Celebrating AAPI Resilience and Mental Health
It’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month!
Given the personal significance of these topics and identities to us at Juniper Counseling, we wanted to spend some time exploring the intersection of mental health and being part of the AAPI* and APIDA* communities. These reflections are offered from our lived experiences (as cis-gendered, heterosexual females) and what we are learning from those we have the privilege of working with. By no means do we intend to communicate that individuals or groups within this community are monolithic, as we recognize that each person and family also carries their own identities, values, experiences, and impact.
*AAPI stands for Asian American Pacific Islander; APIDA has also been used in order to be more inclusive of South Asians.
Resilience within the AAPI community
I come from a family that I would describe as “quietly celebratory.” Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and other achievements are affairs commemorated with food, gathering loved ones, and perhaps a practical gift. The inner resources of the AAPI community are similar in their often unspoken bonds that contribute to our mental health. The following are just three of many values and practices that can bolster our well-being.
Resourceful– Whether it’s endlessly repurposing plastic containers or calling upon immaterial supports (skills, relationships, etc), being resourceful is complementary to resilience in the face of needs, hardships, and changes. Resourcefulness allows us to adapt by using what we have and what we share, often in new and creative ways.
Communal–Oftentimes a sense of collectivism is promoted over individualism in Asian communities. While this can create its own challenges, a collective mindset may bring benefits of connection, group identity, and a sense of belonging. Studies show that cultural identification has protective factors against discrimination and racism. Some of us grew up in and continue to reside in multi-generational homes. None of us came to be, or can thrive, in a vacuum.
Generous– Most commonly expressed through food, generosity pulses through daily practices and long-term sacrifices. Parents who worked long hours to start a new life and provide for the family. Years of frugality to invest in education. Grandparents who raised, taught, and nurtured. All of these forms of generosity provide safety to grow and access opportunities that impact generations to come.
Barriers to wellness within the AAPI community
Being part of Asian and American culture has also contributed to assumptions and practices that may not serve our mental health.
Model minority– The model minority myth promotes the perception that Asians in the US have achieved universal success through hard work. This is damaging as it perpetuates racism in denigrating other groups, undermines the diversity of experiences in the Asian diaspora, and reduces long-standing systemic and historic inequities to personal work ethic and character. It may also promote compliance and silence despite continued microaggressions, discriminatory practices, and restrictions with the bamboo ceiling. Participation and advocacy are pathways to rejecting this myth and the damage it creates.
Privacy– There can be wariness towards outsiders and a value for saving face that makes it difficult to ask for help or address hard things. Stoicism may have been modeled for us as a way to get through tough situations, but it can come with the cost of suppressed pain that manifests in physical, mental, and emotional distress. Recognizing that needing help is not a weakness, negative emotions in themselves are not destructive, and our well-being is strengthened through vulnerability and connection can loosen the grip of isolation and shame.
Duty/Obligation– Gifts are received with a careful record of how much to give in return. Adult children grapple with the desire to care for aging parents or other family members along with resentment and guilt. A continual sense of owing or being owed can lead to anxiety, depression, and dissatisfaction in relationships that are important to us. Exploring our motivations, questioning our expectations, and living in alignment with our values can inform how we navigate giving and receiving with authenticity.
Questions to Consider:
From your experiences, what would you add or adapt from the values listed?
What values and practices do you want to preserve, reclaim, or pass forward?
What has served your family (or you) in the past and isn’t working anymore?
APA Heritage Month seeks to educate, celebrate, and advocate the diverse cultures and people represented. We are proud to be part of this long-standing community and grateful for the strengths and resources of our cultures that have allowed our ancestors and us to survive, adapt, and grow. We are also hopeful for the opportunities we have now to advocate, heal intergenerational traumas, and create new paths that honor our rich heritage and our future dreams.
