A01
Week 6
In "On Some College Campuses, A Focus On Asian American Mental Health", the author addresses the prevalence of mental issues in Asian American students, and the recent calls to action to accommodate them. A survey done at Cornell is mentioned, concluding that even though the Asian population at the university was only 14%, more than half of the suicides of the student body were students of Asian descent. The author alludes to the model minority stereotype and cultural pressures and their roles in aggravating Asian American mental health. Resources on campus and peer support are mentioned as sites of support.
I definitely see and experienced the cultural and societal pressures of being an Asian American student. As a first generation college student, the pressure to be a scholar—and a good scholar— is put on the front lines. I've had my parents tell me that before anything else, I am a scholar. My personality, and personal interests are secondary to the degree I should be earning and the money/career I will get because of it. Ultimately, my major choice was my own, but so many other interests or ideas I had about school were thrown out the window because of the parental and cultural influences. Pressures to be a top-notch, excelling student made all nighters even in high school a regular thing for me. Feelings of inadequacy followed me throughout my adolescence and slightly even today. Years of being told I needed to try harder and be betters has definitely led to some unresolved emotional and mental issues.
Question: Do older generations really even care about mental health or are we just "weak" to them?
References:
[Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/ximages/immigimages/ModelMinority/BloodTypeA.jpg
Media, N. A. (2013, September 13). On Some College Campuses, A Focus On Asian American Mental Health. Retrieved May 06, 2017, from https://youthradio.org/journalism/education/on-some-college-campuses-a-focus-on-asian-american-mental-health/
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