A Crash of Cultures: Addressing the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health in the AAPI Community
By: Shalina Effendi (she/her)
Home is where the heart is, and for some, such a place can be easily defined. But this is a privilege immigrants - and children of immigrants - often do not have. Choosing a country to call “home", whether it be a new one or one’s homeland, is a difficult decision, and the resulting feeling of cultural dissonance can negatively impact one’s mental health.
In my case, growing up in America as a South Asian immigrant gave me a very skewed perspective on the importance of mental health. To me, topics like depression and anxiety were far-fetched tales - something that I knew existed, but never thought would affect me.
However, as I grew older and more conscious of my surroundings, I realized the very opposite was true. I was at a point in my life where I started to be aware of the societal changes happening around me regarding mental health: increasing acceptance of mental illnesses and disorders in the media, awareness campaigns conducted at school, and people’s willingness to share their experiences with mental health on the internet. The more cognizant I became of these realities, the more I realized the ideas of mental health that had been perpetuated in my family and culture when I was a child were completely wrong.
And yet, when it came to being transparent with them about my struggles, I could never do it. Something always held me back. There was always that underlying dread that I would bring shame to the family by opening up about mental health issues, which confused me. I knew I couldn’t be the only one in my family feeling that way - intergenerational trauma caused by events far before I was born was sure to have left some scars. Surely someone else had to share my sentiments? But the environment we had created in our household and the stigma around it in our culture left no room to discuss such topics. So I kept silent, choosing to battle my demons alone.
My experience is not unique. I am one of the thousands of Asian American and Pacific Islander teens facing the same predicament. Many of us would rather walk on nails than talk to our parents about our mental health for one straightforward reason: In the AAPI community, mental health issues are often shrouded in shame, the stigma around them causing people within the community to suffer in silence. In fact, despite being the fastest-growing ethnic group within the United States, only 8.6% of Asian Americans seek mental health services and resources, the lowest of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S. On the complete opposite side, our white counterparts are 3 times as likely as us to seek aid when it comes to mental health issues. This begs the question: What drives this aversion to mental health in the AAPI community - and what are its implications?
Where the Stigma Stems From
For the most part, the reluctance to acknowledge the implications of mental health within our community stems from specific cultural ideals backed by a long history of traditionalism, which, over time, has led to the formation of stereotypes, prejudices, and misconceptions regarding the topic. Some Asian cultures don’t even believe that mental health issues exist. To them, sadness and hopelessness are perceived as one’s own fault for not trying hard enough, and depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses are simply not held to as high a standard of importance as they are in Western societies. As children of immigrants, some of us being immigrants ourselves, we face a clash of cultures - stuck in a constant inner battle between the collectivist values of our traditional cultures and the individualistic ideals of western society, particularly when it comes to mental health.
As we grow older, these discrepancies only grow wider. Thanks to social media, we have a hyper-connectedness to the world that allows us to see other perspectives and new ideas. “Mental health matters!”, “Your emotions are valid!” are the phrases we see on colorful infographic posts as we scroll through Instagram. We read Twitter threads by complete strangers on the internet validating our feelings, providing resources, and making us feel seen. But then we switch off our phones and face the reality of our family’s disregard for any conversations on the topic.
“You’re depressed because you’re weak,” they say. “Grow up. This is the real world. Deal with it,” are the words we hear within the walls of our ethnic Asian households environments that are thick with the tension and pressure of high expectations, resulting from the toxic “model minority” stereotype, a constant shadow looming over everyday life as an Asian. There’s an expectation to stand out for the “right” reasons: having perfect grades, a stable job, a high salary, and prominent social status. Many Asian parents think that having a mental illness can prevent you from achieving such things. And if you’re not achieving everything… Why are you even here?
Implications of Cultural Dissonance on AAPI Mental Health
We know they mean well, of course - after all, our parents just want us to be successful. But the constant barrage of two vastly differing narratives forced upon us leaves us torn between our identities, creating an uncomfortable feeling of disconnect, disharmony, and confusion, ultimately leaving us with mental and emotional baggage - a deadweight that we’ll carry with us for the rest of our lives.
This cultural dissonance manifests itself in the form of psychological distress and behavioral issues that have lasting implications on AAPI mental health. The contrast of cultures makes it difficult for teens in our community to communicate with their parents and grandparents. Older generations in our community may have had their own challenges to overcome, but they don’t have the same experiences as us. They were not the first in their families to grow up in the West, to have spent their childhoods playing an endless game of tug-of-war between two polarizing perspectives, confused about where they truly belonged. They simply raise us as their parents raised them, and as their parent’s parents raised them, dismissing our concerns and not acknowledging the fact that our circumstances are vastly different. This makes it difficult to establish new family dynamics where we can connect with them and be open about our mental and emotional struggles being raised as “outsiders” in a society not yet completely accepting of us.
Furthermore, discrepancies between the culturally based values we learn at school versus at home can cause identity confusion and academic underperformance. These differences generate feelings of rejection and alienation from our peers and teachers, driving some AAPI teens to emulate western culture (i.e. “whitewash” themselves) in an attempt to fit in - often at the expense of losing their own cultural background. Others are made to feel reluctant about school and underperform, leading to academic failure and school dropouts. In fact, Southeast Asian Americans have the highest high school dropout rates of any ethnicity in America, well surpassing the national average.
Destigmatizing Mental Health in the AAPI Community and Providing Proper Care
Destigmatizing mental health in the AAPI community will not be an easy task. The stigma around mental illness is an issue so deeply embedded in our culture to the point that it’s unrealistic to think people will easily change their minds. Regardless, it is one we must address because the consequences of hiding our problems away for fear of what others might think including our family - can be lasting and dangerous.
In America, mental health issues are often described from a very Eurocentric lens, using hyper-specific language that is not easily recognizable to Asian parents. To combat this, Immigrant and AAPI children need better access to representative and inclusive classroom curriculums: we must diversify the educational narrative to include AAPI figures and culture so that we can get a better understanding of our heritage to reach the root of these misconceptions within our communities and better confront our parents about them.
Additionally, to make up for the language discrepancies, cultural barriers, and general unawareness that prevent AAPI youth from seeking mental health care services, it is crucial that we provide better publicity and awareness for community mental health programs, educate mental health service providers on cultural competency, and encourage Asian and Pacific Islander language studies for mental health service providers. In this way, we can promote a system that is inclusive of all backgrounds and provides a welcoming environment to immigrant and AAPI families.
On a more personal level, we must seek to break the cycle in our own families. In order to address the misunderstandings between generations, we must attempt to talk to our parents about mental health issues. After all, many of them experienced trauma or other stressors themselves. It's entirely possible that our parents could have mental illnesses of their own, but were never provided with the resources or knowledge that we have now to understand them. If they haven’t healed, that trauma gets passed down, letting the cycle continue - something that we cannot let happen. We must reach a common ground and empathize with each other - only then can we start to heal.
In my case, growing up in America as a South Asian immigrant gave me a very skewed perspective on the importance of mental health. To me, topics like depression and anxiety were far-fetched tales - something that I knew existed, but never thought would affect me.
However, as I grew older and more conscious of my surroundings, I realized the very opposite was true. I was at a point in my life where I started to be aware of the societal changes happening around me regarding mental health: increasing acceptance of mental illnesses and disorders in the media, awareness campaigns conducted at school, and people’s willingness to share their experiences with mental health on the internet. The more cognizant I became of these realities, the more I realized the ideas of mental health that had been perpetuated in my family and culture when I was a child were completely wrong.
And yet, when it came to being transparent with them about my struggles, I could never do it. Something always held me back. There was always that underlying dread that I would bring shame to the family by opening up about mental health issues, which confused me. I knew I couldn’t be the only one in my family feeling that way - intergenerational trauma caused by events far before I was born was sure to have left some scars. Surely someone else had to share my sentiments? But the environment we had created in our household and the stigma around it in our culture left no room to discuss such topics. So I kept silent, choosing to battle my demons alone.
My experience is not unique. I am one of the thousands of Asian American and Pacific Islander teens facing the same predicament. Many of us would rather walk on nails than talk to our parents about our mental health for one straightforward reason: In the AAPI community, mental health issues are often shrouded in shame, the stigma around them causing people within the community to suffer in silence. In fact, despite being the fastest-growing ethnic group within the United States, only 8.6% of Asian Americans seek mental health services and resources, the lowest of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S. On the complete opposite side, our white counterparts are 3 times as likely as us to seek aid when it comes to mental health issues. This begs the question: What drives this aversion to mental health in the AAPI community - and what are its implications?
Where the Stigma Stems From
For the most part, the reluctance to acknowledge the implications of mental health within our community stems from specific cultural ideals backed by a long history of traditionalism, which, over time, has led to the formation of stereotypes, prejudices, and misconceptions regarding the topic. Some Asian cultures don’t even believe that mental health issues exist. To them, sadness and hopelessness are perceived as one’s own fault for not trying hard enough, and depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses are simply not held to as high a standard of importance as they are in Western societies. As children of immigrants, some of us being immigrants ourselves, we face a clash of cultures - stuck in a constant inner battle between the collectivist values of our traditional cultures and the individualistic ideals of western society, particularly when it comes to mental health.
As we grow older, these discrepancies only grow wider. Thanks to social media, we have a hyper-connectedness to the world that allows us to see other perspectives and new ideas. “Mental health matters!”, “Your emotions are valid!” are the phrases we see on colorful infographic posts as we scroll through Instagram. We read Twitter threads by complete strangers on the internet validating our feelings, providing resources, and making us feel seen. But then we switch off our phones and face the reality of our family’s disregard for any conversations on the topic.
“You’re depressed because you’re weak,” they say. “Grow up. This is the real world. Deal with it,” are the words we hear within the walls of our ethnic Asian households environments that are thick with the tension and pressure of high expectations, resulting from the toxic “model minority” stereotype, a constant shadow looming over everyday life as an Asian. There’s an expectation to stand out for the “right” reasons: having perfect grades, a stable job, a high salary, and prominent social status. Many Asian parents think that having a mental illness can prevent you from achieving such things. And if you’re not achieving everything… Why are you even here?
Implications of Cultural Dissonance on AAPI Mental Health
We know they mean well, of course - after all, our parents just want us to be successful. But the constant barrage of two vastly differing narratives forced upon us leaves us torn between our identities, creating an uncomfortable feeling of disconnect, disharmony, and confusion, ultimately leaving us with mental and emotional baggage - a deadweight that we’ll carry with us for the rest of our lives.
This cultural dissonance manifests itself in the form of psychological distress and behavioral issues that have lasting implications on AAPI mental health. The contrast of cultures makes it difficult for teens in our community to communicate with their parents and grandparents. Older generations in our community may have had their own challenges to overcome, but they don’t have the same experiences as us. They were not the first in their families to grow up in the West, to have spent their childhoods playing an endless game of tug-of-war between two polarizing perspectives, confused about where they truly belonged. They simply raise us as their parents raised them, and as their parent’s parents raised them, dismissing our concerns and not acknowledging the fact that our circumstances are vastly different. This makes it difficult to establish new family dynamics where we can connect with them and be open about our mental and emotional struggles being raised as “outsiders” in a society not yet completely accepting of us.
Furthermore, discrepancies between the culturally based values we learn at school versus at home can cause identity confusion and academic underperformance. These differences generate feelings of rejection and alienation from our peers and teachers, driving some AAPI teens to emulate western culture (i.e. “whitewash” themselves) in an attempt to fit in - often at the expense of losing their own cultural background. Others are made to feel reluctant about school and underperform, leading to academic failure and school dropouts. In fact, Southeast Asian Americans have the highest high school dropout rates of any ethnicity in America, well surpassing the national average.
Destigmatizing Mental Health in the AAPI Community and Providing Proper Care
Destigmatizing mental health in the AAPI community will not be an easy task. The stigma around mental illness is an issue so deeply embedded in our culture to the point that it’s unrealistic to think people will easily change their minds. Regardless, it is one we must address because the consequences of hiding our problems away for fear of what others might think including our family - can be lasting and dangerous.
In America, mental health issues are often described from a very Eurocentric lens, using hyper-specific language that is not easily recognizable to Asian parents. To combat this, Immigrant and AAPI children need better access to representative and inclusive classroom curriculums: we must diversify the educational narrative to include AAPI figures and culture so that we can get a better understanding of our heritage to reach the root of these misconceptions within our communities and better confront our parents about them.
Additionally, to make up for the language discrepancies, cultural barriers, and general unawareness that prevent AAPI youth from seeking mental health care services, it is crucial that we provide better publicity and awareness for community mental health programs, educate mental health service providers on cultural competency, and encourage Asian and Pacific Islander language studies for mental health service providers. In this way, we can promote a system that is inclusive of all backgrounds and provides a welcoming environment to immigrant and AAPI families.
On a more personal level, we must seek to break the cycle in our own families. In order to address the misunderstandings between generations, we must attempt to talk to our parents about mental health issues. After all, many of them experienced trauma or other stressors themselves. It's entirely possible that our parents could have mental illnesses of their own, but were never provided with the resources or knowledge that we have now to understand them. If they haven’t healed, that trauma gets passed down, letting the cycle continue - something that we cannot let happen. We must reach a common ground and empathize with each other - only then can we start to heal.
Shalina Effendi is a senior at Kempner High School. Interested in writing and activism, she spends her free time advocating for gender equality and educational equity through various different organizations, such as Generation Ratify, Diversify Our Narrative, and Girl Up.