. We focus on mental health intervention and social determinants of health.

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